The Dickinson press., 1884-07-19
DAKOTA NEWS NOTES.
DAKOTA JUDICIARY.
Of Judges to District.

Aasignmsnt Of Judges to Districts.
Letter From Fargo.
While no formal assignment Of districts has
yet 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-
diate 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
In b CHARGE at o, Hur On; B 9n;ags Francis dias
trict, 'Ds Which is III the 01 largest dis 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 as 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.
The amount of judicial work to be lone be-
lore order appears out of our present chaos,
would appal a court officer of less than ordinary
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
mas 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 a right
70 bring action against tresspassers in 1.-THE pre-
7mlses, as they had acquired no title to the lands.s
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 cases of t%respass. they con-
slstlng in tho removal of timber from the school
lands. The penalties, however, We're light up
on conviction, the court being inclined to pun
psh lightly a trespass which had become SO
common. 1t is now estimated that suits will
De brought against every one who hasin every
manner invaded the school lands, and those
who take hay this fall will be summoned by
the government. The pursuance of this pro-
gramme would cause an almost innumerable
thickly settled regions these lands are nearly
all III use for some purpose. 1t is proposed to
give the county commissioners the right to
rent these lands, the proceeds to be added to
the school fund in each case, but the right of
the territorial legislature to enact such q meas
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 is 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 tho
general government to the territory.