The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-01-06

Probate Court.

zs With the end of the year, one Judge
of the County Court Of Kenosha County,
went out of office, and with the beginning
of the year, another Judge of the same
Court, came into office The County
Court has but little jurisdiction, only
as a. Court fiof Probate. And since
the limitation of its powers, many have
thought that its duties were unimportant'
Sucn, however, is far from being the case.
On the contrary; its duties in probate or
as Probate Court, are ofsvast and super
lative importance. We are. informed
that the property of the Estates, brought
into Court for Administration during the
past year, has amounted to more than
Three Hundred Thousand Dollars The
just administration of estatesS amounting
to such a sum, is ofemuch Importance
And yet the settlement of accounts, and
the distribution of property and money,
is not the most important duties of the
Court of Probate. 81 : ssine e7'Si taafi
"a Sometimes-tma times4+minore chill
dren are left without father or without
mother, and sometimes without either,
and sometimes with little or no property,
who need the guardian and protecting care
of suitable persons to look to their inter
est and welfare And sometimes these
children are in childhood and even infan-
cy. The proper bringing up of these
children isrof vastly more importance! than
the settlement of accounts, the sale Of
property, and the distribution of what
remains It is of as much more impor-
portance as the. child-the man. sthe wo-l
MANS of more Importance than the
personal and the real estate. And the APP
pointment Of proper persons as guardians,
with regard to the proper bringing up Of
young children,is among the most impor
tant and delicate duties of the Court of
Probate. s II sfF ISL 6aosl. asua
If any one has thought that the Coun-
ty Court was Of but little Importance, or
that almost any one could discharge the
duties of the Office, he has been very much
mistaken. Properly to discharge the du-
ties of the'office, it requires q Judge well
acquainted with the principles of law, of
clear intellect, ofsoundj judgment, of pure
heart, of good morals, and of close appli-
cation. A judge, lacking any of these
essential qualifications, would be very
likely to fail in the proper discharge of
the duties of the office.
Heretofore, we have reason to believe,
there have been some failures on the part
of the Judge Of Probate. Perhaps not
so much in the settlement of accounts,
the sale OF property, the distribution Of
the remaining effects, the guardianship of
minor children and their property, and
the proper care and bringing up Of chill
dren, as in the proper keeping of the
papers on file, and the keeping of the
records of the Court. In these respects,
we are informed, there has sometimes
been much looseness. It is not our pur-
pose to point out who and what may have
been most to blame in connection with
these shortcomings of the Court of Pro-
bate. Our purpose is rather to aid in the
bringing about of a better administra-
tion of the affairs of the Court This
much we feel it duty and at liberty to
say. We believe the County Board is
making provision for the care, and safe
keeping of the papers and records of the
Court. And we believe that the late in
cumbent, Judge Petit, who went out of
the office with the out going year, during
the time he was Judge of the Court, la
bored faithfully and assiduously, in
the discharge of the duties of
the office, and that he succeed
ed, in a good degree, in bringing order
and system, out of chaos and confusion
or what seemed to be SUCH, s
Of the present incumbent, Judge Web
ster, who came into Office with the incom-
ing year, we will say thismuch. He once
before held the office of County Judge of
this County, and acted as Judge of the
Court of Probate. Of his official action
then, we have nothing to say, more than
what we have already said, in general, of
the discharge Of the duties of the office
heretofore Notwithstanding his being
a strong partisan, and Editor and Pub
Usher of a partisan newspaper, we be-