The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-02-20
Important Bill.

The bill introduced by Senator Nc
Cornell, ofTrousdale, ITO reduce the
cost of State prosecutions" makes
each county responsible for all tne
costs which accrue in that county ~
~felonies, as well as in misdemeanofs'
1t takes the whole mattaer out olthe
Comptroller's office. lis importance
is apparent from the Comptroller 5 le'
report, which shows that, for the nj
teen months ending Jan. !, 1873, the
costs Of such prosecutions amounted
to the enormous sun OF S249,5 S9,5o
The Comptroller says to the General
Assembly on this subject;
81 again call your attention to the
rrightrul bills Of costs which the State
is required to pay in criminal prosccu
tons. Costs are certified without any
scrutiny of the items, the presumption
being that the State is rich and pos
sessed ofthe magical faculty Of crea'
ting money by its own volition, There
is often gross negligence upon the part
Of the officers whose duty it is TO GER
tify as to the correctness of the items
in these bills Of costs"
Whatever may be the fate Of this
bill. there is no doubt that the evils
complained Of by the Comptroller
should be remedied, and there is no
doubt that il the counties had to pay
these costs that they would be very
largely reduced, or q new set Of officers
would be elected.
The McMinnville New Fra copies the
above from the Nashville Union ahc
American, and comments in the fol
lowing sensible ann upon it:
IF our city contemporary had gon'
n step or two further we SHOULD have
liked it better. We are of the opinion
that the "cost OF State prosecutions
and all other prosecutions coming be
fore our various Circuit courts coulc
he greatly lessencd by a prompt open
ing Of the courts on its appearance
day and not on the day succeeding
Witnesses, jurors, and the parties Iii
CANT are notified to be ia attendanc,
on the first day of the term, which i
generally Monday, snd the Judge make
his appearance on the succeeding day
consequently the county and the Stat
: have unnecessarily been run 10 the OK
| pcnse Of having all summoned partic
e present one day in advance Of tn
, court, and at the expense Of the Stat
and county which, in the majority o
counties, will not fall much below So
per day, besides the loss OF the labor 0
say fifty men to the State and count,
for one day. We think the cost coul'
and would be materially lesscncd by
= prompt opening of the courts on til
first day Of the term at the proper hou
and the hearing Of causes. Anothe
fact, and one which lies at the door u
=. our Judiciary, is that they do not d.
an honest days work, meeting at |
o'clock in the morning and adjourn
ing at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. nc
tual time consumed in the trial ofcauscs
five hours per day. Let Mr., McCon
! nell modify his bill so as to give til
counties power to have their wor
done according to their directions, ant
we are of the opinion tina. instead o
having five hours of court work don
l during the twenty. FOUR they would Sc
an honest eight or ten hours work GU
, Of the most OF the courts; and W
would have bat u few such occurrence
y as an hundred men summoned to ap
pear onthc first day Of the term. ant
no Judge to open his court. lie. u
. be fair. If the counties are to be mad,
to pay all cost in the prosecution
within its courts, let them have thu
, privilege of compelling their courts Il
, be opened and held at the proper time.