The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1893-02-03
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
1T is A BRIEF, CONCISE DOCUMENT.
Pointed Suggestions and Wise Advice to
the General Assembly.
Senate and House OF REPRESENTATIVES (:

the NeHeItl Assembly
Senate and House of Representatives:
! call your attention to the i'm
portance of the intermediate court
bill now pending, and recommend
its passage at the earliest conven-
lent day. The material interests
of the State are largely dependent
on the courts in their capacity to
dispose of the business on their
dockets Capital is timid and SEN
sitive and will not invest where, if
it should become involved in liti-
cation, it may become locked up
for an unreasonable time. To in
vite capital to come amongst us we
must let it see that it may be active
and profitable. A little more than
six years ago, when the present
bench was installed, the dockets in
the several divisions were largely
in the arrears. There was univers-
al complaint Of the seeming delay
in the disposition of the causes.
Men of means were afraid to turn
their money loose on the markets,
and there was a consequent depres-
sion OF business and want of circu-
lating currency.
The outcry was so great that
while there was, and could be, no
charge Of a want Of capacity, indus
try, or honesty on the part of the
court, which had been faithful and
dilligent in the discharge of it's
duty, still, at the next election, the
bench was almost entirely changed
and new men selected in their stead.
The new bench did no more labor
than its predecessor, but by the
adoption of new rules and methods,
and dispensing with written opin-
ions in at least nineteen-twentieths
OF the causes, was enabled by most
laborious effort working day and
night-to clear the dockets and
keep them SO until very recently
The result has been that business
became more active and litigation
increased until it became impossi.
bic for the five judges to keep uF
with the current litigation, and the
dockets are becoming unmanagablt
and must return to their former
state of delay unless Legislative re,
lief is given.
Former general assemblies have
recognized the inability of courts
Of original jurisdiction to keep pace
with the growing litigation, and tt
relieve them, have created new cir
cults and chancery divisions, anC
have thereby, in a great measure
made them masters of the dockets
which result has, of course, increas
ed the number of appeals to the su
preme court and changed the della,
from one court to another, leaving
the evil still upon us.
In this connection l call your at
tention to the labor of our suprem
!, courtascompared with that of othe
courts of other States of the Union
, While the average number of case
l tried and disposed of by our cour
is about 1850 per annum, that @
3 other States is about 400, or as on
l to more than three.
This vast amount of labor nee
: essarily requires every moment q
. time that by strained effort can b
: devoted to the investigation G
: causes, cripples the deliberatio
g due to such investigation, and ofte
! forbids the writing of opinions o
4 questions, the judiciary settlemer
S of which should be made known b
= authoritative publication.
/ l feel assured the passage of tn
Y bill referred to will remedy tn
Z evils suggested and promote tn
T. prosperity of the State.