Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-06
TnE sUPREME s GoIfRr

The Supreme Court of Tennessee com.
menced its winter term at this place on
yesterday. The six Judges were all in
attendance, seeming to be enjoying good
health. At - o'clock Chief Justice Mich
olson ordered the Court to be opened.
After the several commissions of the
Judges were handed to thee Clerk to be
spread upon the minutes, the Chief. JUS
ice announced to the bar thatI upon ex-
animation of the docket he found that
there were 1,247 civil caused now for
trial, exclusive of State causes; that 266
of these were filed in 1867, S6S in 1865.
424 in 1868, and 19S in 1870. He said
that the Court proposed 20 devote three
months of labor TO the docket, and if they
were no. broken up by the quo WGrrG,ato
proceedings at Knoxville, to which three
of them were required to answer on the
I'd Monday in JsnuaW, 1871, the court
would be enabled 10 give three full months
TO the work. he expressed the hope
that the proceedings at Knoxville would
be postponed rf1dl the summer term of
the Federal Court. Assuming that the
court would be allowed 10 20 on without
interruption, he expressed the hope that
all OF the causes fled in 1867 and 1865.
amounting to $50 civil causes together
with all the criminal cases could be dis
posed of at the present term.
The Chief Justice said the court had
consulted fully as to whether the dispatch
OF the business would be promoted by sit
ting in two sections, as authorised by the
Constitution. He said that whilst they had
grave doubts whether anything could be
accomplished by sitting in two sections,
they had determined TO make the expert
mcnL for at least one week. That during
the next week Messrs. Nicholson, Dead |
erick and Sneed, would sit as a court in |
the Supreme Court room, trying the bust |
ness of the seventh circuit for 1867 and |
lS6S-and Messrs. Nelson, Turney and |
Freeman would sit in the Federal Court |
room, trying the business of the sixth
circuit for 1867 and 1865. If at the end
Of the week the experiment WAS satisfac,
tory, it would be continued; if not, it
would be abandoned.
The Chief Justice said that il was i'm
possible for the court TO hope to clear up
the business of 1867 and 1868 for the
whole of Middle Tennessee, unless they
could have the cordial cooperation of the |
bar. He paid high compliment to the
bar of East Tennessee, who by their |
prompt attendance, by their thorough |
preparation, by their faithful attention 70 |
the rule requiring briefs containing sue
cinct statements of the facts and of the /
points of law, with the authorities cited,
and by their short, pointed and condemned |
arguments, had enabled the court in two |
months TO try and dispose ofeab0ut 400 |
causes, He said if the bar would give
the court similar co operation here he in
dulged the hope that the court could dis
pose of all the business of 1867 and 1868.
SIe announced that the court would sit
in full bench during the present week,
and would take up the 9Th circuit and
hear the causes filed in 1867 aud 1868,
commencing with the law docket, then
the equity docket, then the State docket
of each county. The court then ad-
journed until to-day at O'Clock.
Ii was highly interesting and gratifying
TO see the courtroom crowded with mem
beEs of the bar, interested TO witness the
opening of the proceedings of the new
Supreme Court The whole scene was
interesting aud gratifying, except where
the Chief Justice referred TO the fact that
three of the Judges were summoned to
answeE ESQ ac0rrQntO proceedings at
and TO the possibility that the
count would then be broken up and the
public business suspended.
The allusion though made without a
word of comment or complaint, produced
A marked impression on the members Of
the bar. II was a startling idea that a
court which had been elected by major
ily of one hundred thousand free voters,
aud whose commissions, signed and sealed
by The Governor, had just been spread
upon the records, should be required 10
suspend the public business and repair to
Knoxville, TO show by what authority
they were discharging their high func-
tions. The Chief Justice uttered no
word of complaint, but SAID that they
would be compelled 10 suspend, unless
the Federal Judiciary should dispense
with their attendance until the July term
If fhc l'ourt