The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-27

| Ue luEllC4EuI Anu bAuOisANO' oN 49,
diting and levying board 1t has proved
10 be reckless and e~xtravagant.
The existing judicial system has been
found to be Inadequate TO hear and de-
termine the constantly increasing num-
Der OF suits. The necessity Tor the Gre
alton OF some inferior court, between
the circuit courts and justices, in which
the smaller controversies could be
cheaply and quickly determined, was
universally admitted The expenses
incurred by suitors. by the unavoid-
able delays in the circuit courts, vert
ruinous. A new county court, to sup.
ply this want and take the place OF the
board ell supervisors, is created by the
new constitution. It is SO nearly like
our former county court that it will be
familiar in It's important features to all
our people. Its jurisdiction Is the
same as that OF the old county court. II
can hold four terms 4 year for the trial
Of causes, at an expense of $40 per day
and no more. 1t may hold two other
terms each year for the purpose Of
laying the county levy, etc., at which all
the justices may sit, but at which only
a majority Of them is required to sit to
transact business. The jurisdiction OF
justices under the new constitution will
be the same as under the present con-
stitutioH, except in all cases where the
subject in controversy exceeds $50 the
defendant, before trial, can have the
case certified to the county court and
tried by a jury OF twelve men. The
president OF the county court and the
Justices will hold their offices for the
term OF four years, as justices do now.
The annual cost of the county court
will be much lesa than that OF the su.
pervisors and their clerk. Take the two
following examples, viz: Barbour u
ty, with seven supervisors. who sat 1871
days from January |, 1854, to january ],
1872, q period OF eight years, expended
az follows: For pay and mileage OF su-
perVisors, $2,232 IS; Tor clerk hire for
same time, 81, 593 70; total foS I37 days,
! S3,926 SO; whichswas an average yearly
expense Of $3.50 81, and u daily expense
OF SIS 66, and an average daily expense
for clerk hire OF Sill 90. Upshur county
having only six supervisors, during the
same period, expendea for payment and
mileage, 2,615 IS, and for clerk hire
5000. making q total Of $5,l2O GS, or an
average yearly cost OF $40 0S.
The annual cost OF the county
courts in said counties will be as
follows: In Barbour county, for
terms OF six days each, at $40 per day,
S240; two terms, n day each, IA Jus.
tees and president of said court, S92;
beings total expense for n year of
S332, and an annual saving OF Sl5S 81.
In Upshur county, for terms OF six days
each, 500; two terms OF one day each,
with - justices and president OF court,
at a further cost OF $50, being o total Of
500 for n year. and an annual saving
Of $500 0S. Taking these two counties
together they show an average annual
saving in each COUNTY OF 1898 - over
the e OF the board OF supervisors.
| Assuming the sum as us q fair average
OF all the counties in the state, the
whole annual saving from this source
will be St2,030 80. A similar eSamlna-
! ton and comparison will show u similar
result in every county in the state.
The present annual cost OF the exist
ing judiciary is as follows:
| salaries Of thirteen circuit judges ut 81, 800
each ......,
Salaries OF three Judges OF court ofaPPeGlS.
sa0O0 GaGf 6,QW
Mileage (slS,l 500 ch....----..-'-" l'oOO
ro,of 81 ,Op
Under the new constitution the cost
will be as follows, viz:
SaIyries OF nine circuit judges, $1,000 each 81 100
Salaries Of four judges OF appeals S2'S'O a ~,
ach-"--s " .:.""'''-"'- ''''''' ''''' IN -
ro,,, $500
Being an annual saving OF -, 700,
which will exactly pay the salary al
lowed to the governor. a..
The annual cost OF the salaries OF
the following officers under the new
constitution will be Us follows: Cover
ner. $500; auditor, 5000; treasurer,
| Sl.400; secretary Of state, Sl,O00i attor-
ney general and reporter 0 tcourt OF APP
peals. 81, 800: superintendent OF free
schools $500, making a total Of $500,
and no more. [See Section 10 Art. ~
The amounts actually paid for said
officers from 1864 to 1870, inclusive, for
salaries and house rent, we're as follows:
In 1864, $500; in 1865, $i5S5o; in 1866,
Sli, $50; in 1867, Sl2,o50; in 1865, ST.
O50; in 1863, $l0,450; in 1870, Sll,6o0:
total, So, 400, being an average annual
cost Of S10,STl 4S. which exceeds the an
nual cost under the new constitution
SS72 43.
The annual sessions OF tine legislature
have cost the statenot less Than $4,000,
being an average OF 500 % to each
member, during q session OF forty-tive
davs. Under tho new constitution the
legislature can sit once in two years for
forty-lve days, at m average cost OF
I S31i 28 foreach member: andfor eighty.
nine members for q whole session tho
sum Of 1886 AZ for two years; or the
sum of SlS,S93 % for one year. being n
further annual saving OF SI,0l6 II. Sec.
tion SO OF Article vi. also cuts off the
postage heretofore allowed members OF
the legislature, which was $40 each,
amounting to the sum OF $3.50; and as
nothing in the future can be allowed
them for newspapers M stationery.
there will be a further annual saving OF
at least $3.50 more. When 1T is
remembered that a least three-tourths
Of all the laws passed at every session Of
the legislature have been special and
local laws, all of which will be prohtb-
tied in the future by section 80, OF artt-
Gle VI; and that by section "a Of article
VI, all public printing, copying,
binding and distributing the laws and
Journals will hereafter be done by the
lowest bidder, it will be perceived that
there must be u further annual saving
from this source oil not less than
5000.
One OF the greatest continual public
losses suffered under the existing con.
stitution is the inevitable loss sustained
bv suitors in the courts. caused by the
continuances rendered necessary by the
..nwJnj o.nd;tion nf tho dONkafa Ills