The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-26
THE vALDoSTA DISTRICT.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FAVORS
PASSAGE OF BILL.

Congressman BrantIey viii Endea-
vOr to Have the Bill Considered
Next Week-Attorneys of Fourteen
of the Nineteen Counties CompOs-
Ing the District Petition for Its
Passage-BiII May BE Passed in
Spite of Judge Speer's Opposition.
Washington, April 25.-It is expected
that Mr.. Brantley will endeavor to Sc
cure consideration some day next
week for his bill creating the South
western Division of the Southern Dis
trict of Georgia. The fact that the
Committee on Judiciary has given a
unanimous report in favor of the bill
gives the representative from the
| Eleventh District hopes of passing it
even over the opposition of Judge EN-
DRY Speer. 1t is claimed for the meas
ure that the bar of fourteen of the
| nineteen counties comprising the divi-
sion have petitioned for it.
Under the terms of Mr.. Brantley's
bill the proposed new southwestern
division OIL the Southern judicial dis
trict is to be composed of the counties
Of Baker, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun,
Charlton, Clnch, Coffee, Colquitt, De-
catur. Dougherty, Echols. Irwin,
Lowndes, Mitchell, Thomas, Ware and
Worth of the Southern district of
Georgia, and the counties of Early and
Miller of the northern.
1t is provided that a term of the
Circuit Court and of the District Court
for the Southern district of Georgia
shall be held in Valdosta on the sec
ond Mondays in June and December
in each year. If, in the opinion of
| the court, it become necessary, a dep
uty clerk may be appointed for this
division. The bill also contains the
provision that suitable rooms and ac-
| commodations for the holding of the
courts shall be furnished free of ex-
pense to the government of the United
States.
With regard to the character of the
cases to be brought before this divis-
ion of the district, it is provided that
all suits not of a local nature in the
circuits and district courts against a
single defendant, inhabitant of the
state of Georgia, must be brought in
the division of the district where he
resides: but if there are two or more
defendants residing in different divis-
ions of the district, such suits may
sues of fact in said suit shall be tried
at term of the court held in the divis-
ion where the suit is brought.
| prosecutions for crime in any of the
counties of the division shall be cog
| nizable within such division; and all
| prosecutions for crime heretofore COM
| nitted within either of the said coun-
ties taken from the Northern District
or committed in the Southern District
as hitherto constituted shall be conf
menced and proceeded with as if this
division had not been made.
Provision is made for the transfer
by consent of all parties to the suit or
by order of the court, to the new
Southwestern Division of all civil suits
now pending in the Circuit or District
courts of either district or division
from which the counties constituting
this division have been taken.
| In all cases of removal of suits from
the courts of the state of Georgia to
the courts of the United States in the
Southern District of Georgia, such re-
moval shall be to the United States
courts in the division in which the
county is situated from which the re-
moval is made. XII grand and petty
| jurors summoned for service in each
division shall be residents of such di-
vision. All official papers issued in
either of said divisions may be served
divisions. 1t is provided that the
act. if passed, shall go into effect on
the first day of January, 1908.
The Committee FavOrs 1t.
The committee on judiciary, to which
| the bill was referred, has made fav
! orable report upon it. This report
! points out that the new division is
composed of nineteen counties, having
a population in the total of 275,591 and
I that Valdosta is situated near the cen
ter of the division and has ample rail-
read connections with the counties
| composing it. Petitions from the bar
| of fourteen of the nineteen counties
| have requested that the location OF the
court be made in the city of Valdosta.
The committee gives the proposition
| it's unanimous commentator, declar-
ing that it is the line of that wise
| policy of carrying the courts to the
| people instead of requiring the people
| to travel unnecessarily long distances
| to reach the court. Hitherto" says
! the report of the committee, 1.-The fed
eral courts business arising in seven
| teen of these nineteen counties has
been transacted at Savannah, requiring
| the Htigants to travel in some in
stances over almost the entire State.
BY holding the court at Valdosta it is
believed that much time and expense
will be saved in the transport of liti-
giants and officers. No new officers
are created by this bill and the govern
ment is not put to any additional ex-
pense, in as much as suitable buildings
and Accommodations is required to be
| furnished FIRE of charge"
In support of his BILL Congressman
Brantley has prepared an interesting
brief showing from the record of bust
ness done some of the reasons for ad-
vocating the establishment of the new
division.