Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-22

Efforts to Change the Time of sitting
Increase of Business in the Southern
District.

Efforts to Change the Time of Sitting
Increase of Business in the Southern
District.
In an interview with Hon. Samuel A.
Darnell, United States District Attorney
for the Southern District of Georgia, yes
terday afternoon, in regard to the effort
being made to change the time of sitting
of the United States Circuit Court, repre-
sentative of the NEWS learned that a
draft OF a bill had been prepared providing
for the contemplated change, and would
last night be forwarded to Washington
and there be presented to Congress at an
early day, probably by Representative
Blount, OF the Sixth District. Colonel
Darnell is of the opinion that the measure
will not be acted upon soon enough to
effect change in the time of the meeting
of the court for the spring term, but hopes
that some action may have been taken be-
fore the day now appointed for the sitting
of the Circuit Court in the fall. In ac-
cOrdance with the present law the Circuit
Court for the Eastern division of the dis
trict has two terms. one held at Savannah
on the second Monday in April, and the
other on Thursday after the first Monday
in November. The business of the court
generally lasts about six weeks,
yet the law provides that the time for the
sitting of the Circuit Court for the West
ern division shall be held at Macon on
the first Monday in May, thus bringing
| the sessions of the two courts in conflict.
1t also provides that the United States
District Court for the Eastern division
| shall be held at Savannah on the second
| Tuesday in May. In this manner the
| business of the Circuit Court for the
| Eastern division is supposed to be trans
acted in twenty-four days, and all the
| cases ready for trial in the Circuit Court
of the Western division on the twenty-fifth
| day-that is to say on the first Monday
| i'm MAY. Hence a great deal of public
| business is thrown in confusion and many
| cOntinuances and delays necessarily fol-
| low. Col. Darnell is of the opinion that
| the business of the Circuit Court for the
! Eastern division would be more promptly
| and satisfactorily transacted if the spring
! term were called for the second Monday
! in March, while that held for the West
ern division, at Macon, could be called
for the first Monday in May as
| the existing law provides. The
proposed change is not intended TO affect
| the time for holding the District Courts OF
the Eastern division. They will be con-
/ vened. as now, ON the second Tuesday in
| February. May, August and November.
| But the term time of the Circuit and Dis
| trict Courts will be changed in the West
| ern division from the first Mon
| day in October to the first Mon
day in September. The necessity
for the proposed change cannot be ques-
toned. The business in both divisions is
| yearly increasing and must eventually
| become much greater than at present,
| especially when it is borne in mind that the
population of the seventy-siX counties
! comprising the Southern district, thirty
| three of which are in the Eastern and
forty-three the Western division, is rapid
| ly becoming larger.