The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-18
DAKOTA NEWS NOTES.
!, .-s~ . go ~~ss 49," -" -
DAKOTA JUDICIARY.
Assignment of Judges to Districts.

Assignment of Judges TO Districts.
getter From Fargo.
While no formal assignment of districts has
get taken place, it is understood that they will
be appointed as follows, which may be relied
ON as being, at least, approximately correct;
Justice Edgerton, chief Justice, and in imme-
date charge of the Yankton district; Judge
Church, at Deadwood, in charge of the Black
Hills region; Judge Palmer, in charge OF the
Sioux Falls district; Judge Smith, in charge of
The Central Dakota region, with headquarters
probably at Huron; Judge Frances
In charge of the Bismarck dis
trict, which is the largest dis
trict in the territory, and embraces all the
northwestern portion Of the territory. Judge
Hudson, in charge of the Fargo district, which
embraces all that part of the Red River valley
from the British possessions a. far south as
Roberts and Day counties This makes a
very equitable division of the population for
judiciary purposes, and that the courts will be
able to handle the business in better shape is
now certain. w." ...e
The amount of judicial work to be done be-
fore order appears out of our present chaos,
would appal a court officer of less than ordlnar
backbone. In addition to the accumulation OF
regular business which has taken place, some
thousands of cases have or will soon spring
up over the elleged unlawful occupancy of the
school lands of the territory by private parties.
These lands were given TO the territory by
the common schools, TO be used as soon as
the territory is admitted to the sister
hood of states, In the meantime these lands
in many cases have become very valuable, and
are occupied by squatters who have broken
and cultivated the lands, cut hay thereon, re-
moved timber therefrom, etc. This practice
has been allowed to go on unchecked, and IN
many cases, as in the vicinity of Fargo, all
these lands are under cultivation, or otherwise
used by private parties. There has been some
doubt as to whether the territory had q right
to- bring action against tresspassers in the pre-
misses, asthey had acquired no title to the lands.
At the last session of court here the United
States authorities took the matter in hand, and
several indictments were found against the
more aggravated eases OF tire spass, they con
sisting in the removal Of tlmberfFom the school
lands. The penalties, however, were light up
on conviction, the court being inclined to pun
ish lightly a trespass which had become SO
common. 1t is now estimated that suits will
be brought against every one who has in every
manner invaded the school lands, AID those
who take hay this fall will be summoned By
the government The pursuance of this pro
gramme would cause an almost innumerable
number of suits, as in the
thickly settled regions these lands are nearly
all IN use for some purpose. 1t is proposed to
give the county commissioners the right to
rent these lands, the proceeds TO be added "a
the fund in each case, but the right of
the territorial legislature to enact such ameas-
ure is questioned by some, who think such a
measure should emanate from congress. There
seems a determination In official circles TO
remedy the matter in some way, and positive
action IL expected to be taken soon, that action
to be such as will preventive use or occupancy
in any way of the school land, donated by the
general government to the territory.