Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-03
SOME OF THE RESULTS OF BUNGLING LEG
IsLATION.

IsLATI0N.
The act of the Legislature establishing
a Criminal Court for Knox county and
ab0iishing the office of County Judge pro-
vided that it should "take effect from and
after its passage the public welfare re-
curing it," Yesterday, being the first
Monday in August, was the regular term
of the County Court, but, there being no
County Judge, and no Quarterly term of
the Court having been held since the office
was abolished at which Quorum could
be selected to hold the Quorum Court
large number of persons who came to the
city with important business to transact
We're compelled to go away disappointed.
One gentlemen came a long distance to
qualify as one of the executors of an inn
portant estate, A lady, whose health is
such as to render it uncertain when she
will be able to come back, wished guar
dian appointed for her children, but was
compelled to go away, leaving their estate
without any one legally authorized to look
after it. A great deal of important bust
ness awaits transaction, such as the admin
tration of estates, settling guardians ac-
counts, appointing overseers of public
roads, &C., yet through the bungling action
of corrupt and incompetent Legislature,
| these important interests are unavoidably
neglected. We are at a loss to see how men
could muster up the effrontery to claim
that such bungling work is for the public
welfare Those having business with the
! Court yesterday included men of all politi-
cal parties, and they without exception,
denounced the incompetency of that body
of small men who assume to make laws for
the protection and government of our State.
A law which precludes the possibility of
holding Court for the term of three
months so important to the public as the
County Court for Knox county is an out
rage. There can be no County Court in
our county until after the first Monday in
October, when the tounty Court meets and
elects Chairman and selects n Quorum to
hold the Quorum Courts. The passage OF
such law in such form was most UNI
fortunate blunder, and one for which the
people will listen no idle excuse.
While on the subject of bungling legisla
ton, we will give another instance where
the people are to suffer for the want of at
tention on the part of lawmakers to theil
interests and convenience Under the for
mer law, the Circuit Court for Bloun
county was held ON the first Monday:
after the fourth Monday in August
BY the law passed at the recent session o
the Legislature which takes effect from
: and after the first of September, the term
of the Circuit Court for that county ar
fixed for the fourth Mondays in April Au
, gust and December. The next term of tn
= Court can not be held on the fourth Mon
day in August for the new law is not il
force until the first of September 1t cal
I not be held on the first Monday after tn
4 fourth Monday IN August, for the new Law
; will then be in force which provides for
: different day. The result is, that the pee
Il pie of Blount county will not have anothe
e Circuit Court until the fourth Monday il
e December next and by the action of tn
k Legislature are deprived of the metho
k pointed out by law for settling their differ
= ences. Prisoners who are in their count
Jail awaiting trial for alleged crimes mus
lie there for another four months ut a
enormous expense to the people. w
l. scarcely know whether to attribute tn
st piece of downright oppression to til
y incompetency of this Legislature, or to
IS studied disposition ON their part to punis
+" the people of Blount county, in commo
: with all other localities where the Repul
al lican party is in the ascendancy.
4, We believe that all reasonable men wi
E. join us in saying that the history of legisli
lie tive bodies furnishes no parallel to the pre-
" ent Legislature of Tennessee. With
N view only to undo what their predecessor
e had done, they have gone on to repeal Law
ID and make Others without appearing
N have the least regard for the interests
to their constituents. 1t is notorious that
ID the history of our State there hi
never been so much bungling legisl
or ton as that which has marked the care
of our present General Assembly.
cnT NJ Tu0pNpUPGu