CIRCUIT COURTS.
Mr. CAUTHORNE moved to suspend the constitutonal rule, which was agreed to--yeas, 68; nays, 18--and the bill [S. 369] defining the Thirty-first Judicial Circuit and fixing the time for holding terms of Court therein was read the first and second times by title, and the third time by sections.
Mr. FANCHER said: This bill has not taken me by surprise. It was introduced in the Senate and rushed through under suspension of the consttiutional rules. Judge Field is opposed to the passage of this bill. By tacking Stark County to St. Joe and Laporte it makes it just as convenient for the Judge of those Counties to get to Stark County as it will our Judge. Judge Field has been opposing this bill all through, and many people are opposed to it. This matter is being rushed. through too hastily. Let's have a little time to consider the matter. If this bill can not be amended a new bill can be introduced, so as to tack Stark County to St. Joe and Laporte, thereby equalizing the work of the Judges of those two Districts. In all fairness between man and man that should be the case.
Mr CAUTHORNE--I call the gentleman's attention to the fact that this matter was thoroughly discussed in 1879, when both political parties resolved that the Superior Court of Cass County should be abolished [see pages 167 and 188, Vol 17 of these Reports], when the people there were almost united in the sentiment that it should be abolished on the ground of economy, and they came here and asked that it should be done. The Republican Members were almost universally in favor of abolishing the Court, and to-day they are proposing to make the same change. It was not a Democratic measure. It was fought by the Democrats and defeated because it would legislate a Democratic Judge out of office. I was ashamed that members of my party took the ground they did and not rise above party question, but simply because they had a Democratic Judge in the Superior Curt who would have been thrown out of office, they refused to accommodate the people and make this important change.
Mr. BEATTY said he never heard the Judge of his County (Stark), express any dissatisfaction in any shape or manner, in regard to the proposed change. He favored the passage of the bill,
The bill passed--yeas, 70; nays, 10.
On motion of Mr CAUTHORNE, the constitutional rule was suspended--yeas, 68; nays, 18--and the bill [S. 366] to create the Twenty-ninth Judicial Circuit of the State of Indiana, and providing for the transfer and completion of business pending in the Circuit Court, was read the first and second time by title.
Mr. CAUTHORNE moved an amendment, which was adopted, by appropriately isserting the following: "Provided that in 1881 the spring term shall be held the third Monday in April, and continue for twelve weeks."
The amendment was adopted.
The bill was read the third time and passed--yeas, 82; nays, 0.
Mr. Moody's bill [H. R. 397], fixing the time for holding Courts in the Thirty-fifth Judicial Circuits, was read the third time and passed--yeas, 79; nays, 1.
