Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-04-02
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
Defense of the RepOrfer-The work HI
Has Had to Do and Has Done
Legislative Endorsements.

EDITORS APPEAL-You copied few
days since from the Knoxville Tribune,
and editOrially approved, an article re-
fiecting upon Attorney General Heis'
kell for delay in publishing the su-
preme court reports. Regarding it as an
erroneous and unjust criticism of al able
and efficient officer, beg leave to reply.
The wrong is not in the failure Of the
attorney. general to work, but in
the law which requires more than
one man can do. He published one
volume each in 1870, 1871, 1872 and 1873.
Three volumes have been published by
volunteers, and the eighth and ninth
will soon be out. The latter does not
quite complete the decisions for the first
two years Of the present court, and there
is now matter enough for twelve or fit-
teen more volumes-enough to keep one
man busily engaged all the time. In
addition thereto, the criminal cases ap-
pesled to the supreme court, which the
law makes it his duty to prosecute,
amounts TO about two hundred annually.
This duty, for obvious reasons, cannot te
delayed. Many of these are vo!uminous
and closely contested. Also the revenue
cases. Or these take the M'Lean case,
from this county, IS specimen, which
took several dsys Of argument in the
supreme court, the opinion in which is
about sixty printed pages long. The
Bank CT Tennessee case, in its varied
forms-Athens branch, new issue, liabil-
ity Of the State for, receivabilIty for
taxes, etc, and which is now in
the United States supreme court
Numerous mandamus cases against gov
ernOr, comptroller and other officers, tax
commissioners cases, interest on tax
cases, insurance and bsnk-tax cases,
nine days argued in the supreme court.
Memphis aud Charleston railroad case,
to compel credit of Confederate notes
during the war-in chancery, supreme
and United States supreme court. Rail-
rOsd tax, abolition of Shelby county
courts, hdbeC.s corpus cases involving
Gibson county prisoners, in United
States court. Tennessee and Pacific rail
road and ether cssss; besides ad-
vising the governor and other
State officers on all legal ques-
irons arising iD their respective duties.
This matter was fore the last legisla-
ture; the committees report is now be-
fore me. (See senate ournal, page 483)
They say the reporter has made about
his pred scessoIs; that he has discharged
his arduous duties faithfully and with
ability, and that it is utterly impossible
for one man to keep up the reports aud
attend to the other duties imposed by
the law upon the sttorney.genersl.
A bill was reported and passed
by 10th houses creating the Office OF as
sistant reporter, but had been delayed at
the close CT the session, and only failed
because it failed to reach the governor in
time, as is shown In the lournsls. (See
proceedings Of the last day.. In the
committees investigation Chief ustice
Nicholson was examined, and stated
that he was not surprised at any failure
TO DO all the law required, but that the
sttorney-genersl accomplished 30 much.
This, from q man whom we now mourn
as having literally worked himself to
death, is, submit, conclusive.
W. q. WEATHERFORD,