Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-19
NO JUDGE WAS NAMED
BUT LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS SERVES
NOTICE on THE CITY BAR
ASSOCIATION.
WILL PAY NO ATTENTION TOIT
Mr.. Burksdalc and Mr.. Anderson
Clash in the Debate.
SOME GooD-HuMoRED THRusTs.
Mr.. r. Carter scott wou1d Almost
Certainly Have Been Nominated
for City Circuit Judgcship Had Il.
Not Declines the Honor So Long ns
Title to 1t is Questioned-JudEe
Wrickhnm Strong In Caucus.

The fight for the judgcship Of the Tenth
| Circuit-the Richmond City Circuit Court
vacated by Mr. Beverly T. Crump who
/ had never qualified and who has accepted
| a place on the Corporation Commission,
! is growing very lively.
| Hon. p. Carter Scott would have been
| nominated by the caucus of Democratic
members Of the General Assembly last
| night had he not previously determined
to sign the call for a meeting of the
| Richmond bar. More than sufficient
number of members OF the General Assem-
bly had signed the call for the caucus
or were willing to sign it, and all or
| nearly all the signers were said to be
| for Mr.. Scott.
| Some Of the members of the local bar,
| hearing of the action of the friends OF
| Mr.. Scott, in calling a caucus for last
| night. were criticising what they re-
| garded as haste in the matter and dis
| courtesy in taking any action without
giving the bar an opportunity to meet
and take action recommending some one
for the vacancy.
Mr.. SCOftyS IOSl1fOn
Under these circumstances Mr.. Scott,
although his nomination by the caucus
was virtually assured. took the high ana
manly stand that he would not care "
have the honor If any one questioned the
title to it In any way. He thereupon
refused to allow his friends In the Cen
eral Assembly to take action last n1ght'
and instead signed the call for meet
ing of the bar of the city to be held at
! the Chamber Of Commerce at noon to-
morrow, to take such action as 1t may
Geem best.
In determining to do this. Mr.. Scott
bars himself from candidacy for the
office In the. event that the bar should
make q recommendation of any one eise
than EiInselt He stated to friends VINO
urged aim not to sign the call that It
was the honor Of the position that ne de,
sired, not the salary, and that ne Wouio
under no circumstances accept the noml-
nation II any one raised the slightest
question as to the absolute propriety OF
his conduct In the premises.
VIII Carry. No Weight.
AS the result of this decision on the
| mart of Mr.. Scott, the caucus called for
| last night in the hall of the House OF
! Delegates. did not elect, but contented
| Itself with the adoption of a res. luton
| offered by Senator Barksdale, the SUD
| stance Of u hlch was to serve nouce thal
| the caucus of LIE Democratic members
| of the General Assembly would not be
/! controlled by the action OF the majority
| of the bar of the city.
| Before that action was taken by the
| caucus, however. a meeting OF the par OIL
| the city had been called for noon to-mor-
| row "for the purpose OF nominating
! candidate to succeed the Hon. - X Wen.
| ford. Jr, az judge o. the Tenth Jud'clai
| Circuit" That is the language of the call.
| The caucus of the Democratic members
| last night took the ground that 1t was
| clearly the province of that body to noInl-
| nate and even went further, serving
| notice that the recommended ton or ma
| porty of the members of the Richmono
bar Will not control the action OF ln1s
caucus or be deemed in the slightest oe-
gree binding upon 1T
Scott or Wickhnm.
| II is now considered somewhat uncertain
! that the bar meeting tomorrow VIII noml-
| nate at all, and II a nomination be MADE
! it is even more uncertain that the caucus
! viii, endorse the action taken Indeed, 1t
| is openly predicted by some members Oh
| the caucus that if, after the manly ana
| ccmmendablc stand taken by Mr.. Scott
| the bar. recommend any one Other tnan
| he thus elm mating him from consldera-
| ton in consequence OF his own actloh.
| those members who favored Mr. Scott
will resent the action OF the bar ana many
Of them at least will vote for Judge ~
| Ashby Wiclsham, who Is not represented
| in the call for the meeting. That may or
NAV not be the attitude of majority.
but it certainly is of some OF the mem
bers. The adoption of the Barksdale reso-
luton last night clearly indicates that
and virtually serves notice on the bar
that it will not nominate the man IL
recommends, unless 1t see lit to DO SO
regardless of such action.
The meeting Of the caucus last night
was exceedingly interesting. being made
so by good tempered but lively running
debate between Senators George Wayne
Anderson. of Richmond. and w P. Barks-
dale, of Halifax. Hon. w. H. Boaz. the
caucus chairman. presided with his char
acter.stic fairness. and Hon. Charles T.
Bland made an alert secretary.
This Finally Prevailed.
Mr.. Barksdale of Halifax. opened the
proceedings by the Introduction of the
following resolution. which he advocated
in his characteristically vigorous style:
"W'hereas the tenth judicial circuit Is
COMPOSED of the city of Richmond and
th. county of Eenrico, and whereas after
January, 1904, 1t will be the sole court of
record with jurisdiction In said county;
and whereas said court likewise has
certain general jurisdictions: therefore be 1t
Resolved, by the Democratic caucus OF
the General Assembly Of Virginia, That
the Recommendation OF a majority OF the
members of the Richmond bar will not
control the action of this caucus or be
deemed IN the slightest degree binding
upon 1t.
Advocated by Mr.. BarksdnIe.
In speaking to the resolution, Senator
Barksdale contended that the bar OF
Richmond had no right to dictate who
should be Judge of the tenth judicial, cir
cult any more than the bars OF the cities
of any other circuit had the same rights
as to the judges OF their circuit. He con-
tended that 1t WIS matter clearly within
the province Of the Democratic caucus of
the General Assembly, and that the bar
had no rights in the matter, the circuit
being part OF the Judiciary system Of
the State and embracing the county of
Henrico. as well as the city of Richmond.
He asserted that Giles B. Jackson and