Evening journal., 1898-01-24
NOW READY FOR WORK.
The Law Commission Has
Prepared Several Bills.
THE JUDICIARY CONSIDERED

SALARIES OF THE JUDGES HAVE
BEEN DECIDED-COUNrY PUB
Lie SCHOOL sUPERINTENDENTs
TO BE CONTINUED IN OFFICE.
The three lawyers, William T. Ly-
nam, of this city; Congressman
John b. Pennington, of Dover, and
Charles +. Richards, of Georgetown
who were appointed by the adjourned
session Of the Legislature to prepare
such laws as are rendered necessary
because of the new Constitution, made
considerable headway last week in their
work.
There is apparently an impression
among q large number of persons thai
their duties are merely routine and OF
easy accomplishment. To those who
are cOnversant with this sort of task,
such an opinion is absurd on its face.
| The work to be done by the commits
sion is not only important in the
highest degree, but is is tedious and
painstaking as well
The first matter to come before the
commission was a thorough study OF
the new Constitution so that ii might
be considered as a whole and minutely
in detail. After getting the subject be-
fore them thoroughly in hand, the at
! tOrneys decided that the only manner
in which to properly conduct the busi-
ness that came before them was TO con-
slider one subject at a time and dis
pose Of il finally before taking up an
other.
THE JUDICIARY.
Starting with the administration
and Interpretation OF the law, the
commission took up the matter of the
| judiciary. This is one of the import
ant subjects that was to come up for
consideration, and its disposition in
four bills that have been prepared by
the lawyers shows that their duties
will be performed with conciseness,
dispatch and thOroughness.
The laws relating to the judiciary are
contained in four district acts. which
will be presented to the General AS
sembly by the legal commission to-
morrow These bills are: First, an act
in relation to the seals for the various
courts. 1t is well known that all writs
issuing out of the different cOurs must
be attested and sealed before attaining
their full legal effect. The courts all
being newly created, it is necessary to
have new seals.
The second act prepared is one fix
ing salaries for the chancellor and
other judges. The Constitution pro-
vides that the salaries of all judges
must be at least SO 900 per annum, but
beyond this fixes no specific amount.
The judges have, since the new Con-
stitution went into effect. been working
for no definite salary beyond this
vague provision. This is remedied by
the act in question.
The third bill provides for a clerk for
the Supreme Court Prior to the pro
mitigation Of the new Constitution, tn ,
court Of last resort in this state was en-
titled the Court of Errors and APP
/ peals, but now it is termed the Supreme
| Court. There is no clerk TO this tri-
bunal, and to remedy this defect Il is
necessary to have the new law.
The fourth act that has been pre-
pared by the commission is one that
extends the various laws and rules gov
/ erning the Superior Court under the
old Constitution to the Superior Court,
as now constituted This act further
extends the rules of the several other
| courts, as heretofore existing 10 those
/ newly created. There is not much of
an original character in this act as /.
| Is, in a great measure. only for the
| purpose of extending former rules to
existing conditions.
Thus it will be seen that the COM
mission has disposed Of the courts in
a business-like manner and has cover
ed that ground thoroughly.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.
Another law that has been prepared
by the commission is an act to extend
the terms of the county superintend-
ents Of schools until some time during
the session of the Legislature. This is
made necessary by the provision Of the
Constitution that all officials appoint
ed by the governor, whose salaries
amount to $500 or more, must be con-
| irmed by the Senate.
This caused peculiar condition OF
! affairs to arise in relation to the coun-
| ty superintendents and the state IL
brarian as well, whose salaries exceed
this sum. Under the present laws the
superintendents are appointed on the
| second Tuesday of July in each year
and it will thus be seen that those ap-
pointed in the alternate years could
not possibly be confirmed by theSanatt
5s required. This bill is prepared foi
the purpose of overcoming this pecu-
liar state of affairs, ard eventually ex-
tending the terms to two years, ant
causing their termination of proper
confirmation by the Senate.
These constitute the bills that have
been prepared and will be presented
to the General Assembly this week.
OTHER MATTERS CONSIDERED.
In addition to this work, the com
mission has informally considered th'
feasibility Of reducing terms Of notarie'
public to four instead OF seven years
This is advisable because the terms o
justices of the peace have been fixe'
at four years by the new COnstitu
ton, and as it is customary to appoin
each justice also notary pubic, every
thing would work in better if the terms
were the same. Otherwise. a justic'
would serve most of his term before h
could obtain his commission as notar.
public.
1t will be seen by the amount o
work accomplished by the commission
in the short time it has been in opera
ton, that the Legislature took the righ