Mr. Fox asked for leave of absence for an indefinite time, for Mr. Kirkpatrick, on account of sickness; which was granted. Mr. Bryan asked for leave of absence for Mr. Henry, till next Friday; which was granted. Mr. King asked for leave of absence for Mr. Billings, until next week; which was granted. Mr. Eldridge asked for leave of absence for Mr. Patterson; which was granted. Mr. Anthony offered the following resolutions; which were referred to the committee on Judiciary: The State shall be divided into ...... judicial districts, of which the county of Cook shall be one; the others to be bounded by county lines, and to be compact and equal in proportion, as nearly as may be. There shall be ........ judges of the Circuit Court in each district. The Supreme Court of Chicago shall be continued, and the judges thereof remain in office during the term for which they were elected, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified: Provided, that the General Assembly may provide for additional judges thereof, as may be required. The Circuit Court of Cook County shall consist of four judges, each of whom shall have all the powers of a circuit judge. Any one of them may hold said court, and each of them à different branch thereof, at the same time. The term of office of the judges of said court shall be twelve years, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. The present judge of said court and of the Recorder's Court of the City of Chicago shall be two of said judges; and the other two shall be elected by the qualified electors of said county. The office of one of said four judges shall be vacated after the first election held under this article, in three years; of one in six years; of one in nine years; and of one in twelve years; to be decided by lot; so that one of the judges of said court shall be elected once in every three years. The judge having the longest term to serve shall be the first Chief Judge; after which, the judge having the oldest commission shall be the Chief Judge. The first election for the two judges of said Circuit Court shall be held..... The second election, and for one judge of said court, shall be held on the first Monday of June, A. D. 1873; and an election shall be held every three years thereafter, for a judge of said court: Provided, that the General Assembly may, from time to time, provide for the election of an additional judge thereof, as may be required. At the general election for county officers, in the year A. D. 18...., and every years thereafter, there shall be elected one clerk of said Superior Court, and a clerk of said Circuit Court, who shall hold their office until their successors shall be elected and qualified. .... The Recorder's Court of the City of Chicago shall be continued, and hereafter called the Court of Common Pleas; shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Court in Cook county, in all criminal cases arising in said county, except treason and murder, and in all cases upon recognizances and against bail; but shall have no other jurisdiction in civil cases, except to dispose of unfinished business, unless otherwise provided by the General Assembly. All recognizances in criminal cases, taken in said county, shall be returnable to said Court of Common Pleas, unless otherwise provided by the General Assembly. A judge of said court shall be appointed by the Governor, and hold his office until the end of the next session of the General Assembly. At said session, and every nine years thereafter, there shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a judge of said Court of Common Pleas, who shall hold his office for the term of nine years, and until his successor shall be commissioned and qualified: Provided, that the General Assembly may provide for adding other judges to said court, as may be required. The judges of said Superior and Circuit Courts and Court of Common Pleas and Probate Court, shall each receive a salary of four thousand dollars per annum, payable quarterly, out of the State treasury, and such further compensation, to be paid by the county of Cook, as may be prescribed by law. The clerks of said courts, and the clerk of the Recorder's Court, shall continue in office during the term for which they were elected, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified; and, thereafter, there shall be but one clerk of said Superior Court. But they shall receive salaries for their services; which shall be fixed, as is hereinafter provided. And all fees, perquisites and emoluments shall be collected by them, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law, and paid into the county treasury. On the day on which this Constitution is submitted to the people for adoption, there shall be elected a Register of Deeds for Cook county, and a clerk of said Circuit Court of Cook County, who shall hold their office for the term of four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified, who shall receive for their compensation salaries, to be fixed as hereafter provided. There shall be no justice of the peace courts in the city of Chicago; but the said city shall be divided into districts, and one judge be elected for each district, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, and until his successor is elected and qualified. No person shall be elected a judge of said district court, unless he shall be an attorney at law, and have been a resident of the city of Chicago at least ...... next preceding his election. There shall be a clerk of each of said courts, and such other officers as may be provided by law. Said courts shall have jurisdiction in civil cases, when the amount in controversy does not exceed two hundred dollars, and such criminal jurisdiction as may be provided by law. Said judges and clerks shall receive such compensation as may be provided by law; and all fees and perquisites shall be paid into the city treasury. Appeals in civil cases from justices of the peace and from said district judges shall be allowed to the Circuit or Superior Courts of Cook county, upon questions of law, in such manner as may be provided by law. Appeals in criminal cases shall be taken to the Court of Common Pleas. Judges of all courts of record and State's attorneys or county attorneys, shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office; and in no case shall any judge receive or be allowed any docket fees or fees or perquisites whatever. No judge shall be chosen at a general election for State officers, or on the day of an election for President of the United States. The county treasurer, sheriff, register of deeds, clerk of the Circuit Court, clerk of the County Court, clerk of the Common Pleas, and Superior Court, and coroner, of Cook county and State's or county attorney, shall receive such salaries as may be prescribed by law; and all fees and perquisites shall be paid into the county treasury. No clerk of a court shall ever receive a greater compensation for his services than the judge of the court of which he is clerk. All jurors for the courts of record in Cook county, except the District Courts, shall be householders, and have been, for at least two years, citizens of this State, and have paid a property tax within two years next previous to the time of serving; and in no case shall any juror be selected and summoned by the same officer: Provided, that the General Assembly may prescribe other qualifications of jurors. Mr. Anthony presented the following statistics of the courts of record of Cook county; which were ordered to be printed and spread upon the journal : SUPERIOR COURT. Number of suits commenced from January 1st to December 31st, 1869...... 4,937 Number of appeals Number of confessions. 410 236 870 3,421 4,937 Below are given statements showing the business done in the different courts in the city during the past and several years. The figures are sufficiently intelligible without further explanation or comment.. SUITS COMMENCED. The following statement shows the number of suits commenced during the year in the different courts, together with the number brought during the three preceding years: 1866. 1867. 1868. 1869. The following statement shows the whole number of causes, civil and criminal, disposed of in the several courts during the past and preceding year : The following statements show the divorce statistics as gathered from the records of the various courts: COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. The following shows the number of suits brought during each month, with the number brought by husbands and wives respectively: The whole number of decrees granted during the year was 126. Obtained by husbands... Obtained by wives.... Total The following shows the number of suits brought during each month, with the number brought by husbands and wives respectively: The whole number of decrces granted during the year was 43. |