The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-10-09
Gain of cases on docket of court.
Total gain in two years s............

Thus the court, as now constituted, in al
dition to being already behind e5I cIS,s on
its docket, Is actually falling further behind
ut the rate OF thirty four and onc.half cases
per year. Oar nS the last two years "a new
cases, averaging 3f2la per year, hayt been
filed in the court; and this number is not
likely to decrease IN the future IN the con.
trary; tie probabilities are in favor Of IA
steady In trcHsc-cOnmCnsnratn with the
States growing population ana wealth. 1t
becomes Il matter of easy afithmCtical cal
cul ,ton to determine the time when the
court, ut tho same rate of loss on the dock.
ct, will lie laundering in the maelstrum of IL
docket of II thousand or more cases, rs is the
case new with the Supreme Court of the
United States,
The present condition OF the docket has
existed for years, and this has been true
notw witlstardng tho work of the COnmis-
sion during the two years of its existence,
and Notwithstanding the establishment of
the Kansas City Court of Appeals and the
enlargement Of the territorial Jurisdiction
of the St. Louis Court of Appeals. 1t was
expected that the adoption OF the Constitu.
tionul Amendment of 1884 relating 10 the
Appellate Courts would afford the necessary
relief to the supreme Court; but that cN.
pcctatiun has not been realized. It Is true
that prior to the adoption of that amend e
ment, cases were not reached in the Su.
prcmc Court in regular course on
the docket under period of from
three to three and onc-half years; while
since its adoption and operation, cases are
reached in tho court In two and one half
years. This reduction OF time Is in part
owing to the fact that Large number OF
pending cas- - in the Supreme Court were
transferred to the Kansas City Court of Ap.
pcals in 1ssj. Stlll, as has been seen above,
the docket Is now growing on the court, and
the tendency is to an increase of the two
and onc.half years period. So it appears
that while the adoption of the amendment
of 1854 did to some extent relieve the Su.
prcinc Court, 1t did so very ina nalcGuatcly,nnd
II the increase of tho docket ON the work
Of the court continues ut the same rate ut
which 1t has been progressing for the last
two years. in no very great time tile condi.
| ton of the supreme Court docket, HS to
number of cases and the period within
which they nrc reached, VIII ba precisely
the same as existed before the adoption OF
the amendment of 1884
1t must be borne in mind that the appel.
late work Of this State has greatly increased
since the organization of the court A single
| statement will be sufficient TO show this
| viz, that from 1871 to 1871, covering n pc.
| riod of fifty years. there were published for.
ty-cight volumes of Supreme Court reports,
while from 1871 to the present time, II period
| slightly less than twenty years, 1lfty vol.
umos OF such reports have been issued. be.
sides, VIC have also published in the last
| H1tcCn years tnlrty'tlBnt volumes Ol y.
| pellate Court reports.
The Supreme Court reports, taking the
whole series together.will probably average
the same number of decisions per vDlum'.
| The Increase Of the supreme Court work l.
| attributable to the augmentation OF thp
State's population and wealth, and consc.
qucnt increase of appellate litigation. The
| fact that the court, since 1878 to the present
| time, has been composed nf five Judges in.
| stea OF three, together with the aid OF tho
Commission for two yeirs, accounts for the
| proportionate increase of reported volumes
OF decisions during that period
| From the foregoing observations 1t Is ap-
parent that the supreme Court needs plc.
| luatc and Immediate relief
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
The main features Of the proposed amend.
ment are: ~ the addition OF two more
judges to the Supreme Court, making it to
consist of seven Judges: and (2) the division
| of the court into two divisions sitting scpa.
rately for the purpose Of facilitating tho
disposition of its business.
REASONS FOR ADOPTING TUE AMENDMENT.
The amendment, 1t is urged. should be
adopted for the following reasons among
others;
l. By reason OF the addition of two moro
| Judges to the Supreme Court and lis diyls.
| ion into two branches, with the authority
to hear and determine cases separately, tho
working power of the court VIII be doubled,
| and the present arrears in the business of
tho court can In II short timo be greatly, II
not altogether, reduced. This II the goal to
be reached, and the amendment will un
doubtedly accomplish the desired purpose
Tho loss to estates of deceased persons, to
litigants generally, and the injustice dong
our people by reason of the present condi'
tIon of the business of the Supreme Court,
need no discussion or comment
2. Our population has Increased nearly u
million of souls since 1870 and our wealth
and resources in proportion, and scven
Judges are not too many for the State oi
Missourrs dignity and importanc New
York and Illinois have sevnn judges on the lr
Supreme Court, besides having intermediate
appellate courts.
q. The amendment Is an economical
measure, sInco 1t will secure adequate rolics
at the annual cost of only nInu thousand
dollars This Is more apparent when 1t l.
remembered that the State Revenue fund
annually amounts TO about two mili
ions OF dollars, and cut OF this larS
sum the amendment, II adopted, vii
lTeQulys aa Increased expenditure Eo