The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-07
Unwise and Unprofitable.

Senator Cazort has introduced, by request, bill for an act to create the i fifteenth judicial circuit and to change the boundaries of the twelfth and fifth circuits and to fix the time of holding courts therein. It Is proposed to re- duce the fifth district to three counties. namely, Yell, Pope and Conway, and to organize a new district out of Craw- ford, Franklin and Johnson. The ne- cessity assigned for the proposed change is that the courts of the twelfth district are hardened with business and behind with cases to the detriment of litigants. This may be true, but 1t seems to us to be very poor excuse for cutting down the fifth district until the business that IS is left would not be sufficient to employ a cir cult judge one-fifth of his time. In- deed, if the proposed change is made, the business of ths office of county and probate judge of Pope county will be more arduous than will be the duties of circuit judge. The proposed leoislat'on would be useless and unseryiceable to this district at least. If 1t be true that the twelfth district is heavily burdened there are two ways to remedy the troub- le. One of which Is to establish chan cery court at Fort Smith for the adju- dication of chancerycases similar to tho one in Pulaski county the second is, to detach Crawford county from the twelfth district and add it to the fifth. This would add to the duties and res- possibilities of our circuit judge, but that would be better than to deprive him of all business nearly as the forma- ton of the new district as now proposed would do. If the movement originated among some impatient office-seekers up the way, whose zeal for the flesh pots has run away with their judgment, then the best thing that can be done would be to let the districts as they now stand severely alone. A meet ing of the members of the Russellville bar was held Tuesday evening and the resolutions passed expressive of the sense of the meeting will be found be- low:
 BAR RESOLUTIONS.
 Russellville, Ark. Feb. 18th, '89.
 At meeting of the Russellville bar held at the courthouse, present and presiding the Hon. L. w. Davis, chair man, the following proceedings were had, to-wit:
 WHEREAS, There is now pending be- fore the legislature measure to form . new judicial district and to take the counties Of Johnson and Franklin from the fifth judicial district and put them in said proposed new district, and
 WHEREAS, Said 9th judicial district as now composed consists of but five counties with term of court of four weeks to the county, and whereas, the business of said district does not occupy more than one half of the time of the judge and to tske from said district the said counties Of Johnson and Franklin would be practically to abolish the said 9th judicial district and leave the judge without sufficient business to occupy one. fourth of his time. Therefore be 1t
 RESOLVED, That it is the sense of the Russellville bar that they are op- posed to any legislative interference with the 9th judicial district as it Is now composed, and that any interior ence with the same Is useless and necd- less and will leave a judge without any duties commensurate with his salary.
 L. W. DAVIS, Chairman.
 HORACE BRADLEY, Sec.