Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-24
The REPORTERS sUsEA1sED.

For some time there has been conflict
between the Courts in this city and in San
Francisco, and the Supervisors of each
county, relative to the payment Of the fees or
photographic reporters in criminal cases.
The Supervisors have claimed the right to
say what bills should be paid. and to cut
down or reject the bills allowed by the Courts
for the reporters. Under the State Law these
reporters are made officers of the Court In
all criminal cases the proceedings must be
taken down in writing, when the District
Attorney or the defendant demands it. In
mony taken, because IN case of conviction
copy of it must be delivered to the Governor
of the State. The costs Of reporting in civil
cases are always paid by the litigants, but in
criminal cases they are charged against the
county of necessity, The law reads: Ia
crimina cases the fees Of the re-
porter shall be certified by the Cour; and paid
out of the treasury Of the county, or
city and county, in whicn the case
is tried. upon the order Of the
Court" In San Francisco such orders
were made, and the Treasurer refssed to
obey. The reporters worked = year without
pay, and finally struck One Of the Su-
perior Courts then held the Treasurer for con-
tempt in refusing 20 pay the bills upon its
order. In this county things have not gone
to that extreme, but there has been trouble
and a COL fcs between the Courts and the
Supervisors, and the county has been sued.
The Supreme Court yesterday, in San Fran
cisco case, decided that the Treasurer must
obey the order of the Courts tbat the Super
visors have no responsibility in the matter
that the Court is the proper au hority to fix
the compensation of the reporter and order
i paid from the treasury, for the power TO
certify" carries with il the power TO fix.
Says one of the Supreme Justices
This law concerning reporters is a general law.
The compensation of the reporters is fixed by
Judge, elected in the city and county by the
constituents who elect the Board Of Supervisors
aud the other officers of the city and county, and
all are responsible for misconduct IN othce to thS
same constituency. Thus the local influence is
much felt by the Judge as by the officials of the
city and county, and every guarantee for faithful
and honest discharge of official duty is had in the
case of the Judicial incumbent as OF the Board OF
Supervisors. The danger of lack Of local influence
and local responsibility less in the Of the
Judge than of the officers OF the municipality.
BY very many people it is supposed that
the shorthand writer system OF our Courts ia
o luxury for the benefit of the casa of law.
yers. The fact is, il is an economical system
for taxpayers. Had tbs IIentini murder
trial, for instance, been reported in long
hand, it would have taken nearly two
months to have tried it, and the cost TO the
county for jurors witnesses and clerical labor
would have been seven or eisht times greater,
to say nothing of the loss Of time to citizens
in attendance. At one time a shorthand
writer offered to do all the work for the coun-
~ for $1,000 year, but the offer was re.
fused. Since then the bills against the
county have exceeded that sum more than
twice. The decision of Yesterday settles the
contest in Sacramento county also, and ends
very dissgreeable and long pending quarrel
hele as well as in San Francisco.