The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-24

n,,es canned by fhe unsssasfng ofP.K. JONES.
q iairet !, rfIasllo Ytbe foiowing vote
p TX, ZONES. sB3:W. A.Reese, Dos Hardy
Brown, 8; Thomas Green,
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEES.
Senate bill to provide for the lease OF the
nenifentiary. House Bill for the protection
Of sheer in the counties OF Clark, Frederlck,
Powhatan, and Charlotte, under suspension
of the rules. was placed on the CALENDAR. oen'
ate bill TO amend the charter OF Norfolk Guy
House bill giving the consent Of the state
TO fine purchase BY the United States OF GER
tain tracts OF land to be used Tor ,nliita,y
cemeteries. House bill to authorize tue
qualified voters of the county OF Chestel,
field 10 vote upon the question OF removal %,
of the county courthouse. House pm u
amend the law in reference to wills, Win re-
commentator that It do not pass.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
vas granted TO Mr. LEWIS for one day.
The House agreed to the amendment OF
the Senate to House bill for the
PROTECTION OF SHEEP
in Clarke, Frederick, Powbatan, ana Cnal'
lotte countics-striking out Po"ha'ap.
ruR JURISDICTION OF THE COUNTY COURTS.
Tn order to test the sense of the Louise On
This subject, Mr. STUART offered resoluli vi
;ns,ructinp the Committee OIL Courts 10 ~! IT,
mort bill restoring the jurs dictlon " ,ui
county courts, and asked for tue Je'' "NN
nays. ,.,, ;,structions be
amended bv striking ont the cause um ' ", ;,S
that each county should pay 1n' sa'''
Own judge. oiooted
The resolution of Mr. srUAsI MI the 10 Fam ,u,
,ows. "That the bill repoi.eu ~ tnS s; o
li W courts be and the same is hereby
VI ',,,;ttad TO said committee wit lnstruc-
49, - renort in lieu thereof bill restoring
. .u''i Jurisdiction of said courts as it existed
, rni to the lat of August, 1878, and proyl.
fino that the salaries of the judges OF said
courts shall be the same that they were prior
to ,ad date; but they shall be paid out OF the
treasures Of said counties"
Mr.. WILLIAMS said that the people were
welded TO the old county.court system as
was the Druid to bis oak, and the present
system has nothing in it to endear them TO
it. It originated in the disposition that was
prevalent Just after the war to multiply
offices. He would say that he was opposed
TO allowing the creditor to drag the debtor
to court fourteen times in one year when
citizens of other States are not. We cannot
touch the circuit courts now, but we can
nut the county courts right. The clause IN
The resolution to make the counties pay
the Judges was Intended to avoid Inc
necessity of having a tWo-thrds vote 10
pass it. There was no reason why we
should have these two courts OF concur
rent jurisdiction, and he would vote against
restoring the; jurisdiction to the courts.
WHY shall the Legislature continue the
practice OF changing the laws before they are
lry upon the statute.book There are many
county Judges utterly incompetent to per-
form the dulles that would devolre upon
them if the old jurisdiction is restored. lie
would favor the passage of the bill as re-
ported by the committee. The proposition
to have the Judges paid out Of the county
treasures was made to avoid constltu.
tionaI majority, and to increase the amount
in State Treasury for it by Increasing the
amount Of county taxes.
Mr.. J. 4. CLARK said under the old system
we could have case tried in thirty days.
Under the present if man is arrested In DC
to5er he cannot be tried until April, and
must remain in confinement for six months,
and the State will have to pay from SI5 to
800 for his maintenance, not to speak OF the
constitutionality Of so great delay, which re-
quires speedy trial. We cannot return to
the old time.honored system, but we can
increase the jurisdiction Of the county
Judges. In this county the judge had
provided for three terms, and they
interfere with the business Of the farmers ut
each session-taking them from home at
three Of the busiest Seasons OF the year. Inc
circuit judges in almost every circuit IN the
State are taking steps to bring about an in
crease of their salaries. We should return
to the condition of affairs before the last ses-
sion of the Legislature.
Mr.. NEELRY said Mr.. WILLIAMS, so far as
he b:u lone, bad expressed his opinion on
this subiect. The communications in the
press, purporting to come from the people,
he was satisfied come generally from
the county judges. The people under
the folmer system were dragged from
their business every month, ana the
law was so Objectionable and annoying
that they clamorcd for relief, and the
Legislature gave 1t to them. AS TO SPEEDY
trials, there is no reason why our people
should have more speedy trials than thcy
have in other States, and there can DE no
reasonable objection to the present system
on that score. We do not sympathiZe with
feIons, and they may lie III jail; if the sus-
picion be light they have the privilege of
bail II cannot be justly said that this OPP
position is in favor OF lawyers in that il
prevents speedy collection of debts,
Tor il is patent fact that lawyers make mot
moLey when debts can be speedily collected.
There are so many evils connected with the
| former system, would the people be ade-
quately compensated by the mere fact Of Oh.
tainiug more speedy trials.
Mr.. MASSEY said he would oppose an in
crease Of taxation, either directly or indi-
rcctly, and would the' efore oppose The pro-
position to instruct the committee to report
that the counties pay the judges.
At 2:45 =. NJ. Mr.. MASSEY gave way to u
motion to adjourn; which vas agreed to.