National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-24
THE LAWS DELAY IN THIS DISTRICT.

When Magma Chartd sums up civil
rights it makes prominent among them
right and justice administered, without
sale, denial or delay" We have. at least
as respects the civil Jurisdiction In this
District no reason for apprehension as to
sale, or fear Of the denial Of justice here,
but thst justice which the Maryland bill Of
rights. following the great charter, declares
should be given speedily without delay"
ofen comes to the District with tardy foot,
and patience, not to say hope, is too often
worn out before the case that in
wolves rights of property Is brought to .
conclusion. For this, certainly no blame
can be attached to the judicial officers Of
the District. The courts are nearly always
in session. Vacation is merely name,
and even the present month, when by
the rules Of the court, the monthly session
Of the special term is intermitted, the rules
providing for special terms in all the
months of the year except August, the
necessities Of the times demand court and
Judge Wyhe is still holding unadjourned
the July special term. 1t is too, to be said
to the credit Of the speed with which jus
tice is, in many cases, administered in the
District, that more than half of the civil
suits entered in the clerks offices are dis
posed of within six months. It is, how
ever In the other half that cases in which
delay ofjustice is adenial of justice, often
occur. The trial calendar of the Circuit
Court is generally made up of over five
hundred cases, and it is not often that over
three hundred are called for trial during q
term, leaving the residue to go over until
the next term and block the way of other
cases. The remedy given by the act of
Congress which allows the court and jury
of the criminal side to become for time
an auxiliary Circuit Court, was held
to some extent this. year, and relieved
the Circuit Court of all its appeal cases
and some few Of the very long civil suits.
Yet even with this as sistance the Circuit
Court, although 1t sat until late in July, full
three weeks longer than usual, failed to dis
patch all its business. Several remedies have
been suggested for this. Among them the
creation of . subordinate civil tribunal to
try all cases of contract IN which the sum
claimed shall not exceed $500.
Such court would, however, soon be
.clogged with business, but it might be of
signal service if it tried only such cases
(under $500 in value) as were assigned to
it by the judge holding the Circuit Court.
But not alone below is there delay. The
evil is still greater above. 1t is true that
our Court in general term habitually cleans
its calendar at each session but the Su-
preme Court of the United States is clogged
with business, and two years behindhand
with its docket. Last term it had $50
cases upon its docket and disposed of only
three hundred and ten, leaving the residue
for the next term. 1t is proposed to RENE
dy this by dividing the nine judges of the
Supreme Court into sections of three
judges each, and have three Courts Of Ap.
peal at once. This would be speedy enough,
but is open to grave objections on other
accounts. The statesman who can give Us
q plan for justice without delay, that will
serve its purpose, will be second in public
esteem only to him who shall solve the
financial problem.