Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-21
OUR NEW HIGH COURT
Inc Retrospective View Of the Memc.a-
BE Contest.
HISTORY OF THE TRIBUNAL.
CnanSeS In The Several Constitutions
Affecting II.
A STEP BACKW ARDS.
Why II Was Taken-renr OF the Negro
Lives and Characters OF thoIn-
coming Judges.
A STEP BACKWA ARDS.

Lives and Characters OF thoIn
coming Judges.
As n well known. excitement over tho
election of the judges Of the supreme
Court OF Appeals who are 20 take their
seats January list next, roso 90 fever
heat There were various causes FOR this.
The present Legislature. IN addition 20
these Judges. had TO elect circuit Judges.
several corporation Judges. capitol on
GERS. a United States senator for tho
unexpired term of the late John s. Bar
bour. and United States senator for tho
FUN term, commencing the 9Th OF March.
1875.
Throughout the protractc1 fight. lob
bying. and caucUssing incident 20 the be-
stowal OF so much patronage n good deal
was said that might well have been left
unSaid. Rumors and charges OF all sorts
OF combinations which would affect the
composition OF the highest court Of tho
Commonwealth were rife. and open In
dignatlon was expressed Mt the alleged at
tempts 20 drag tho judicial erlninc into
The mire Of political trading.
THE UNWEITTEN LAW HONORED.
These charges, however. could p.ot be
traced 20 any authentic source. They
were. rs 1t proved. simply the vaporings
sf men over Jealous in the cause OF their
friends. md who saw the situation with
the cloudcd vision OF apprehension. Not
only Is tho court nno one as to personal
character and ability, but each grand
division Of the State IS represented upon
st. ana the unwrittcn law IN this respect
has been honored fully and TO the entire
abstraction Of tho people Of tho Com
m0nwealh There was, be IL said 10 the
sredit Of thu General Assembly. never
any danger that through design tho result
would have been otherwise. though, owing
90 the multiplicity az candidates, IL was
possible that I'm the caucus ballotlns
such a misfortuns might have occurred.
Tho contingency was shut ont, however,
by the action Of the senator's and dele
gates from the Nallgy and the Southwest,
respectively. who agreed 70 stand hy the
result o. primary ballots on tho several
candidates from their sections.
The judiciary q Virginia has always
measured Mp 10 a high standard except
whcn Virginia was not Virginia, bat Dis
trict 10. !. nnd except for the blo's Ma
hone put upon a. Tho ~ W court promises
not 10 discroiit its most ilustrous predc-
-. ,-,r.-,,.t. ,.,..,.t - bor bi..b.r f,di-
-.
rrrc,rCpy or TIVE COr-pT
.,. -
- ~ 'l.'' ~ e,,,'., .''' ,.,, "a
the present is largely mod'lel-dates q
11Ss though before that period ard cN
''l,''~ - 49,,
go. ~ -. .u. G',.
0Ii y. ....'l. ,....., o..
- ,, ...,.'
<NN"''' ''' p ''''
V"'l5. u .'."' UT. ,,,- ,.,,
"a Nptr.'--' t...'i'r
'I' 'i,."''' ", 60.
=. ..r,..-,,.-.,,,, D., 80. ,.,,,..l c,r ro,s,r.,l
g., . ......., o.. e.. ,-.,.
.l'.'.,.'.,.t r.',,i.,l a.. I..i-r.t and be
M, -, -, 49,, ,... ,i..,i..., - o,l
,,-I. t,S.,,.s ana ~ t,. ,,,.'r,,. i'm tl,l
~ 49,, s '.,,'.,. ,.... ,.r,.,.Ie,ane M
I,''i.N@ "a va. . co.. s.,.,.,','. ,,,,,,.,
80 No,.o c'','..... ''-'
80 .....,.
JUN NN ~ '-''
The State shall b. divided into twenty
ous judicial circuits. tea districts ana
five sections.
Ihe hIst ana te,o'I ''i'.i'N .Lt'i 'U .,I
Su,ut eir,.,,its ,G, INA dist~ict. the
80, -, ,,,,i ,-,...,,,t, c,,o.,i,. tho third
distr5ct. ,bo eirbtb and ninth circuits. The
Sa,r,b dietrict. the t.rfb ami eleventh
'.irc,,i,s tbc rrtb district. the twelfth and
'io.i'a' ~ i--'i. 49, i,,t S..,,,,t. cha
thirteen'n C'Ou,'9, tle 81 ui 49, NV
fourteenth ana Al',rnh C'Vu','' '.'
seventh diSulll' INC HlNt'.hll4 ''l' "'N
tecnth circuits. lhe e'a"'h G4S'iIct' 'H1
eighteenth and nineteenth circuits III
ninth districts anu the tWenut'h ana
twenty-hrst circuits IN tehth uStflc''
The first anu second districts shaIi con-
sututo the first section: the third and
fourth districts. the second section; the
nth and sixth districts. the third section
the seventh ana cFhh ulstlcts, ue
fourth section and the ninth and tenth
districts the fifth section.
For each section u judge shall be elect
ed by the voters thereof. who shall hold
his Office for the term &C twelve years.
rniees sooner removed in the manner pre-
ecribed by this Constitution. He shall az
the time OF his election be at least .,
years OK age. and during his continuance
ia office reside IN the section Tor whlch
he Is elected. =,
The Supreme Court or Appeals bi'IlI
consist OF five Judges so elected' any
three of whom may hold a court
WAS CHANGED AGAIN,
pr,o- % tbia CONSTITUTIONS going into
eeect tho supreme Court Of Appeals die!
NOT have appellate jurisdiction in crimi-
nal cases. such jurisdiction being vested
s,, ,ho ,,o,eraI court
,rsn Constitution OF lsC9-known "a the
I-n6erwood Constitution-took a step back
wards-and a conservative step-in rela'
lion 10 the Supreme Court OF Appeals
:.;$ s; : :; :. : S: ny: : 4: A: