The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-22

by lower courts of appellate jurisdiction,
yet performs more work than almost any
other corresponding body in the United
States.
Whether sitting in bank or in depart
ments, the Hon. w. 81. Beatty is still the
Chief Justice and ex-officio presiding Off
Ger OF the court. The departments are ap
porhoned as follows:
DEPARTMENT ONE.
RALPH G. HARRISON. Justice presiding
~ n GARoCTTE. Justlce
H. q. VAN FLEET. .......................Ju Justice
DEPARTMENT Two.
l. b. MCFARLAND. Justice presiding
IAI IN IENPLE Justice
The Supreme Court sits in San Francisco,
In Los Angeles, and in Sacramento, though
Its chief headquarters are in this City, and
much larger percentage of its business is
transacted for and in San Francisco dis
trlct. The terms of the court are: AT San
Francisco on the second Monday in Janu-
airy and on the third Monday in July. At
Los Angeles, on the first Monday in April
Sacramento, on the first Monday in May
and the second Monday in November.
The three Supreme Court districts of the
State embrace the several counties as fol-
lows:
District of San Francisco-Alameda,
Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt. Lake,
Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey
Napa, San Benito. San Francisco, San Ma
teo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sonoma.
District of Los Angeles-Inyo, Kern, Los
Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernar-
dino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara and Ventura.
District of Sacramento-Alpine. ANA
dor, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Ell Dorado.
Fresno, Glenn, Kings, Lassen, MERGED,
Modnc Mono Nevada p1aoar pIup,aS
Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra,
Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Suffer, Te-
hama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo
and Yuba..
The present Supreme Court holds under
the constitution of California adopted by
the people in 1879. One of the provisions
of the constitution that created the Su-
preme Court was that the terms of the
Justices service was to be twelve years
excepting, however, the terms of the first
seven Justices elected under the new law
Of these the Chief Justice and two Associ-
ate Justices should hold office for a period
of twelve years. Two Justices should hold
for term of eight years, while the terms
OF the remaining two Justices should ex-
pire at the end of four years.
The first election was held September 5,
1879, and on the 9Th day OF the following
January (1880) the new court organized
with the following members:
CHIEF JUSTICE.
ROBERT f. MORRISON.
ASSOCIATE JUSTICES.
SAMUEL BELL MCKEE.
ERSKINE NJ. ROSS.
JOHN R. SHARPSTEIN.
J. D.. THORNTON.
E. w. MCKlNSTRY.
NJ. II. MYRICK.
The classification as to the terms of
office, except that of the Chief Justice was
determined by lot Ross aud Sharpstein
drew the four-year terms, Mckee and Nv
rick drew the eight-year terms, and Thorn
ton and MckinstrY drew the long terms
Chief Justice Robert F. Morrison was the
unanimous nominee OF the State conven-
ton of the Workingmen' s party, which
met in this City June ), 1879. He was also
the nominee of the Democratic convention
that assembled subsequently,. Judge Nor
rison had practiced law in San Francisco
for good many years, and from 1870 till
his election on the Supreme bench he was
Judge of the Fourth judicial District,
court analogous to the present Superior
Court. At the election in the fall of 1879
Judge Morrison polled 72,58S votes, as
against IS, 226 fol 4. /. Rhodes, the Repub-
ican candidate, and 19, 900 votes for Ma
thaniel Bennett, the candidate of the New
Constitution party. Chief Justice Morri-
son served on the Supreme bench until
March ,, 1887 which is also the date of his
death.
In April. 1887, Governor Bartlett ap-
pointed Niles Searls TO succeed Morrison
as Chief Justice until successor should be
elected.
William H. Beatty was chosen at the
polls in 1888 to serve the unexpired term
OF Morrison, deceased. as Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court. He was the nominee
OF the State Convention of the American