Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-11
TIE COURT QUESTION.
Letters on the Subject, Pro ct Con.


BARTLETT, December 8, 1869.
Editors Appeal: / learn that some one
IS trying TO create dissatisfaction in the
: minds of the people in regard to the lOca-
ion of a Circuit Court at this place. l
wish, by your permission, to make a plain
statement of the facts in the case, which
need only 10 be understood to be APP
proved by the great mass of our citizens,
both in Memphis and the county, in
Guiding the bar of Memphis. l suppose it
is generally Known 10 our people that the
Legislature passed a bill abOlishing all
the courts of our county, after which our
Representatives introduced a bill making
shelby county a judicial circuit, giving
her three Circuit Courts, two Chancery, a
Criminal and a Probate Court. In this
shape it passed the Lower House, but
when it reached the Senate they amended
it by strikingOf one Of the Circuit Courts,
and as thus amended passed its second
reading in the Senate. In company with
Or. Blackwell, Col. +. w. Caldwell and j..
:. Egleby, ! went to nashville, had an IN
terview with our immediate Representa-
tives, and through them we obtained a
hearing before the Senate judiciary
( Committee. who gave Us a patient hear
ing We endeavored 10 prevail on them
TO give US the original bill. with three in
stead CT two Circuit Courts, 50 that we
J. ia III aHNIaA AZ AA4L bAA anu -
Of Memphis TO consent TO a one Of
them located at this place for the great re-
! lief Of the people outside@of Memphis, bu
they refused upon the plea they could not
consent to tax the State by creating an
other judgeship, and proposed for our re-
lief to give the third Circuit o and To-
cate il at Bartlett conditional that il be
attached TO the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit,
and the court to be holden by the Judge
of said circuit, which would relieve us,
give TO Shelby county the number of
courts she asked for, and at the same time
create no additional expense to the State.
It was then agreed by the said Com
mittee and our efficient Representatives
that no further action should be taken
with the matter until we could return
home and bring the matter before the Bar
Of Memphis, Il in the event they should
approve, to obtain their names to a petit
ton to that effect-which we did, and pro-
cured some seventy or eighty Of their
names approving the proposition. Capt.
Mercer, of the firm OF Mercer & Ware of
Memphis, and myself, returned TO Nash
vile, placed our papers in the hands Of
our representatives, who went 10 work,
and through the kindness Of both
branches Of our general assembly, took up
the bill, as thus amended, out OF its regu-
lar order, (for our accommodation and
passed it through both branches on its
third and last reading, by a unanimous
vote. I do hope that no blame will be
attached to our able and efficient represen-
tatiyes; they did what justice and their
instructions required at their hands, and
it is with pleasure that 1 can say that
they are industrious, attentive, yet wide
awake to the interests of their county and
the State-and 50 far as Uhe.cOmplaint Of a
few of our citizens, that this court should
AVE been located at Raleigh, l have no
quarrel with them-regard them as my
- - I'LL IL -. - an- ]
that the Bar and citizens of Memphis
moved the courts from Raleigh on account
Of its naccessibility-therefOre would not
have given their consent. So far as the
courthouse and Jail at Raleigh are con-
cerned. they are insuch "a dllapldated con
diiion that they are not fit for use, neither
considered safe. Besides the cost of such
a house as Will be required to accommO-
date the court in question, viii be but a
triie TO the county. The people do not
desire a costly house, and the grounds will
be donated by the owner for that purpose
This place being twelve and a half miles
nearer the centre Of the county than
Raleigh, and located at the junction of the
Memphis * Summervllle, BrOWnsvllIe x
Germantown and the Memphis & Ohio
Railroad, making il the most accessible
point for the people Of the entire county
TO convene.
BY publishing this simple statement of
the facts connected with the shelby
County Court Bill, and requesting the city
papers to do 50, you viii greatly accom-
mOdate the citizens of the county.
G.. NJ. BARTLETT.
Editors Appeal: You cannot imagine
my asJonishmeut when I came to town
and learned that our Legislature had To-
Gated a Circuit Court, with plenary, civil
and Crimina Jurisdiction, at Bartlett De-
pOt, a way-statiOn on the Memphis and
Louisville Railroad, about eleven miles
east of this city. We of the county
Knew nothing of the movement, and an
not imagine how that place WAS ever Sc
lected, for they have neither courthouse,
Jail, hotel, or any other house for the ac-
cOmmOdatiOn of visitors. I learn this
outrage upon the people of the country
south of, and Of Memphis, was accom-
plished by the special labor of three or
four of the citizens Of Bartlett or Union
Depot, who made several visits TO Nash
vile and satisfied the Legislature that
Memphis was q village by the side Of
their enormous city; that Memphis would
soon lose her identity by being swallowed
up by Bartlett, late Union Depot. They
ought never To have changed its name, as
it Is the only voting place outside Of the
city which has always given a Radical
majority. We all know Of the many Rad
zeal pOw-wows which were had there, and
AAAN lNAA % AaAa va AAN AA1AAaAAANA - D
Bureau which has existed there for a long
while. These enterprising citizens of
Bartlett, ] understand, viii ask u COun-
~ Court, at its January term next, to
make an appropriation Of about 100000
TO build them a courthouse n Jail.
This, Of course, viii be granted, because
they Jay a court and must be provided
for. 1 canuO blame them, for they have
property whose value they desire to en-
nance. This is natural, and if they can
make our citizens, outside of their corpO-
rate limits, pay a taX to build them up
and put money in their pockets, that is
only sharp.
This court, ! lean, has criminal juris-
diction over the city Of Memphis, concur
rent with the Criminal Court. That is
simply ridiculous, and must be condemn
ed by every one who knows a SYLLABLE of
law. They got II up, as they said, for the
convenience Of the people Of ths country,
but it turns out 10 be for the Inconvenience
Of the people OF Memphis. Win Our sa-
loon men and others submit 10 being in-
Gicted at two places at the same time for
the same Ohense? Such a mCnstrosity is
without a parallel in the history oflegis-
latiOn.W Where are our Representatives Are
they up there? If the people north of
Wolf river did not want to 90 to Memphis
20 court why did they not get up a little
court at Randolph, where the county has
"a good courthouse and jail already built
nj ready for occupation. Give his little
court exclusive civil and criminal juris-
dictiOn north OF Wolf river and that
would relieve those people of going TO
Memphis to serve on iuries n to
answer in both civil and criminal cases,
as they o viii have 20 do.
The courts OF Memphis win still draw
their jurors from the county,, and the
lawyers of Memphis viii still serve out
their process from the city courts against
the people Of the county and witnesses
viii be brought here to testify. The liti-
cation south Of Wolf river viii an 90 TO
the city courts because we viii not 20 TO
Bartlett, when we can reach Memphis by
rail. and al the same time attend to other
business. We are determined to resist to
the last extremity of law any attempt to
levy a tax on MS to build a courthouse
for the accommodation ola few interested
Of thai little place.
SHAKE RAG.