Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-04-10
MONTHLY "COURT DAYs.-'


MONTHLY "COURT DAYs.,'
The 1awrenceville, Brunswick county
Gazette has something against the consti-
tutional convention because it fears it may
abolish the county court system. 1t says:
1.-The Virginian who can't say 4 will meet
you at court either to settle difficulty Oh
a debt will feel that he is no longer a Vir-
ginian.' We can assure our esteemed CO.
temporary that he need have no fear of
losing his court days. Virginia has had
county court days-whether by judges OF
magistrates-eve since 1888. The only
change made by the constitutional conven-
ton of 1850 was to make the gentlemen
justices who composed the court, elective
by the people. Under that constitution the
judges, justices of the peace who compos-
ed the county court, ard all county officers
were made elective by the people, but the
same old ''court day" went on, as it will
90 on forever. So our contemporary need
have no fear about our old Virginia custom
and those who cherished and still cherish
it.
It is matter of history that the people
of Virginia have always had difficulty in
getting State constitutional convention
when they wanted it. In 1916 the people
of Staunton betrayed all the contingent ex-
penses of convention held here to devise
measures for obtaining a convention to
amend the constitution. The gathering
only numbered thirty-five delegates, but in
cluded such men as VIM. F. Gordon of AL
bemarIe, Chapman johnson Of Augusta,
James Breckenridge and Allen Taylor of
Botetourt, James Marshall Of Roanoke,
VIM. H. Fitzhugh of Fairfax, II. st. q.
Tucker of Frederick, VIM. g. Rives OF
Nelson, Gen. Blackburn Of Bath. Geo.
Tucker of Pittsylvania, and men like them.
1t sat five days and adopted memorial to
the legislature, but it was 1929 before they
got their convention, and 1850 before they
got one that gave what they had asked.
And this ubject brings to mind some mat
tiers of local interest which we also find in
the ''Annals of Augusta county," by Jos.
A. Waddell The last session of the coun-
ty court of Augusta under the old system
which was abolished by the convention OF
1850. was held July Goth, 1852. Lyttleton
Waddell was the last Of the High Sheriffs
and Geo. M. Cochran, ST., would have sue
| ceeded him if there had been no change in
the constitution. Both of these gentlemen
had served as members OF the county court
tor many years without compensation.
The first county court held by the newly
elected justices elected Col. James CraW'
| ford President of the court. The people
elected Moses H. McCue High Sheriff and
VIM. II. Hartman Commonwealth Attor-
ney. Col. Crawford's successor was Ma
thaniel Massie, and those who followed
him were Robert Guy, j. Marshall McCue
and Robert G.. Bickle.
The justices of the peace and members of
the County Court at the time the change in
| 1852 was made were Shelton S. Abney, Jacob
Baylor, David S. Bell, James Bell, Samuel
II. Bell. James Berry, John B. Brecken-
ridge, Robert P. Brown, George M. Coeh-
ran, James A. Cochran, Samuel ID. CraW-
ford, James Crawford, Benjamin Craw-
ford. Joseph u. Craig, DR.. John A. David.
son, John G. Fulton, Theopllus Gamble,
David Griffith, Robert Guy, William Guy,
Samuel Harnsberger, DR.. Isaac Hall,
William Harris, Samuel Harris, Kenton
Harper, Porterfield A. Heiskell, James
Henry, Elijah Hogshead. David Kerr, Sam j
Kennerly, James M. Lilly, Nathaniel Mas
sic, Edward G. Norman, Archer M.
Moore, John McCue, J. Marshall McCue
John A. Patterson, William Ramsey
Joseph Smith, James M. Stout, Gerard B
Stuart, VIM. M, Tate, DR.. A. Waddell
| Lyttelton Waddell, John Wayt, Thos. P
| Wilson, VIM. Wilson, Luke Woodward
| Lewis Wayland and VIM. Young.
The last county court of 'gentlemel
Justices" was held April /, 1870, and the
last orders of the court were attested by
William J. Nelson, President pro tenn
The new officers who came in under the
constitution of 1869 were Judge J.. N. Hen
dren, county judge; J. w. Green Smith
| Judge of the Hastings Court OF Staunton
1.-THE two judges being elected by the legisla
ture); James Bumgardner, j.. Common
wealth's Attorney; VIM. L. Mowry, Sher
iff; Sam Paul, County Treasurer; Jos. N
Ryan, Clerk of the Circuit Court; VIM, A
Burnett, Clerk of the County Court, and
John D. ]4illey, County Surveyor, all elect
ed by the people. The county Supervisors
elected by the people at the same time were
John Paris, Joseph D. Craig, John G. Full
ton, Thos. W. Shelton. VIM. L. Rush and
Henry B. Sieg.