Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-22
UNFAIR TO EAST TENNESSEE.

The gerrymandering of the General As
sembly has not been confined TO redistrct-
ing the Judicial Circuits OF the State. Our
high-minded (?) Legislators have been
busying their brains lately in trying TO re-
construct the Chancery Divisions of East
Tennessee, 50 a. to secure partisan Chan
cellors and particularly TO defeat our able
Chancellor, Hon. o. p. Temple BY this
new electioneering legislation, the State is
divided into twelve Chancery Divisions.
Thirty-tive counties, including all Of East
Tennessee, are divided into two divisions,
while the remainder of Middle and all of
West Tennessee are divided into nine di-
visions. This diyisiOn-the seconds
composed OF the counties of Knox, Sewer,
Campbell, Union, Roane, Monroe, Blount,
Scott, Morgan, F6Dhcs8 and Christina.
The last four are counties added to the di-
vision. Now, let us compare this division
with some over in that paradise of unterri-
fed Democracy-Wes Tennessee The
oounty Of Shelby, in which is situated the
city of Memphis, has tCo ChoacoHors and
twO Gtdpceyy Courts. The tccirc counties
sAbDNN AelIlNu nav OHf tftffftFff|DF. ~ non
county, with it, very large Chancery bust
ness, is equal to two counties, for Chanccl-
lor Temple holds four courts here every
year, while i'm the other counties he holds
but two. Shelby county is, OF course. a
large county, and affords very large bust
ness to be settled in the Chancery Courts,
but the business is not by any means as
great as the business of the twelve counties
in this division. We do not suppose the
business there transacted Is twice greater
than the business in Knox county. But
look at the unfair manner i'm which thi.
labor i divided. Chancellor Temple. in
order to attend courts i'm the twelve coun-
ties twice year, must travel by private
conveyance about tOeire hundred and by
public conveyance about seCcn hoiRdJed
mites eceIY gear. In addition to travelling
this distance he holds twenty-siX courts
every year, twenty-five of which are held
away from home. These courts. including
the time going and returning, average
nearly one week, and are attended with
expenses, outside Of t'areiing expenses, of
about two dollars per day. While the two
Chancellors at Memphi, are holding their
courts about one-half, or say three-fourths.
of the year, attended with no travelling or
hotel expenses, Judge Temple travels about
1900 miles and holds twenty ormore courts.
and expends, in the meantime, for his ex-
traordinary expenses, nearly one half his
salary. This is not only true of our Chan
cellor, but is likewise true of Chancellor
Smith, Of the First, and Chancellor Trew-
HIT, of the Third Division, with the ex-
ceptiop that the latter division is some
smaller. We do not know upon what
grounds tkis partisan assembly attempt
to defend this kind of legislation but we
know that the honest, reasonable men of
East Tennessee will denouuce it without
reference to party synpathies. While, in
some of the Weather countless OF West Ten
nessee, there may be litigation involving
greater landed or monied Interests, new
eFtheless the labor of disposing of chance
ny or law busines in East Tennessee is
9qils as RESPONSIVE and agaa9gs. Justice
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