The Portland daily press., 1869-04-07
superior Cours.

APRIL TERA-6oDDARD, j., PRESIDING.
TuEspAY.-This morning commences new civil
term with one jury, who held over from last term
Rev. Mr.. Bolles offered the opening prayer In the
absence OF the foreman of the jury. Geo W. B. Lant
was elected foreman pro tenn. Judge Goddard, be-
fore proceeding with the Docket gave resume of the
business Of the year:
of the &C i've operations OF this Court and offers
opportunity briefly calling the attention OF the
gentleman of the Bar present to few stati tics,
showing the degree in which it has approximated
the desisn Of the Legislature and to the reasonable
expectations of the profession and the people of the
The first term, April, 1862 was substantially pre-
minary, lasting only eight days. The other eight
terms have varied from nineteen TO twentyto days.
and the to1rt, without jury, 96 days; in all les
days. Number 0fjury trials Al; justice trials, 139;
in all, 1870; number Of original civil entries during
the year, 1911 ACTIONS transferred from j. c., Isl
total docket 1462; la gest entry, 1851 average trv
109 average docket 3l5. OF these 1862 actions 1913
have been disposed Of finally; continued to this term
PIT. Most OF these however, are continued for judg
ment, bankruptcy or some nominal cause; there be-
ing left jury Ii of only 20 and justice list OF 49,
in al on 70 actions tor rial. At the adjournment
of the March term the jury list reduc ed to Is
and the justice list to 25; 40 in ALL
Seven hundred and forty plaintiffs executions have
been issued during the year, amounting t $900OO
indicating the whole amount of business adjudicated
ON by the Court at $t5ooOo Number Of motions for
new trial pending, 81 agreed statement, A excep-
There have been but 3 dissgreements by the inry,
During the years 1866 1866 and 1867 the s. j. Court
In civil terms sat s5, 81 and 70 days respectively
average for the years OF 80 DAYS, being less than
la as long this Court has been in session during
the past year.
Criminal Jurisdiction was not desired by the Bar.
formed part of the original act and was not con-
fei red uiti January, 1869, which was busy term,
as there had been but one criminal term during the
whole preceding year in the county, Number Of
criminal tions transferred from S. j. c., 68; new
entries at January term. rs; total docket l46. The
iurvo In fla ond oil ioIo
began the During 10 days 81 tried
bv the jury resulting in 81 verdcts of guilty, not
during the 1G davs of the criminal part of the tenn
on 81 PERSONS Total number Of disposed OF at
criminal term 81; continued to May term, S. Whole
number If days during which Court has sat is 1882;
from September 1st TO March 31st, a period of
months, Court has sat every business day but SO,
giving an average vacation of only days. Two
hundred and torrv-one applications for natura1iza-
tion have been made. mostly at the September term,
of which 80 were rejected and 209 granted.
Adverting for moment to the s. J. Court whose
docket this Court was designed to relieve. we find
that at the January term, 1865 the last term held
sIe a & q ne s sss
docket, 1927; 1928 of these actions continued to
tie April term, 1868, but the new entries had al
Daring the whole year only S76 actions have been
entered in the j. Court against 1881 the year pre-
ing April term will show only 7Os actions, reduc-
ton during the year in continued alone Of 6l5
Another year. it is hoped will go far towards an eff
three 1ths of the year 1868 shows only 81 entries
IN the s. j. Court against 39S In the Superior Court
proportion of to 1.
The Years experience has, think shown that the
creation OF new Court was alb olutely necessary
that the bill as recommended by the Bar and passed
by the Legislature was almost precisely what was
wanted; that the addition of the criminal business
was an experiment. the practieability OF which re-
mains to be determined by further experience; that
the civil business has already been increased by the
enlarged facilities afforded for the speedy trial OF
causes: And, finally, that there is now no practical
Justice
AT none of the nine terms have cases failed to be
tried, both by the jury and the justice within less
than two months from date of writ. and at each
tern trial has been given every where either
party desired trial, except for good legal cause; al
though it has been necessary to hold one term fully,
up to the next, tor this pur pose.
am inclined to continue to think favoraby of the
option afforded in TIE choice of jury justice trials
in 80 days. and the other peculiar features of our or
mic law The release of our Court from the burden
OF specifications has been endorsed by the last Legis
aiure In their abolition Of he system for the State
Bat, abovs all the monthly term with its division of
the docket its frequent closing up of business and
ts m general promInon o. rromptnsss Is believed to
means it has been practicable to employ only one
juiv at all our civil terms without varying them
terms.
Dispensing with one jury, at all civil terms, and
sitting without any jury more than half tho time,
lhe expense of the Court has been reduced 63 per
cent. The daily expense to the county for each day
of Court where two juries are In attendance is
aeOrt ,,t Stp vi one Jury abou S4o and OF the
the expense to the county for the 166 civil days of
this Court with Two juries would have been $l2500,
sive Of travel, has been $4,000. 1t will also be OBJ
served that only Al cases were tiled by jury in 20
days, be ng at the rate OF Il to case; while 1S9
cases were tried by the Court in 96 days. being at he
rate OF about one case in fve-sevenths of day.
This indicates that an average cases have been
tried by the Court while two could be tried by the
1urv. which WOuQ. IL strictly annlipd have sWapd
the expense from $4,000, under our system, to over
$50 900 under the old. This. however, would be de-
cases by jury If in session during every day in the
entire year, and, therefore, the expense would be
duced py the clogging ct the docket as in the s. j.
to the number OF cases actually tried must be very
great to the County at least Think rs per cent. OF
course the saving to partie, for witnesses &c. must
also be very greatly reduced.
need only add that while / have given such at
tention as was at my command to the business of the
Court. am conscious of the wide margin for i'm
provement which still exists on my part; but it is
hoped that the same ample measure of indulgence
and aid which has been extended TO me by all the
gentlemen of this bar during the first wear of the
Superior Court will be continued during the next.
Afei the call of the docket the trial list was taken
up.
No. 57-John Withau VS.. Inhabitants of New
Gloucester. This case was tried at the December
term, resulting in disagreement of the jury It is
an action to recover damages for serious injuries to
valuable horse owned by plaintiff which injuries, it
is alleged were caused by defect in the road lead
ing from Upper Gloucester to Shaker Village, Feb.
IA, 1867. On trial.
Strout & Gage. Haskell-Webb.
No. 73-Nathaniel s. Litt'efeld vs. Joshua E.
jerks. Account for profes ional services Heard in
the evening before presiding Justice Defaulted by
assent for $40 OF and costs
Littlefeld McCobb K. Kinosbnrv
Municipal Court.
JUDGE RINGsBURY PRESIDING.