The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-28
The JUDICIARY ACT.
A Brief Resume of the History of the
Famous Bill.
HOW 1T STANDS AT PRESENT.
Changes Made In the Methods of Selecting
Jurors are Eradicated Mostly-Judges
VIII Not Choose Them, but They VIII
BE Drawn-other Qualifications.

One OF the most important IL not the
most important question that will be
presentedlto the general assembly in the
early days Of the session is the much dis
cussed judiciary act.
Il is now famous act was presented 10
the III use in july 1891. After the ~vicissi-
tudes of delay and amendments both bv
the house and senate it was recommitted
To the commission on Nav IL, 1892,
Since that time the commission has in
corporated the ameudn ents suggested by
both the house and the senate and put
the who'e act In such shape as the gem
eral assembly demanded.
In its present form the act is annotated
by a c., y plete system Of n arginal re err
ences. One set of references gives in n
brief statement, the contents and subject
of the adjoirin0 sec ion. These are in
roman type. The other reference. give
the origin OF the section, whether it is
derived from the present Public statutes,
and If so the chapter and section Is re
ierred TO, or whether il is o iginal. In
all cases where there is a new phrase
ology used, an addition to the old statute.
those chances are indicated by the use of
italics. There is also a schedule showing
1.-THE disposition made by the public
statutes and public laws in the revision,
showinu also what sections have been af-
tiNth w EbATA HANAA AhN = oii' " nov
are affected by the proposed revision
In re ard, however. To his schedule as
well a all annotatious, IL il TO he SAID
that Il e were ali contemplated by the
commission aud had been fully planned
before the a { was first pr, sented TO the
General Assembly in 1891. But the un-
expected call for the net by the General
Assembly did not give sufficient time for
it's completion in all of the prop Jsed de-
tails.
The two radical changes which are
made by the amendments no y %incrporat-
ed in the act relate to the draw.
ing of jurors and to the sit.
ting of the Appellate Court. In the
original judiciary bill the juror,
were to lie urawn in secret by the judge
and justice. The clients in any case that
might be tried, Il lawyers and even the
jur RS themeelyes were to be entirely liz.
norant Of Who were to be selected unit
he court opened. 1t was thought, how
ever, toy the general assembly that this
provision would bring the judge and jury
into too close relations, and that these
two deparj mepts OF the legal ma
chinery of the state should be KEPT as
distinct as possible. Hence an amend
menl rev ring 20 the present ys'em OF
drawing juror, by the presidents of town
councils and presidents of the boards a
aldermen has been incorporated in the
present act.
The other section relating 10 the set
ting Of the appellate court is a partial
return TO the present sys EN-. The
original act confined the appella e court
siitings to Providence where il has been
the custom To hear nine-tepths for many
years past. But the sou hern parts OF
the state wi, he'd to have tie right e
have cases tried by the court in ca es oil
necessity, aud 80 an amendment fixiny a
sitting at Newport and South Kingston
ha~ been Incorporated into he new act.
Several minor and technical changes
have been made which are of little gen.
eral interest.