The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-04

Middle Pennsylvania District Has
All It's Business Conferred in One
Place and That Place Is Scranton.
Bill Was Signed Tuesday by Presi-
dent oosevelt-What the Change
Means to Scranton.
One of the bills signed by President
Roosevelt, as the fifty-seventh congress
was expiring, makes Scranton the seat
of the United States court of the Middle
Pennsylvania district for all time.
No matter who may be the judge, or
the circuit or district court clerks, or
where their residence may be, they
must make Scranton their headauar-
ters. All the records must be kept here
and all matters with which the court
shall deal must be attended to from
this city. Dsr
Heretofore the court had no seat. or
more correctly speaking it had three
seats, Scranton, Harrisburg and Will
ianlsecrt. The records of the district
court were kept in Scranton, in the
office Of District Court Clerk e. r. w.
Searle. Those of the circuit court were
kept in Williamsport, where Circuit
Court Clerk w. d. Crocker resides.
Much Of the records of the criminal
business of the district court were kept
in Harrisburg, where United States At
torney S. j. McCorrell has his office.
Now, all these records are to be kept
here and all these officials, through
themselves or deputies, must maintain
these records here.
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY.
This will very likely mean the ap-
pointment of an assistant United States
attorney from Scranton, and the in
creasing Of the duties and consequently
the emoluments of Deputy Circuit Clerk
A. ]. Colborn. 1t will also mean that
all lawyers of the whole district who
have business in the court must come
to Scranton to transact it. In word,
1t means that Scranton becomes to the
Middle district what Philadelphia is to
the Eastern district and Pittspurg to
the Western district.
That nothing much has been said
previously on the bill and it's import
ance is due to the fact that too much
publicity might have had tendency to
stir up opposition from Harrisburg and
Williamsport that could have been
overcome only with much difficulty.
The manner in which Congressman
Connell succeeded in getting the bill
through without more opposition than
was encountered is significant. The
whole story would make interesting
reading, no doubt.
The establishment of the seat of this
court in Scranton is scarcely second in
Importance to the creation of the court
itself, and the Importance of that needs
no explanation to Scrantonians.
OTHERS WHO TRIED.
1t is something that congressman had
sought to accomplish for more than
quarter of century. Bills to create
middle district were placed before the
forty-third congress by Hon. L. d.
Shoemaker, of Wilkes-Barr before the
forty-fifth congress by Hon. Frank d.
Collins; before the forty-seventh con-
gress by Hon. j. A. Scranton, and be-
fore the tifty-second by Hon. H. c. Nc
Cormick, of Williamsport. All, how
ever, failed. Congressman Connell took
the matter up with determination to
succeed, and after vigorous fight van-
qushed or placated all opposition and
at the session before last had the graft
fication of seeing his bill made law.
Strenuous opposition from the west
ern part of the state placed the bill in
such a position that it was necessary
when 1t reached the senate to get
unanimous consent for it's consider
alton. Every one thought the bill was
as good as dead, but all undaunted,
Congressman Connell induced personal
friends on the opposite side to silence
southern senators who were opposing
everything of this kind, and to the
great surprise of all the bill was al
lowed to come up and pass. Few con-
gressmen would have attempted the
task. Fewer still, it is safe to say,
would have been able to accomplish it..
That the bill, besides being beneficial
to Scranton and the other cities of the
middle district, was of general benefit
can be CLEANED from the following eX-
cerpt from the brief which was used in
the arguments in favor of the bill be-
fore the committees of congress:
SOME ARGUMENTS.
All bankruptcy papers have to be for
warded to Pttsburg and all orders and
adjudications practically made there. This
involves such delays that except for the
assistance of the state courts the bank
ruptcy law would be almost nullifed.
The courts of procedure in Pennsylvania
enables Il judgment by confession to be
entered and a sheriff's sale of the per-
sonal property had In six days, a pace
altogether too swift for tho bankruptcy
cpurts acting n the distance nj S00 poiles
Fortunately, the state courts have been
persuaded to stay executions where bank
ruptcy proceedings have been begun, but
this concession has only been obtained
with considerable difficulty in a few of
the state courts, and how far it will be
followed In others depends Il good deal
on the composition of the court and the
way 1t regards the bankruptcy law, rather
than on fixed principles. The only abso-
lutte reliance is a district court and a dis
trct Judge so accessible that execution
proceedings eminating from the state
courts can be laid hold of and restrained
without delay.
All that has been so far said goes to the
needs of the people of the district 1t is
enough to warrant the establishment OF
1t, but II Is believed that this can be
accomplished without material increase
in the general court expenses. At present
the western district Is so large that the
mileage of Jurors, prisoners and govern
ment witnesses is heavy. Jurors have
necessarily to be summoned for each sit
ting of the court from every part of it,
They go from Scranton to Pittsburg and
Erie, and they come from Pittsburg and
places beyond 1t to Scranton, Pittsburg
is 800 miles from Scranton and Erie Is
even further. They are thus drawn from
within an average radius of about la