The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-09
JUGGLING OVER A JUDGESHIP.
THE REPORT ON AMIDON'S NOMI-
NATION STILL HELD BACK.


Senator HansbrOugh Opposes
Favorable Action on the Ground
That the Nominee Is Not Competent
to Fill the POsition-SenatOr Roach
Takes just the Opposite Position.
w. II. Munger's Nomination Also
Laid Over-A Complicated Situa-
tiOn in the District of Columbia.
Washington. Feb. S.-Considerng the
number of important judicial nominations
pending before il. the committee on the
judiciary is making very little headway
in clearing up its executive calendar. For
more than an hour this morning Senator
Hansbrough Of North Dakota was heard
in opposition TO the confirmation OF
Charles +. Amidon, nominated some weeks
ago to be district judge for the district of
North Dakota MIR. HansbrOugh stated
that Mr. Amidon was lacking in training
and had not in the opinion of nine-tenths
of the bar of the state, the mind OF a
jurist. lie insisted that his confirmation
would be a mistake Nothing was said
against Mr. Amidon personally.
Senator Roach of North Dakota urged
confirmation and stated that the bar was
with him. The committee took no action.
The nomination of William II. Munger
to be district judge for the district of Ne
braska was laid over for one week.
A complicated condition of affairs has
arisen in the District of Columbia owing
to the failure of the committee TO take
action this morning on the nomination
of Henry f. Davis, to be district attorney
for the District of Columbia. Under the
law the term of office of the United States
District Attorney of the District of Co
lumhia expires by limitation at the end
OF four years and no provision is made
for a successor, temporarily or other
wise until the new appointee is confirm
ed by the Senate. The retiring district
attorneys term expired on Friday even
ing last. The committee is agreed that
there is no authority given the courts
of the district to make a temporary APP
pointment The police court of the dis
trict being United States court is under
the jurisdiction of the district attorney
and his deputies have charge of the pros
ecution of the most petty offenses In
that local court.
Since Saturday not a case has been tried,
nor can the business proceed, If the con-
tentiOn of the Senate committee Is cor
rect, until new district attorney has been
confirmed and he can name his deputies.
Meanwhile. the criminal docket of the dis
trict police court is piling up and cases are
being postponed pending the action of the
Senate. Despite this condition of affairs,
the committee did not reach the Davis
nomination this morning. There is some
opposition to the nominee by the silver
men because Mr.. Davis was active in his
opposition 10 the Chicago ticket and plat
form The committee appears to be al
most evenly divided. The committee win
meet in special session Thursday to dis
pose of this and several other important
nominations.
A joint resolution was subsequently re-
ported to the Senate, where it was passed,
authorizing the supreme court of the Dis
trict of Columbia to fill any vacancy in the
office of the district attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia. This resolution, when
passed by the House and signed by the
President will enable the business of the
criminal courts of the district to proceed
nomination for district attorney that may
he submitted