The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-02-07
(From Our Regular Correspondents

(From Our Regular Correspondent
4 WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. 81, 1880
Il There hasilong been anecessity fo
IAN increase of the capacity of TIN
highest Judicial bench of the Govern
sment, and the bill introduced by Mr.
Manning to increase the IT, S. Suprem,
Court to ,twenty-one Judges has be
come a subject of general considera
Estion with the legal profession of thu
country, and has received the approval
of marry eminent lawyers. lit has be
come indispensable to extensive bust
ness interests to expedite the worf
which has accumulated before THE
Supreme Cont. Prominent attorneys
lin Washington and other cities say
Itthey have cases before the court thai
cannot, with the present organization
of that body and in the regular sorde,
of business, be reached in less than
five wears. That of itself is sufficient
to induce Congress to provide some
remedy. How many persons are there
in condition to wait five years for
Justice, after having borne the expense
and .tedium of fighting their causes
through the lower court? 1t is
reasonable to suppose that many cases
are abandoned by those who have law
and equity on their side rather than
wait for decision by the court of final
resort. The Manning bill proposes to
increase the court 10 itwenty-one Judges
and to subdivide it into three sections,
or sub-chambers, each consisting of
seven Judges, including the one pre-
siding. There shall be a chief Justice
and two associate or assistant chief
justices, who are TO preside over the
three sub-chambers. One OF these sub
chambers shall have jurisdiction over
equity causes, and the other over adj
miralty and causes in which the United
States is a party. The decisions of
sub-chambers must be submittedto and
passed upon by the full court. This is
to comply with the provision of the
Constitution to the effect that there
shall be zone" Supreme Court. The
subdivisions are for the purpose of fa-
cilitating business. Another idea of
the author of the bill is that it will in
crease public confidence in the Supreme
Court, and add to herespect of lis do
cisions, to increase its Numbers so that
it can be Mathematical" by having all
sections of the country represented up
on the bench. The twelve additional
Judges proposed in the bill would be
appointed as those now on the bench
by the President, ''by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate"
Parties who become involved in litiga-
ton with corporations frequently suffer
because of the inability of the Supreme
Court to dispose of the business that
comes beforeit Corporations employ
attorneys by the year, and, therefore,
they fight causes to the last. An in
crease of litigation does not cost them
any increase of expense; hut it is diff
ferent with the individual who must
pay as he goes, and to whom it is a
great burden, perhaps, to follow an APP
peal to the Supreme Court. Unless
there is a large amount involved the
corporation often escapes by simply
carrying the cause up TO the highest
court. The number of United States
circuit Judges was increased some time
age, ndthelrj jurisdiction enlarged with
the view of relieving the pressure upon.
the Supreme Court, but the effect was
the very reverse of what was anticipa-
ted. The increase and enlargement of
lower courts only added to the cases
sent to tie Supreme Court. Where.
the stake is large enough to warrant
the outlay persons will insist upon hay-
ing the decision of the court of final
resort. Congress and the bar now
realize This, aud the object is to give
the highest court power and facilities
for disposing promptly of the business
that comes before it.
Sd. Petersburg.