The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-12-09
The Supreme Court.

Inc Oupfcmc court OF enncSSC
commenced its winter term at this
place OH yesterday. The six Judges
were all i'm attendance, seeming TO be
enjoying good health. At II o'clock
Chief Justice Nicholson ordered the
Court to be opened. After the scvc-
raj commissions Of the Judges were
handed to the Clerk TO be spread upon
the minutes, the Chief Justice an
nouuccd to the bar that upon exami-
nation of the docket he found that
there we're ,217 civil causes ; that 266
Of these were filed in 1867, 364 in
1865, l24 in 1869, and 1875 i'm 1870. lie
said that the Court TO devote
three months Of labor to the docket,
and if they were not broken up by
tue quO ga1TuntO proceedings al
Knoxville, TO which three of them
were required TO answer on the I'd
Monday in January, 1871, the court
would be enabled to give three full
months to the work. He expressed
the hope that the proceedings at
Knoxville would be postponed until
the summer term of the Federal Court.
Assuming that the court would be
allowedto 90 OH without Interruption,
he expressed the hope that all of the
causes filed in 1867 and 1865, amount
ing TO $50 civil causes together with
all the criminal cases could be dispoE-
ed of at the present term.
The Chief Justice said the court had
consulted fully as to whether the dis
patch of the business would be pro-
moted by sitting in two sections, as
authorized by the Constitution. He
said that whilst they had grave doubts
whether anything could be accom-
plislied by sitting in two sections,
they had determined to make the X
pertinent for at least one week. That
during the next week Messrs. Nichol-
son, Dcadcrick and Sneed, would sit
as a court in the Supreme Court room.
trying the business of the seventh cir
cult for 1867 and 1S6S-and Messrs.
Nelson, Turney and Freeman would
sit in the Federal Court room, trying
the business of the sixth circuit for
1867 and 1868. If at the end of the
week the experiment was satisfactory,
il would be continued if not it would
be abandoned.
The Chief Justice said that il was
impossible for the court to hope to
clear up the business OF 1867 and 1865
for the whole of Middle Tennessee,
unless they could have the cordial co.
operation of the bar. He paid a high
compliment to the bar of East Ten
ncssee, who by their prompt atten-
dance, by their thorough preparation,
by their faithful attention to the rule
requiring briefs containing succinct
statements of the facts and Of the
points in law, with the authorities
cited, and by their short, pointed and
condensed argument, had enabled the
court in two months to try and dis
| pose of about 400 causes. lie said if
the bar would give the court similar
cooperation here he INDUCED the
hope that the court could dispose of
! all the business Of1S67 and 1865.
HeannounceG that the court would
sit in full bench during the present
week, Sqd would take up the 9TH cir
| emit 9a,d hear TIE causes filed in 1867
! and\ IS6S, commencing with the law
docket, then the equity docket, then
the STATE docket of each county, The
court then adjourned until to-day at
8 o,clockA
II was highly interesting and graf
flying TO see the court Don crowded
with members Of the bar, interested
TO witness tho opening Of the proceed
ings of the new Supreme Court. The
| whole scene was interesting and
| gratifying. except where the Chief
| Justice referred TO the facts that three
! of the Judges were summoned to n
swer quo WeyToRtO proceedings at
Knoxville, and to the possibility that
the court would then be broken up
and the public business suspended.
The allusicn though made without
Il word of comment or complaint,
| produced a marked impression OH the
members of the bar. 1t was a start
| ling idea that Il court which had been
elected by a majority of one hundred
thousand free voters, and whose COM
missions. signed and scaled by the
| Governor. had just been spread unon
the records, should, he required to
suspend the public business and re-
pair 10 Knoxville, TO show by what
authority they were discharging their
high functions. The Chief Justice
uttered no word Of complaint, but
said that they would be compelled TO
suspend. unless the Federal Judiciary
shonld dispense with thcii:aitendance
until The July term of the Court
Union G american.