The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-09-28
LONG TERM OF COURT.

LON6 IEAkMD Vk VOHSAs
At Deer Lodge complaints are to be heard
on every side from persons who are kept in
attendance at court week after week, to the
neglect of their business. Farmers, miners
and business men from Philipsburg, New
Chicago or from the far northern camps have
been summoned for service on the jury, and
there they must stay for an indefinite period
while the tedious criminal trials from Butte
are being conducted. The court has already
been in session two weeks, and to-day the
first criminal trial, that of Dolan, charged
with stealing bullion, will be taken up. This
slow rate of progress has been due to causes
which could not be obviated, but even with
the more expeditions discharge OF business to
be expected hereafter, the criminal causes
awaiting trial cannot possibly be disposed of
in less than three weeks more, which gives a
five-weeks term Of court, to say nothing Of
the civil cases awaiting adjudication. 1t is
not at all strange, then, chat complaints should
be deep and loud against such an order Of
things; but the worst of it is that even an
aggravation of this inconvenience is to be ex-
pected for the future. Butte is growing as
rapidly as ever, and with this growth it is only
reasonable to expect a corresponding increase
in the criminal cases originating in this neigh
borhood. From term to term the criminal
calendar will increase, the court sessions will
grow longer, and the jury service, which the
residents of Lincoln gulch or the lower valley
now find so onerous, will become steadily
in the present order of things be introduced.
In the way of making such Il change it is pro-
posed by some to have two terms of court
held at Butte every year, a proposition made
two years ago, at the last regular session of
the legislature, but defeated through the Deer
| Lodge influence. Others favor a removal of
the county seat to Butte, arguing that it will
occasion much less inconvenience and ex-
pense for one man from Lincoln, or from Elk
creek to make a business trip to the county
seat at Butte than it would for fifty men from
Butte to make a similar business visit to the
county seat at Deer Lodge. Those figures
may challenge attention, but all whe inspect
the court records, especially the criminal rec
ords, will not describe as exaggerated the ratio
here established between Butte and even the
most ~populous Of the northern camps in the
matter of being in attendance OIL the Dis
trict Court in the character of juror, witness
or litigant. A third party advocates the d.
vision of the county. This they declare must
ultimately be done, as Deer Lodge county
is considerably larger than some of the states
of the Union, and with increase of popula.
ton its great size will be a cause of ever-in.
creasing inconvenience and expense to its
citizens. Such in brief are the changes by
one or the other of which it is proposed te
seek relief from our present burdens. II
might be difficult to predict which will finG
favor with the people, but clearly something
must be done. If the extra expense conse
quent upon conducting at Deer Lodge the
trial of criminals whose offences have beer
committed at Butte-if this extra expense
were borne by the people of Butte alone. cit,
liens living in other portions of the territory
might not feel themselves interested in the
matter. But those expenses are borne by al
the tax payers of the county alike; and wher
those who foot the bill learn that the aggre
gate mounts at least to $4,000 per annum
they will be interested in bringing about slcl
a change as will at once lessen their taxes
and at the same time relieve them from thu
immense inconvenience they are now sub
jected to in tedious and expensive attendance
at well nigh interminable sessions of court.