The sun., 1894-05-13
COURTS OF NEW roRk STATE.

Bisviy Thry H.vs Bees Created 81 EsIarred
to Meet GROWING R-s-ir--.-t-.
The State Of New York. progressive IN all
other matters, and at the head Of the forty
four States in question OF Jurisprudence. is
slow In chan ginR tts courts. in abandonin z
anJ OF them. or In altering the jurisdiction
which has been exercised By . majority Of
them for more than . hundred years Even
those tribunals which are not protected from
change or abolition By the requirements Of
the state Constitution seem shielded By usage
from any action Of the Legislsturs. and though
New York has increased vastly in population
and in the amount OF invested wealth and
business done. its courts undergo very little
change except By the addition. here or there OF
an extra Judge or two to keep pace with the
steadily increasing volume Of business
The Court Of Common Pleas is the Oldest In
the State IL dates back. originally 10 1883
In the Burger Court. q tribunal in the Dutch
colony OF New Amsterdam and under the Don
gan charter OF 16SB II became the Mayors
Court 1t was presided over som etimes by the
Mayor. sometimes By the Recorder. and some
times with the assistance OF the Aldermen.
the Recorder dropped out aud irst one Judge
vas added and then another. until they had
three Judges Of the Court o. Common Pleas
mon Pleas we're Appointed By the Governor
with the concurrence OF the State Senate for
Pleas has been. since lS+'j. . tribunal peculia
to New York. having been abolished IN all the
Of New Yors. Tor the triai Of civil cases hut tn
Common Pleas Judges have other jurisdiction.
corresponding with that Of the Surrogate dur
Common Pleas Justices who rsceive $4,000 .
year, the senior memh her Of the Court and its
.ees.d IN Msy hmops his aTns pr.dees
sors were Charles P DAILY. Justices Barrett and
Van Brunt. n9w on the supreme Court bench.
The supreme Court, so far as New York
State is concsrned. Is thirty-eight years
having succeeded to the power and duties OF
the Court Of Chancery. an English institution
long. n. fGss @ cons.itusion Of New % YORK rec rec.
osnized the supreme Court as then existing.
son.sa b. sSs and hoisins oee
during good behavior until the age OF
eSnt9r et,n seventy s .na. ,ssrs until the >, Cen
prone Court Of New YORK and established .
new one. dividing the state into the present
that one in each district should 90 out OF ofics
every second year
so il continusd until 1889. when the pres-at
term of fourteen years was established. when
e .s. nss &c a .ss at sa a
fSs sta.. PAYS New Yort sger:n. Court
payment up to S1I.5Ou
The Superior Court Of New York was sstab-
iishsd on March 81. 1929 and was orig inally
intended as . com N errial court having no
criminal jurisdiction There are two veterans
In service upon IL. John J. Freedman. elected
in lstp. and John seigwiek. elected in 1871.
John Sedg wick Il the Chief Judge. and enjoys
what may be called the distinction OF being the
only Republican Judge In the city OF New York
presiding in . civil tribunal hlled by election.
There are six Superior Court Judges and
seven supreme Court Judges, but the business
done in the latter court Is so much greater
than falls TO the lot OF the former that the dis
parity is in part made up By ths desi gnAtion
OF certain Superior Court Judges TO serve. from
time to time. in the supreme Court
The present City Court Of the city OF New
York Is the successor OF the old Marine Court.
. New York institution which long outlived its
name but no. its usefulness. A vast amount OF
business In cases involving less than -. 600 is
transacted bY the City Court. the Judges OF
which. six in number. serve for six years, and
receive an annual salary Of $4,000 apiece.
Prior to 1870 there were three judges OF the
Marine Court
Civil or District Courts. OF which there are
now eleven having Jurisdiction 10 the amount
Of $3.50. we're ssta lishsd in 1857 and dispose
OF several thousand cases in . rear. This Is
one OF the courts which. it 10 expected
the Constitutional ConVsntion will remodel
though IL ts always in the power Of the Lsgis-
laturs N do this, IL being Q statutory. and not
a constitutional court.