The Washington critic., 1886-10-13
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 13, 1886
OUR COURT OF CuANCERY.


In the first chapter of "Bleak
House" as all readers of that wonder
full production will remember, because
they cannot fail to have been pro-
foundly impressed by the graphic and
eloquent power of the delineation, oc.
ours the following sentence:
"This is the Court Of Chancery; which
has It's decaying houses and It's blighted
lands In every shire which has its worn-out
lunatic in every mad.house aud its dead in
every church-yard which has It's ruined
suitor, with his slipshod heels oud thread
bare dress, borrowing aud begging through
the round of every mans acquaintance;
which gives to moneyed might, the means
abundantly Of weary log out the right,
which so eXhiusts finances, patience
courage, hope; so oyerlhrows the Train and
breaks the heart; that there is not an honor
able man among lis practitioners who
would not give-who does not often give
the warning, suffer any wrong that can be
done you, rather can come hcrep"
1t may not be that any close analogy
exists between the two tribunals, but
this striking picture Of the English
Court of Chancery. as painted by
Dickens. never fails to project itself
upon our memory as the time for the
meeting of the Supreme Court of the
United States comes round and its APP
parently incXhauslible docket is SOL
EMMY spread before the judges.
And why not? 1t is altogether
probable that many of the litigants in
this court will have finance, patience,
courage, hope" exhausted, even If they
do not become "ruined suitors' and
drop Off into the church.yard and mad
house, before their long g.pcnding cases
are disposed of, unless measures are
soon taken to expedite their adjudica-
tion.
We can conceive of no greater in
justice to the citizen, so far as his per-
sonal or property rights are concerned,
than, after long and costly series of
adverse judgments and decisions in the
courts below, TO find himself at last be-
fore the Supreme Bench, by error or
appeal, only to be confronted with an
other long and costly experience Of
hope indefinitely deferred.
That such is the case in hundreds
of instances is we'll known. The court is
not constructed on plan to keep pace
with the vast increase of business that
it is called upon TO consider. There is
more work TO be done than there are
Judges to do IT,
The rapid growth Of the country,
which Is accompanied by rapid
growth in the volume of litigation, is
all the time multiplying their burdens
and practically defeating what should
be the chief objects Of q court Of last
resort--the prompt disposition of all
points referred to its advisement, in
order that the people at large may
have the earliest possible benefit of it,
opinions, and parties in interest q
happy release from wearly protracted
doubt, uncertainty and expense.
Congress should take this question
in hand at It's next session with an hon
est and energetic determination to leg
islate some remedy, either by the en-
largement of the court as at present
constituted and systematic redistrl
button of its duties, or by the estab
lishment of an intermediate court fol
the facilitation of appeals. Several at
tempts, or rather propositions, have
been made in this direction, but have
uniformly proved abortive. There car
be no excuse for further delay.
The citizen who is forced to the Su
preme Court for determination of hi
rights should be made to feel that HI
has some chance of getting his cas-
through inside of lifetime, insteaC
OF being compelled to fall in at the rea
of an ever-lengthening procession, will
better show for the" church. yard o
"mad-house" than for reaching de
oision. A reproduction of Dickens
"Court of Chancery" is above al
things TO be avoided as a thing Of evil