The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-05

10rSooih that party happens to bc q
mau OF large political influence, whc q
| Urn&ps his adversary would be COM
para lively unknown. The judge should
receive II salary Of from twelve to
fifteen hundred dollars per year, which
sum in my opinion would ho consistent
with wise economy and clliciency. Bet
ter have no county court than have AN
incompetent judge.
criminal jurisdiction Of all crimes
aud misdemeanOrs except those which
| " Is prohibited from trying by the con.
| sGitutiOn OF tho State. 1t shalt havo
civil jurisdiction IN all civil
| matters whore thc amount claimed
docs pot exceed five hundred dollars.
1t shall have concurrent juriad icJion
with The court Of common pleas in all
| matters over five hundred dui>ara 10y
consent OF tho parties or their at
torncys
%. It gnAll always nc open ior trans.
action OF business, Sundays and legal
holidays excepted, and tho ollicere Of
the circuit court shall act rs officers Of
tho couEty court, and DO allowed the
same costs rs arc now allowed ry law.
VI. Tho grapu jury Of .ho county
should meet at the county scat the
hrst Monday In each inont til to consider
indictments and dlSrhargN the Other
duties Imposed upon them by law.
70 The county solicitor should be
elected for " like term ~ the county
judge. Tie should receive frcm four
10 Elk hundred dollars per year, and
should act as assistant solicitor foP tho
county, attend all coroncr's inQuusts
and Investigations, and perform such
olher uutiCs AS tho solicitor OF the cir
cult might require. | consider This u
strong feature OF the bill. Many ilu-
portant eases have beoW decided at the
coroncf'S inquest. The defendant is
always represented by astute counsel,
while tho State IS not represented By
counsel at all. 1t is very important
that ct this investigation thutthc tcsti-
mOny should be developed on both
sides. and that tho State should have
an attorney to assist in the preparation
Of its cases.
"6. a jury of fivo Is provided for, as
directed by Article S, Section % OF the
Constitution, the names to be put in u
box by tho jury commissioners. Thcy
shall select men within 81 radius Of five
miles from the court house. Any par
ty demanding a. jury shall give "a
hours notice Of tho intention, when
the jury shall bo drawn and summoned
tho next day when tho case will be fix
ed for trial. The jurors and witucssca
to ho allowed so cents per day und
mileugc. In civil cases to be paid bv
the party demanding tho jury, and
taxable as disbursements against the
| losing purity. Only those Witnesses In
criminal cases to be- paid by the State
IN such cases ns is now provided iur by
law.
81. Magistrates to bo only commit
ting officers and bave civil jurisdiction
| as now prescribed by law. Only one
| magistrate TO twO townships. Ihe OBJ.
joct In allowing them civil jurisdiction
is, Ia very email cases whore the party
desires, he can try them before the
! magistrate, and thus savo tho time Of
| coming To the county court. ibis
meets Senator Illlman's objection that
| IN Gv,.ry little case tho purtiCs would
| be- forced to come to attend the county
| court.
rs. All appeals from the county
court to be direct to tho supreme court
as provided for by tho Constitution
ana the rules Of pleading ana practice
! applicable TO the circuit court arc also
applicable to this court.
| 80. Upon the petition Of one. half OF
| ihc qualified voters who arc free hold
cra Of "ny county, or upon tho recon-
mcndation OF the grand jury for such
| siOncrs shall order IN clcctOn at which
inc question Of the county court shnll
| bo submitted to the people. If a'Gaa-
Jorlty vote In favor Of establishing til Ec
| said county, the board of commission
crs shall certify this fact to the Gov
ornor, who shalt Immediately appoint
the officers herein provided for whom
this Act shall 20 into Immediate elfect.
no IL IS further provided tnat in
| tho county OF GrCcnvilie, inasmuch as
| the grand jury have already recon-
mondod the cstabli" nent OF the said
court thai an election 6hali be ordcr-
cd within thirty days from the date Of
the approval Of the Act, and II such
an election is carried tho Act goes into
Immediate eject In the said county.
"Ihcro arc many reasons In favor Of
| the bill:
81. IL IS moro economical. Our court
| costs, 60 | am informed, amount to four
YhOu u5tnd dollars d tenn. With the
| :ounty court in session, Am satisfied
| hal the circuit court would rot last
| longer. than one week TO ten DAYS, q
| saving thereby affected Of one or two
terms wonld tear uil tho expenses OF &
| county CJurt.
! y. Cases would be speedily disposed
| u, thereby al, citing Il great saving In
the costs Of witnesses in both civil aud
criminal cases. Under tho present
systom they attend court for days and
sometimes weeks, when the case Il
| continued, &nd tho same thing occurs
at the next term. An enormous Cx.
pensc Is thus accumulated against tac
county in crlminul cases and a,;unai
the losing party in civil cases.
3. The .il will be- kept praG, lcnliy
clear, thereby saving great expense
IN dieting prisoners.
~. In civil cases, q party can get a
pccdy hearing Of his caoe. Just q.
soon na the Issue is joined, the case
rlac"d on the calendar for hearing, A
lay fixed when the man can come in,
oriNg bis Witnesses, attend the triat oi
nlS cs.8o and go home. Under the Pre-,
sent system, he has to hang around
court lor "cck, or more, at an crOr.
nous expense for self and Witnesses
when perhaps his case is no; coached
On the calendar and is continued. AT
the last term OF our court We hea iuriu.