The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-27
General Assembly of Virginia.
FRIDAY. January &c, 1872.

I.ieutEnant-lIovernOTM MARIE La llie e''h'
Prayer By Rev. Mr.. Dashiell.
BILLS REPORTED.
Senate bill to incorporate the Mechanics
Mutual Building Fund and Dollar Swings
Bank of the city of Staunton.
| Senate bill to amend and rcCuact sections
8. !. end G, of chapter l44 Of the Code Of
| Virginia Of 1860, in reference TO the protest
| Of notes.
Senate bill recommended not to pass to
! authorize the qualified voters OF Prince Ed
ward county TO vote again on tile question OF
removing the county courthouse to the town
of Farmville.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
was granted to Mr.. TERRY until Monday
next.
DOCKET OF SUPREME COURT.
In response to the resolution of inquiry, the
following communication from the Judges OF
the Supreme Court Of Appeals was presented
by the PRESIDENT of the Senate:
CONFERENCE Room OF COURT OF ArrEAIs,
RICHMOND, january &c, 1872.
In answer to the resolutions Of the Senate
agreed to January "a, 1872, the undersigned,
Judges of the Supreme Court Of Appeals, re-
specially inform the Senate as follows:
First. As to the condition ofthe docket ofour
court: There are three hundred and seventy
eight cases Oh the general docket, and about
two hundred Of them on the argument docket.
leaving about one hundred and seycnty-cl@ht
cases to be transferred from the general TO tic
argument docket as they are gotten ready
Secondly. AS to the inquiry whether there
are any cases Oh the docket III respect to which
majority of the Judges of the court are SO
situated as to make it improper for them TO
sit on the hearing Of the same: We are not
aware Of any such cases, and believe there
arc none.
Thirdly. As to the inquiry whether there
are any, and how many, cases on said docket
which cannot be disposed Of with convenient
dispatch by it: We have to say that with all
our efforts, we are not able to do more than
decide about rs many cases in year as are
brought UP to the court in the same time.
We think we have succeeded i'll doing that
much, thus far, since the organization of the
present court, and we hope to be able to con-
tinue to do so but we cannot expect to be able
to do more. We take UP the cases for argu-
nlent generally in the order in which they are
maturcd and placed on the argument docket,
and, Judging from the case now under argyll
ment, case is called for argument in its
regular turn about two years after it comes
up to the court. We think the court CAN
conveniently keep down the docketsat Staun.
son and Wytheville, and hear all the causes
that are ready for hearing at each term Of the
court at those places, and we think the court
could do the same here ct Richmond If it
could be relieved Of the cases now ON the
docket. The accumulation Of those cases
has proceeded from several causes which
have been beyond our control, and are as fol-
lows:
First. During the war the operations of the
court were much interrupted and retarded,
so that at the end Of the war there was quite
a large number of cases on the docket.
Secondly. There have been periods since
the war during which the business OF
the court was altogether suspended; and
there was another period when the court was
composed of judges appointed by the mill
tary power, during which little progress
could he or was made in disposing Of cases
on the docket.
O.. Thirdly. The war gave rise to great deal
Of troublesome litigation, which increased
the number OF appeals; and
| Fourthly. The abolition of the district
courts threw upon the docket Of the Court OF
Appeals most Of the cases (and there were Il
great many Of them which were left undc-
cided on the dockcts Of those courts when
they ceased to exist. The number of cases
on the docket of the Court of Appeals at
Richmond at the time of the organization OF
the present court, including the cases which
clme from the district courts as aforesaid,
was about the same number now on the said
docket-to wit, 1878.
f0urthly. As to the inquiry whether, in
the Judgment of the court, "the public III
tcrcst requires the organization of special
court Of appeals": We have endeavorcd to
state the facts Of the case in our previous an
swers, so rs to enable the Senate to judge fo1
Itself on the subject to which this question
relates. We have no personal interest in thu
matter, and intend to do all we can, in any
event, in the execution Of the duties of oul
office, which will require ull our time
whether there be n special court of appeal:
or not. We do not expect our labors to be
lightcned in the least degree by the measure
We regard it only in its relation to the public
interests. But if delay of justice be public
evil, that evil seems to exist in this case anC
to require remedy. II it is to be remedie(
at all, the sooner the remedy is applied the
better. We suppose that q remedy will Ger
tainly be provided at some time or other
and if so, it seems to lis that now is the best
time to provide one. We will mention
another reason which occurs to us fol-
providing one, and that is to produce
equality in the administration in the
different parts OF the State. AS this mat
ter now stands, a case brought to the
Court of Appeals at Richmond cannot gene.
rally be decided in less than two years
whereas case brought to the Court of Ap
peals at Staunton or Wytheville may gene
rally be decided at the first term of the court
thereafter. We know Of no better remedy
for the evil than special court of appeals
which we have reason to hope would only BIZ
required to exist for few years, and during
two or three months only in q year.
Signed by Judges r. G. L. Moncure, j
Christian, T. S. Anderson, and Waller R
Staples.
BILLS PRESENTED AND REFERRED.
BY Mr.. HERSDoN: Allowing nm appea
from an order Of the board Of supervisors OF
township board.
BY Mr.. MEEM: To incorporate the yir
glna Land, Manufacturing, and Improve
ment Company.
| THE PEABODY CLAIM.
Senate bill providing for the adjudication
Of the claim of Washington and Lee Uniyer.
| sity to certain lost bonds Of the State was re-
committed to the Committee on Finance.
TESTIMONY IN MlsDEAEASoR CASES.
Senate bill to authorize the accused to tes-
tify in eases of misdemeanor was read the
second time.
ASSESSMENT OF TAXES.
Senate bill for the assessment of taxes on
persons, property, income, licenses, &c, IA
document Of 10S printed pages) was taken up
on motion Of Mr.. THOMAS.
Mr. QUEsENBERRY moved to amend the 10th
section 10y striking out the provision for the
exemption of property Of Masonic or Odd
Fellows associations.
IJnOn this Vary Ionp 6iraneaion enuupd