The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-27
CHARL TO II.
Consideration of the Judiciary S5a-
tem-SaIaries of JudGcs-A Short
DisquisitiOn on DemaGoGuius.
Special to the Register.

Special TO the Register
CHARLESTON, March II.
To-day the consideration Of the
report of the Committee of the Whole
in relation to the Judiciary Depart
ment was resumed. Mr.. Wheat moved
TO strike out the second section of the
report which relates 70 composition OF
the Court OF Appeals, and substituted
a rorlion Of the plan heretofore submit
ted by him and which, | believe, has
been published in full in the REGISTER.
In an effort to perfect the section
proposed to be stricken out, Mr..
Hagans, of Monongalia, endcavcred 20
reduce the number of judges Of the
Court of Appeals to three. This, after
considerable debate, was defeated ard a
similarly unsuccessful effort was made
by Mr.. Fitzhugh to increase the mum
Der to five. The forenoon was spent
in controversy upon the subject and
Mr.. Wheat's amendment was finally
defeated, thus leaving the section "a it
came from the committee.
An effort was made to provide q
scheme for determining the respective
term of office of the four judges to be
chosen at the first election under Ihc
new Constitution, but this too was un-
successful and the section stands as re-
ported. 1t simply provides for the
election OF the four judges and fixes The
term Of each at twelve years. At the
expiration OF that time another full
bench will lie elected.
The section relating to the a'range-
ment of the judicial circuits crcltcd 2
good deal of controversy. Several
changes were proposed, but the Con-
vention seemed averse TO reopening Il
matter that had been settled with much
difficulty in Committee Of the Whole
and refused to make any changes. The
only change that was made ny Com
mittee of the Whole in the original
report OF the Judiciary Committee was
the formation of new circuit in thc
Eastern Panhandle, and as this seemed
to be demanded by the circumstances o.
the case and to be founded upon good
and sufficient reasons, it was approved
by the Convention. In all other re-
spects the circuits remain as at first
arranged by the Committee on Judi
ciary Department.
In en- unlucky moment the question
OF the salaries OF Judges was reopen
ed, and upon this the torrent Of talk
flowed feariully unGl the hour of 60
journmsnt.
Mr.. Martin moved to strike ont the
words twenty-five hundred which
designate the salary of judges Of the
Supreme Court, and insert 1.-TWO thou.
sand" Mr.. Campbell, of Brooke,
moved to amend by inserting "t6ree
thousand" Mr.. Basel moved 10 amend
by inserting twenty-five hundred \
lengthy debate ensued, and, finally,
the question being divided, the motion
to strike out prevailed by a small
majority, thus leaving the amount OF
salary blank. After further debate, q
vote was had upon Mr.. Campbells mo-
ton to insert "three thousand" and
was decided in the negative. Tue ad-
vocates of an increased salary then
moved an adjournment, it being already
past the usual time, but the motion was
resisted by the low pay men, and, after
several calls for ayes and noes, an ad-
journment was accomplished. The
question is thus left open, and a good
deal OF caucusing and electioneering is
being done tonight by the friends OF
the several propositions. What tie
result will be it IS impossible to say.
The debate this afternoon has been
participated in by Messrs. Wheat, Pea
dleton, and Price in behalf of the pay
ment Of liberal salaries to The Judges,
and by Messrs. Ward, Wilson, Jackson
of Wood, and Martin in favor Of re6rc-
ton to the starvation point The
speeches were all very good and very
much 10 the point on their respective
sides, but being myself pretty thorough
" disguised with what seems to me the
penny wise-pouud foolish" policy of the
Convention, l can scarcely do justice 10