Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1881-12-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. ]

when it gets down to business, few sub
jects Of more pressing importance thar
the perfection of plan for relieving
the Supreme Court of its enormous &C.
emulation of business. If delay Of
justice be denial thereof, there is Ger.
tainly such denial in the case of every
sutton who at this time undertakes to
enforce rights or obtain remedies
through the United States Supreme
| Court. There are now on the docket
nearly twelve hundred cases, which, at
the rate of three hundred and fifty
cases per annum, the number the
Judges are able to dispose of, will oc-
cupy the time of the Court for the next
four years, and the amount Of business
is constantly increasing. Several bills
are now before Congress and different
plans have been suggested-to establish
intermediate appellate courts in the
different circuits, as Judge Davis pro-
poses-to increase the number of JUS
tees to twenty-one and divide them
into three chambers, as Mr.. Manning
of Mississippi, thinks best-to create a
new appellate court Of nine or fifteen
Judges to sit in Washington and de-
termine cases not involving constitu-
tienal questions, as has been also sug-
gested. Each of the ways out of the
difficulty has its advantages, SO that
the approval of either is not of so much
Importance as the immediate enact
ment of some statute to remedy this
crying evil.
The existing vacancies in the court
cause embarrassmenta and pile additional
labor upon tho already over-burdened
justices. Since the beginning of its
session in October the court has been
sitting with bare quorum of six JUS
tees. 1t was expected that President
Arthur would promptly name a sue
cessor to Justice Clifford, but he has
not. And when this vacancy is filled
there will still remain another, practi-
cally, though not nominally. Justice
Hunt has for three years past rendered
no service whatever and his course in
holding on to the place, the duties of
which he cannot discharge, and which
the public interests urgently demands
should be filled by AN active man, has
been severely criticised. Justice Hunt
is simply waiting to be retired on full
pay, though when the ten years "ser-
vice" required for that purpose have
expired, constructively, he will have
served but six years. That one of the
highest judicial officers in the land
should hold his commission and draw
his salary for more than four years
without doing any service whatever in
return is matter of serious consider
alton in itself. But to the public the
matter of salary is the least important
aspect. Within the past three years
constitutional questions of extraordi-
nary difficulty and importance have
divided the Court and demanded the
presence of every member; yet during
this long period and under these ex-
ceptional circumstances Justice Hunt
has been unable to sit himself and I'M
willing that another should take his
place.
AS usual nothing will be accom-
plished in Congress until after the holt
day recess. Six hundred more bills |
were introduced on Monday, and it was
not good day for bills either. The cry
is 'still they come" The agony anent
the Craftsmanship is over, but strange |
as it may seem everybody is not salts
fed. In order to give Congressman a
little Christmas money, the Committee |
on Mileages was named in advance of |
the others and rush on that committee |
began at once. But the Chairman, A.
Herr Smith, felt dissatisfied with the
place given him, and appeared to be in
no hurry to crafty the impecunisus
members. You would not think that
Congressman ever got "hard up" unless
YOU knew Them but some If them