circuits are very email. Some of them are so
large that the judges could scarcely discharge
the duties of their circuits within the year.—
For instance, the report puts Carroll county
and Baltimore county and Howard county in
one district. I think that the business of
Baltimore county alone will occupy at least
six months of the year. The business of the
Howard county court will occupy six weeks
or two months more, making eight months,
I am not familiar with the Carroll county
court I do not know what amount of time
is occupied in the discharge of the business
of the court there; but in that circuit, ac-
cording to my best information, ten months
in the year would absolutely be required to
discharge the business of the circuit. That is
one objection to the system as reported by the
committee.
The substitute offered by the gentleman
from Allegany, that be State be divided into
twelve circuits; that the larger counties be
erected into circuits themselves; and that
circuits composed of smaller counties shall
go to make up the number presided over by
a single judge, has many things to recom-
mend it. Baltimore county would be erected
into a circuit by that system. Frederick,
Washington and Allegany counties, all
large and populous counties, and each af-
fording sufficient business for a court, would
each be a circuit.
I am I confess, at a loss to select between
the systems proposed; and I do not think we
could spend an hour more profitably than in
listening to the views of gentlemen, professional
and non-professional, upon this subject.
I think our sole object ought to be to decide
upon the merits of the systems proposed with-
out any regard to the question of expense. If it
is so important to the State at large that the
children of the State should be educated, that
intelligence should be diffused, that we are
willing to spend almost half a million annu-
ally for this purpose, are not these tribunals
which have the custody in fact of the lives
and the properties of the citizens of the State,
of equally great importance, and equally de-
serving of our fostering care and considera-
tion? I scarcely know of any subject which
has interested me so much as that now before
this body. I hope we will take time. We
are going to adjourn to-day at half-past one
o'clock; and I do not think the time to
elapse between the present moment and that
hour could be more profitably spent than in
carefully considering this subject.
Mr. ECKER. How does the gentleman
know that we are going to adjourn at half-
past one o'clock?
Mr. SANDS. Well, I feel it, sir; and I think
we could scarcely spend the time more profit-
ably than in listening to the views of gentle-
men of all aides of the house in regard to this
matter. For one I would urge upon the con-
vention the propriety of settling upon the |
merits of the systems without any regard what-
ever to the cost. If yon can go out from this
convention and say to the citizens of this
State that the education of the children and
youth of the State is so important a matter as
to justify yon in expending half a million
annually upon it, can you not go out and}
say to the people that the judicial system of
the State is so important that you may be
justified in devoting to it at least one-fifth of
that sum? I want to listen, instead of talk-
ing about this matter. I really desire to be
instructed as to the merits of the two systems.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I would like to inquire
of the gentleman from Allegany, whether
under the system as he proposes it, he designs
that the circuit judge should be the chief judge
of the orphans' court of the circuit?
Mr. HEBB. It would be impossible for the
judge of a circuit of two or three counties to
bejudge of the orphans' court.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. Then there would be a
difference in expense, for that reason, of twenty
Or twenty-five thousand dollars annually.
Mr. SMITH, of Carroll, There is very great
force and propriety in the remarks made by
the gentleman from Howard county (Mr.
Sands, ) and I hope they will receive the atten
tion they deserve. We have waited a very
long while for the report of the committee on
the judiciary, and supposed they would be able
to submit a report which would be acceptable
to the majority of the convention. We have
not individually, many of us, provided any-
thing as a substitute in its place. A number
of independent propositions have been forced
upon us, very hastily; and we have not had
the opportunity of giving to them the atten-
tion which their vital importance and the in-
terests of the State imperatively demand.—
We are determined to adjourn to-day, and
are very much like school boys, anxious to
get away as soon as vacation comes. I beleve
the temper of the convention is not such
as to be competent to investigate this matter
properly. I think we would better fulfil oar
trust by postponing the consideration of this
report until we assemble again on Monday.—
To-morrow we shall have an opportunity,
many of us, of conversing with our constit-
uents and ascertaining their opinions. They
will read the papers very carefully, and make
suggestions to us, and enable us to come back
on Monday more fully prepared to unite on
some system which will command general ap-
probation. I move that the further consid-
eration of the report be postponed until Mon-
day. "We can take up the report on the
State's attorneys, which will require very lit-
tle discussion, and finish it to-day,
The PRESIDENT. It is not likely that we
shall have a full convention on Monday.
Mr. BELT. I would suggest to the gentle-
man from Carroll that the amendment of the
gentleman from Allegany, and of my col-
league, be printed. |
