The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-22

MEETING OF THE BAR.-A meeting Of mem
bers OF the Philadelphia bar was held this
morning at IL o'clock in the District Court room
No. j, Judge Porter in the chair. Vice-Presi-
dente. Iaaac HaZlehurst, Peter Mccall. George
w. Biddle, and Joseph B. Townsend. HenryM.
benkert and George ID. Budd were elected seere-
taries.l
me President, in opening the meeting stated that
the object for which the meeting had been calico was
TO take such measures as wprocure the necessary
legislation for the appointment of larger number
OF judges In our courts The present NUMBER IL not
suficient. Very often Judge sits all day nearing
cases, and then has to write opinions MIeI ~
O'Clock at night. Sometimes judges have come INTO
court, after an interval OF two weeks, WIN iory
Some judges are required to sit nine weeks at
stretch. At PittsbuTg it is so arranged that one
Judge sits two weeks and then anotner uuge sIS lor
the same time Each Judge thus mas an lnteIva, , on
two weeks for study and the thinking and writing
out OF opinions Besides these long terms, the court
rooms in which the judges are obligsd TO SIT are
the perfect retorts for the manufacture eI car
bonic acid gas which have ever existed.
The report of the committee appointed at pre-
vious meeting was then called for.
the following, stating that 1t was In the form OF
m aG t wtb tSs TeS of the
appended, and under the guardianship OF sultaole
cOmmittee:-
To the Honorable the Senators and Representatives Of
the General Assembly of the Commonwealth OF Penn
The undersigned members of the Philadelphia Bar
spectfuy represent That the increase OF population
increase in the number Of civil and criminal causes rem
der increase in the Judiciary of the city mperatyely
They therefore request honorable bodie; e rr9
Judges for he District Court and of one additional
Judge Of the Court Of Common Pleas
Your memorass also in what to be the
general opinion Of the Bar Of the State that the number
And your menorislists will ever pray etc,
The memorial was signed by Henry 4. Wallace,
w. Roach Wistar, Amos Briggs, William A. Porter,
George w. Thorn, Edward Shippen, ThomasJ Dieh
Henry M. Dechert,and George ID. Budd, members OF
Mr. ". Roach Wistar, Judge Parsons, Mr.. Richard
McMurtrie, and Mr.. George w. Biddle addressed
the meeting in favor Of the proposed changes.
Mr.. Blddle did not think that 1t would be for the
best to have seperate Nlsi Prius Judge for Phlla
delphia, to which idea the meeting leaned. He
ber ofthe Judges OF the Supreme Court and let them
hold the Nis Prius as now, than to have separate
local Judge OF the Nisi Prius.
| Mr. Reinak thought that It would be better to
have petitions from the people at large They
| would have more weight than one from the bar
| alone. Enough persons could be found who would
understand the matter and be willing to sign the
MIR E. S. Miller said that 1t was no time to engage
in refined discussion as to what was BEST but that all
should unite in some general measures for the in
crease of the facilities OF the court The Philadel-
| mia Bar never engaged in anything heartily and
unanimously, except to eat supper or bury some OF
its members. Lawyers do not know the great incon-
yenience to which the public are put by the want OF
facilities. Lawyers are Inconvenience when cases
are put off because the court Is too busy to hear
| them but how much more is it inconvenent for the
| clients who have to come sometimes from long dis
tances over and again! The judges are so over
| hurdened that they delight TO n0nsult the cases
They feel that they must get through the list some.
| how Let all now present drop their crotchets.
for my part will drop mine, for also have them, and
| will go in for the petition.
A statement from the Prothonotary OF the District
| Court was presented from which it appears that in
| the year 1880, 2276 cases were brought into that
court in the year SO there were 5591 cases. in 1880
1922 cases. in 1860 6570 and in the year 1862 SS4(
| cases.
| The petition was then passed unanimously.
| Mr. Renak requested that Mr.. Miller would re
duce to writing his reasons why this community de
sires an enlarged number of judges, which Should
| then be printed.
| A motion was made that committee OF twenty
five be appointed by the Chair to that the bill
| passes the Legislature, which was adopted.
| on motion, the officers OF the meeting were in
| cuded in the committee.
| Mr.. Rawle read an act which Is now before th
Senate and which is likely to pass He thought tina
some action should be taken favoring this bill. TIL
following is the act-
An Act TO Increase the Number of Judges of the SupreD
| Court.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represents
tiyes of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in Genera
and is hereby enacted by the authorit
first Monday in December next. shall consist of 81
judges any four of whom shall constitute quorum whe
for the purpose Of holding said COURT agreeab
and the additional Judge hereby authorized sha
at large at the general election agreeaby th
Constitution and the laws and shall be commissioned
the salary which the Judges of the Suprem
| Court receive.
No action was taken in relation to the act.
| on motion the meeting adjourned. After the az
| journment the various members OF the bar preseI
signed the memorial