The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-09-27
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
STATE CONSTITUTION.

Two amendments to the state consti-
tuition are to be voted on this fail, one
increasing the number of supreme court
judges to five, and the other prohibiting
the payment of money out OF the treas
ury expect in Pursuance of specific APP
preparations, and forbidding any appro-
priation for claims against the state. ex-
cepting claims of the United States and
judgments, unless said claims are filed
within six years after the claims accrued.
Both of these amendments should be
adopted. The amendments adding two
Judges to the bench of the Supreme
Court is an absolute necessity if business
is to be transacted in the court with
anything like dispatch. The court is
now no larger than it was when the
state was organized-indeed it is not so
large, for at first the circuit judges con-
stituted the Supreme Court, four of
whom were necessary to quorum. Yet
the population is now more than four
times what it was then, while business
has increased in even a greater ratio.
Justice delayed is oftentimes no justice
at ali; and under the present organlza-
ton of the Supreme Court delay cannot
be prevented though the judges work
never SO hard, and lose no time through
sickness. 1t is stated that only two 9th
er states and both these inferior to Wis
lott haU q
supreme court as our state. Another
argument for an increase of the number
of judges is that, with the present pres
sure of business, cases are not only de-
layed more or less, but it is impossible
for the court to give them all the study
and thought which they demand. Be-
ing the court of last resort its decisions
must stand, whether they are right or
wrong, hence the great Importance that
they shouldbe right; for a wrong decision
not only works an injury to htigarts,
but becomes precedent which may
influence many other decisions in a
wrong direction.
An increase of the Court by two mem
bers would almost double its working
capacity; for while in the hearing OF
cases it must sit as q whole, or at least
as majority of the whole, the cases are
divided among the members for exam
ination and the preparation of decisions.
The amendment ais 0 increases the term
of service to ten years, so that the term
of one judge shall expire every two
years. This would be an advantage,
for by making the term longer the
position woull. become more attractive,
and the ablest lawyers would be more
ready to take it. The additional annual
expense would simply be the salaries of
the two judges, five thousand dollars
each, which would certainly be small
expenditure for the benefits to be re-
ceived. If courts are necessity, which
no one will question, then it is equally
a necessity that they should be rendered
as efficient as possible.
The other amendment, forbidding the
payment of money without appropria-
ton, and prohibiting appropriations for
claims not filed within six years after
they accrued, is necessary to the more
complete protection OF the public funds.
Had there been such a clause in the
constitution from the beginning, the
probability is that it would have retain
ed many thou sand of dollars in the
treasury that have been paid out upon
old and doubtful, not to say bogus,
claims; while it would have saved many
days time to the legislature. Let the
voters remember these two amendments,
on election day, and vote for them
Eueniaag Wisconsin.