Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-09
JUDICIARY UP
FOR DISCUSSION
Judges aret to Be Elective and
to Have Fairly Long
Terms
AUTO PROHIBITION PETITION
Committees on Mining and Cons.
titutional Amendments
Make Reports

to-heart talk Matters appertaining
to the Elective Franchise and the In
debtedness were up for discussion and
it is believed that better understand
ing has been reached among the dele
gates who constitute the minority of
the convention.
The report of the Committee on
Judiciary was to come up this after
noon for disposition in committee of
the whole.
1t was 2:40 o'clock when President
Spiess called the convention to order
and Rev. Julius A. Hartman led in
prayer. The reading of the journal
was dispensed with.
A long petition against Prohibition
from Albuquerque was presented.
F. H. Winston reported from the
Committee on Mines and Mining.
J. ]. Aragon reported from the Com
mittee on Constitutional Amendments.
Resolution No. "a, by E. D. Tit
man, requesting that the president of
the convention send the following
telegram to Postmaster General Frank
H. Hitchcock: May we now do as we
please"
A. A. Sedille moved that it be re-
ferred to the ambassador from Russia
at Washington and that Mr.. Tittman
carry it to him.
On motion of T. B. Catron the reso-
luton was presented to Mr.. Tittman.
H. o. Bursum moved that the con-
vention 60 into committee of the
whole to consider the report of the
Committee on Judiciary. The mo-
tion carried.
Solomon Luna was called to the
chair and took the gavel amidst hearty
applause.
The majority report of the commit
tee was adopted.
J. G. Fitch offered an amendment
to section / embodying the recon-
mendation of the minority. The
amendment proposed to authorize the
legislature to create inferior courts
only in cities and towns.
Mr.. Fitch explained the minority
proposition, objecting to the majority
proposal which would permit the leg
islature to establish county as well
as municipal courts. He advocated
safeguarding the jurisdiction of the
courts and said that the Republicans
are inconsistent in circumscribing the
powers of the legislature even so far
as having the constitution fix the sal
ary of a doorkeeper and then giving
the legislature the widest latitude in
creating new courts He believed that
the constitution should create the ju,
dicial system complete. He favored
the creation of municipal courts, and
also courts in each county having pro
bate and limited civil and criminal
court, but said, he knew that the ma,
jority would later offer an amendment
making possible the creation of the
latter kind of courts by extending the
jurisdiction of the probate court.
The Fitch amendment wSs rejected
by So to "a.
Juvenile Courts.
F. w. Parker offered an amend
ment to section 1, which will empow.
er the legislature to create juvenile
courts.
C, r. Brice said he saw no neces-
sity for mentioning Juvenile courts
specifically as section 1, already gave
the legislature this power.
The amendment was adopted.
C. M. Compton moved to strike out
the word probate court" and subgti
tuting county court" The amend.
ment was rejected and section as
amended oy F. w. Parker was adopt
ed.
Section 2 defining the jurisdiction
of the supreme court was adopted.
F. w. Parker offered an amendment
to Section 8, giving the supreme court
"a experimenting control of all i1lfe
rior courts" Judge Parker explained
that such power is vested in most SUI
preme courts to correct irregularities
in inferior courts. The amendment
and Section 8 as amended were adopt
ed.
Various amendments were offered
to Section 4, which prescribed the
number, length of term and classifi
cation of supreme court judges. F
w. Parker offered an amendment max
ing the length of term of the supreme
court judges years, one of the three
chosen at the first election to serve
four, the second six and the third
eight years, the classification as te
length of term to be by lot after the
first election, subsequently the terms
of the Judges to be eight years.
J. G. Fitch offered a substitute fol
the section providing that the supreme
court judges shall serve six years
shall be elected at separate elections
the candidate receiving the highest
number Of votes to be chief justice
nominations to be made by petition
and not in party convention. He sale
that the object of his amendment is tc
take the supreme judgeships out oi
politics and to assure the selection oi
able men, well qualified for the high
position. Political considerations
should never enter into the nomina
ton and election Of the judges of tbs
higher courts. Judges are not elected
for the purpose Of protecting any par