Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-17
HIS REWARD IN SIGHT,
AND GOVERNOR ATKINSON is
DOUBTLESS CORRESPONDING
LY HAPPY.
THE OLD BILL TO CREATE
TWO JUDICIAL DISTRICTS IN WEST
VIRGINIA
Has Been FavOrabIy Reported to the
House of Representatives, After
Slumbering in Committee for Just
Year-An Outline of Its Leading
PrOvisions-How the State VIII be
Divided.

Special to the Register.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December 16.
Governor Atkinson's political reward Is
now within measurable distance, since
the bill to divide West Virginia into
two judicial districts, and so provide
an additional federal judgeship has
been resurrected and favorably report
ed to the House. This bill was intro
duced by Congressman Dayton just
a year ago, and has since slumbered in
the pigeon holes of the committee on
judiciary. Gov. Atkinson's recent visit
to the city, however, awakened a re-
markable interest in the measure.
Senators Elkins and Scott both took it
in hand, and made representations to
the committee of which Judge F'reer is
a member. which very quickly brought
forth favorable action. 1t was repre-
scented among other things that the
long distances to be travelled by feder-
al witnesses in going from the points
where federal court is held, and the
difficulty in reaching the southern por-
ton of the State added so largely to
the cost of mileage that the saving IN
this expense alone would meet the cost
of an additional judicial district SEN
ator Scott has prepared a blue print
map of the State, which shows at a
glance the magnificent distances be-
tween east and west and north and
south points. 1t was asserted that the
federal business in the rapidly growing
commonwealth amply justifies the Gre
alton of a new federal circuit These
considerations Influenced the commit
tee in it's report.
The bill constitutes a northern and
a southern judicial district and trans
fers the judge and clerk of the pres
ent West Virginia district to the pro-
posed northern district, but the district
attorney and marshal of the present
district are assigned to the proposed
southern district. The new officials
provided are a judge and clerk for
the southern district and district at
torney and marshal for the northern.
These officers, except the clerk, who Is
named by the judge, are appointed by
the President.
The northern district will comprise
the counties of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio,
Marshall, Tyler, Peasants, Wood,
Writ, Richie. Doddridge, Wetzel, Mon
ongalia. Marion, Harrison, Lewis, Gil
u6I, SdIuOun, Opohui, DoA bONA' -~J
lor. Preston, Tucker, Randolph, Pend
Teton, Hardy, Grant, Mineral, Hamp-
shire, Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson.
The remaining counties of the State,
Jackson. Mason, Cabell, Wayne, Lin
coin, Putnam, Roane, Kanawha, Boone,
Logan, Mcdowell, Wyoming, Mercer,
Monroe, Summers Raleigh, Fayette,
Nicholas, Clay, Braxton, Webster, Poe
ahontas, Greenbrier and Mingo Will
constitute the southern district.
The bill further provides that the
two judges may sit together with the
circuit Judge of the Fourth judicial
circuit, that all civil suits not OF
local nature and all criminal actions
must be brought where the defendants
reside and that all causes now pending
may be assigned to such district as the
judges may direct.
Speaker Henderson has promised to
grease the way for this bill, and it Is
expected to come up on Tuesday IN the
House Senators Elkius and Scott Will
care for il in the Senate.