Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24
COURT EVERY MONTH.
An Early Session FOrs the License
Applicants Was Well Received.
ANDREWJACKMAN'S WILL is FILED
EheF. GM. Bank Asked to Show Cashier
VOight's Liability.
LEMONS BUNKOER GETS A SALTY DOSE

It is not generally supposed that Judge
White and the liquor dealers could
come very nearly together on ques-
tions relating to the trade, but they be-
came as pleasant as q basket of chips" on
Saturday, at least His Honor and the attor-
news for the liquor men did, and the Judge
even went further in the expression of his
views than the LAWYERS expected him to
come in their company
Messrs c. T. McKenna, c. S. Fetterman,
Josiah Cohen and John S. Robb appeared
for a large number Of liquor men before
Judges White and Magee, in the Quarter
Sessions, with complaint that the time
fixed for the hearing of applications
for license, beginning on the
third Monday OF March was so near April !, at
which time, under the tyranny of a custom as
old as the days of Edward Ill, leases expire.
Under this regulation they do not know until
within two weeks Of the time of expiration
OF lease whether they will or will not get Ii
cense. If they release they are in danger of
having an expensive property on their hands
not adapted TO other business or they may not
be qualified to embark in another calling that
will pay, and in consequence are often In sore
straits. They asked that the work of hearing
petitions be begun at least two weeks earlier.
Juuge White not only cOncUrred, but went
further and said he thought the work would be
better if done in February. He also thought 1t
would be well if all the Judges of both courts
were to do the work and get through with 1t at
once His Honor evidently thought that II
licenses must be granted, applicants should be
put through in double quick time, so as to get
all sides over the agony as quickly as possible.
As the change would involve
A CHANGE OF RULES
Of both courts of Common Pleas, Nos. and 2
the Judge thought it best that the attorneys
get up another petition, and in consequence
they decided to have a conference among them
selves and do it. Judge Magee coincided with
Judge Whites views
Mr. Robb further suggested that business
would be greatly expedited and cost saved were
the Philadelphia plan adopted. so that attOr-
news could do much of the work before they
came into court Petitioners bonds might be
certified by the attorney as TO regularity OF
form and the security sufficient, which would
save valuable time now necessarily wasted by
the Court but unnecessary in fact. Judges
White and Magee also concurred in this view.
Having by this time warmed up to his work,
Judge White proceeded to show that he is not
a slave to antiQuated ideas. by suggesting
that the holding of the Criminal Court
terms quarterly is no longer suited to
the necessities of a population of half
amillion people. He did not indulge in any re-
Elections on the immortality that causes the
cost of q partial suppression of vice to be $S6,-
S5l So per year, over Sc, 600 more than the cost
of the two Common Pleas Courts and the
Supreme Court session IN the western end of
the State combined: said nothing of the useless
cost piled up by some Aldermen and Justices
Of the Peace, nor waste time deplorlng the out
of-joinredness of the times, but he neverthe-
less, without making any attack in set terms,
hit the grand-jury abuse squarely between the
eyes.
HOLD COURT OFTEN.
He suggested the advisability of holding
Criminal Court sessions every month, as is the
practice in Philadelphia. AS the nauseating
dose would be but short one for each Judge
he could perform his duties better and there
would be no necessity for holding night sessions
in order to get spirits out of prison, or sent
where the interests of society demanded. His
Honor would also have the grand jury meet
monthly, and thought the interests OF the great
majority of people would be better served.
A prominent member OF the bar, who refused
TO be cited, said there was no doubt the sug-
gestion was a good one. He said it would tend
TO purify politics, as the position of grand
juror for three or four days at a session would
not be nearly so attractive to bummers as one
OF six or eight weeks 1t would not be profit
able to the class who look upon it boon.
and there would be no opportunity given for
the present quarterly junketing trips to poor
houses, worhhOnse, penltentiarS etc. which
entail heavy and useless expense on the county.
Then, too, cases would be promptly tried, and
necessity of lying three months in jail on ac-
count of inability to procure bail Not only
would 1t work an abolition of abuses in many
directions that will suggest itself to the mind
of any man of ordinary penetration, but the
expense OF boarding a great concourse in Jail
all the year around, and real criminals would
have less chance TO work approachahle jurors