Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-24
JUDICIARY SETTLED.
Constitutional Convention Com
 pletes a Troublesome Work.
SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE.

of Many Courts of Sessions-An Appellate
 Division of the Supreme Court Created.
 ALBANY, Aug 24.-The judiciary arti- cle has been at last settled by tho consti- tutional convention Many of tho pro- posed radical changes have been defeated.
 As the article now stands the court of appeals is to consist of seven members. Courts of sessions are abolished in all counties except New York, county judges to do the work. Kings is to have two county judges. No pensions shall bo granted to judges elected after 1895. An appellate division of the supreme court judge of seven in the first department and five in each of the other three is created. The superior court, court of common pleas of Now York, superior court of Buffalo and city court of Brooklyn are abolished.
 When the judiciary article was taken up again, MT. Hirschberg offered an amendment making counties of less than 120, 900, instead of 100, 900, exempt from the operations of the section forbidding surrogates and county judges to practice law. This was adopted.
 Laymen Versus Lawyers.
 An amendment was offered to exempt Hamilton county from tho provisions of the section forbidding laymen to be elect ed to any judicial office. Adopted.
 Mir veeder offered an amendment that would forbid any lawyer holding such an office. He know, he said, that 1t was Endi- cal. but he thought 1t better than putting into the constitution Q clause to give enly lawyers jobs. The amendment was de- feated.
 MT Roche offered an amendment to in clude police justices in the offices which only lawyers should hold. He argued that only a lawyer should be trusted with the life and persons of individuals.
 Mir. Holcomb, Mir. Schumacher and MT. Sullivan each said that the court regula- tions in New York, Brooklyn and Buffalo were that none but lawyers should be eligible. Mr. Roche's amendment was lost.
 Mir. veeder offered an amendment strik- ing out the section allowing tho lsgisla- ture to extend tho term of county judges and surrogstss to 10 years. Adopted.
 MT Maybee offered an amendment to the last section abolishing courts of spe- of the peace and local courts, established by the legislature, their powers. The judiciary committee was willing to accept the amendment. Mir. w. H. Steele objected and argued the question on the ground that the justices of the peace can- not impartially administer over these courts. Tho amendment was defeated the judiciary committee withdrawing its support after finding that there were courts of special sessions in several other cities.
 With the defeat of this amendment the entire article had been gone through with, and no amendment of any great moment | was adopted except those to reduce the court of appeals to seven members and loavo the term of office of the surrogate of Kings county at six years.
 Tho discussion of the measure was talk | on up as a whole, and after an amendment providing for allowing county supervis- | ors to fix county judiciary salaries Mr. Choats moved that the committee rise and ask that the measure be passed Adopted A Curious Amendment. While the report was being made 1t was discovered that several members wanted to submit amendments generally and the body went into committee of the whole again on 1t.
 MT. Towns of Brooklyn offered a gen | eral amendment consisting of six entirely new sections to the judiciary article, | changing it very materially from tho re- port of the committee on judiciary. Ii was offered so late. however, that there | was very little consideration given to it. | The last of tho six amendments was a curious one and caused laughter among the delegates. It provides that there shall | be court crier for the court of appeals and for the supreme court, who shall ba at least feet inches in height and be l costumcd as tho court or chief justice thereof shall determine. He shall be armed with a sword, a lamp and Bible, and shall with solemn and stately mien open and close tho sittings of the cour, from day to day in tho following language: | Hear ye, hear v. lawyers and Mtigants, I Hear e. kedr c. rtyfliane and rniiifnnfsl | The honorable supreme court of New York | Is about to be yin its most righteous work. | Let every one ri.e. doH low hate and high hats And hearksn in silence to its judgments and flats.
 | And in closing he shall say: | This solemn court. fin a solemn way, | Has ground exceeding nne all day. | The sri-t that came unto ite mill
 | Will nov dcTnrt. Keep still.
 | Let all here rise and show respect
 | Bow low. low. low to the peoples elect.
 Judiciary Report Accepted.
 At the evening session MT. Peck of Trog continued bis remarks in favor of hil amendment to elect tho appellate suprcms | court judges Dy departments instead oi by districts MT. k. R. Brown was in ia vor of Mir. Peck's plan Thore was a long and desultory argument over tho matter | and the amendment was defeated. Mir. Towns presented his unique amend ment q few minutes before adjournment | and explained iE The amendment wa: defeated. and, MT. Griswold rising to offel an amendment, Mir. Root moved to extend the session for 5 minutes. Carried amid much confusion. Mfr. Griswold wanted tho limitation of appeal stricken out and argued for 10 minutes, and then hii | amendment was adopted.
 | The committee, on motion of MT. Root rose and reported fnvorably on the passage of the article Mir. Lincoln moved to TO commit to the judiciary committee witt instructions to add his amendment relat ing to county courts as defeated previous ly. He demanded and obtained roll call This was used as obstructive tactics ant consumed all the time, ie being go min utes after 10 before it was finished. Hi motion was defeated-yeas. go; nays 80.
 The pending question being the accept anco of the report of tho committee of th, whole. Mir. veedsr called for tho yeas ana nays. The article was sent to third read ina by a vote of 95 yeas to 10 maya
 m o.oUO word document presented .. the convention the educational committe, give thoir rsasons for adopting the amend ment to the educational section whicl perpetuates the board of regents and de clares against sectarian appropriations It abolishes tho department of public in struction as a separate body. but gives 1t, powers to tho board Of regents.
 The committee were unable to agre. upon any constitutional provision for uni fication. Sons of the plans presented seemed to a majority of tho committee t, be certain of accomplishing the desired TO suit as to justify its adoption In form t. romain unchanged for many years- Tn
 university of the state boing recognized b, section 3 of the proposed article, the com mittee feel that all further steps may safe ly be left to the legislature.
 In regard to sectarian appropriation
 the report says: "In the opinion of tn
 committee there Is no demand from tn l rannla sn xUall urnn nndad In rinht md ran