Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-24
supREnE COURT REPORTS.

SUPREME COURT REPORTS.
The non-publication Of the decisions
Of the Supreme Court Of this State
while possibly not likely to operate as a
serious iDjary to the great body OF pos.
teriiy, is nevertheless a present inconve.
nienee and cause Of perplexity snd an
noysnce te the bar aud the people. The
lawyers Of Knoxville have been agitatiDg
this question among themselves some
time, and finally have taken decided &C.
ton. A committee appointed some week:
ago reported back to an adjourned meet.
ing Of the bar at Knoxville at some
length. AcOrrespoHdenc had with AttOr.
ney General and Reporter ]. B. Heiskell
was submitted as part Of the report. Col.
Heiskell says substantially that his time
is SO fully occupied with the duties OF
attorney general, which be considers
the more important branch of bis
Office, that be has no time to
perform the duties Of reporter. 1t is set
forth that the present attorney general
and reporter came into ofice in 1870,
and entered upon the duties OF his Office
in September Of that year. As the Law
then stood, his compensation wss a
salary of $500 per annum and also a
copyright in the reports made by him Of
the decisions of the Supreme Court" He
promptly published and issued four vol
umns Of reports, LIST Heiskell, in 1870,
"a Heiskell, in 1871, Sd Heiskell, in
1872, and 4th Heiskell, in 1873, which
he sold under his copyright at seven
dollars per volume. On December 18Th,
1871, the Legislature passed an acI
fixing the salary Of the attorney gen
eral and reporter at $4,000 per annum,
which should be in full for all his ser
vices as such Encouragement and re-
porter" This act provides for the pub,
LEGATION Of the reports of the decisions OIL
the Supreme Court by the comptroller,
but makes it the duty Of the attorney.
general and reporter to report the easel
decided by the Supreme Court, and tt
furnish the comptroller for publication
as DON as practicable after the opin
ion shall have been pronounced" Sait
oct further provided that: IF the atlor
ney.generel and reporter should fell Of
refuse, within q reasonable time after
the said opinions shall have been ar
nouuced by the Supreme Court, to de
liver the same, so prepared for publica
ton, as aforesaid, to the comptroller O
the State, as aforesaid, it shall be tn,
duty Of the said comptroller to suspend
the salary Of the said attorneygenera
and reporter, or any part thereof, unit
he shall deliver the said opinions, 81
prepared for publication, as aforesaid, t
him for publication"
The present attorney general and re
porter has not furnished to the comp
troller, prepared for publication, any
opinions Of the Supreme Court delivered
since the said act Of December l3, 1871
unless, perhaps, the State case reported
in 9Th Heiskell we're decided since tho.
date. 1t ia true that 18Th, Gtd, It'll ant
9Th Heiskell have been published, gu
they were reported and prepared fol
publication by certain members Of tht
bar as : voluntary act on their part, ant
even these 30 not bring the decisions O
the Supreme Court down to q later dat
than 1872 There are still FIVE years o
decisions unreported, aud inaceessibl,
to the bench, the bar, and the people
and yet the comptroller has paid thl
attorney general his salary. The com
mittee recommed that the bar motif,
Inc comptroller OF the proceedings Of th,
bar and their intention to use their effort
to insure o strict enforcement Of the law
The report was adopted, and 10 additio,
thereto a resolution was adopted declar
ing II the sense Of the bar thst the dutie
imposed by law upon the attorney gene
raj and reporter are greater than a b
properly performed by ole man. an.
a committee was appointed to memorial
ize the legislature to 80 amend the law a
to provide sufficient assistance for hi
purpose. We think that the defect ia 4;
the law rather than the fault with the a,
torney general and reporter. He ce.
tainly earns bis salary, as he ia yer
laborious aud gives his full time to III
duties Of the Office. Itis a poor polio
to oyer-work or under-pay any publ
officer.
TnE Sau Antonio Herald tells it tn
Professor Cope, durirg his recent viz
70 the heddwaters Of the Guadalupe a
other streams, discovered the fossil