Show A FOURTH JUDGE REQUIRED THE following bill has been reported favorably to the united states senate by the committee on the judiciary SEC 1 hereafter the supreme court ot of montana shall consist of a a chief justice and three associate judges three of whom shall constitute a quorum to hold office for four years and until their successors be appointed and qualified shall hold a term annually at the seat of government of said territory provided however no jus t fee ce shall act as a member of the supreme court of montana in an any action or proceedings brought to duct such court by writ of error bill of exceptions or decree rendered by him as judge of a district court SEC 2 that said territory shall be divided into four judicial districts and a distant court shall be held in each by one of the justices at such time and place as may a be prescribed bylaw SEC 3 that all offenses offen sed committed before the passage of this act shall be prosecuted prosecute dand and tried and determined in the same manner and with the same effect as if this act had not been passed it Is quite tilte likely that this bill will be enacted el enact enacted there can be no reasonable objection to it except that js framed exclusively for montana it ought to be made general to all the territories if some friend of the people will move to strike out the word montana and insert each territory and work for the amendment he will do a service to the west and to the cause of justice that will be duly appreciated it is not so much because there is more work for the courts in some of the districts in the territories than they can readily perform that we are in favor of the fourth judge movement as that the present three ply judicial system is unfair both to the courts and the people an appeal to a territorial su supreme P court is often of ten pretty much of a farce and a very expensive play at that the judge who renders the decision appealed appealed from sits upon his bis own decision and only needs to get one other ether judge who perhaps h aps desires sires a reciprocal dav favor or to a agree ree with ith him in order to mabain maintain h his is orl original inal position this is so unfair fa ir an and open to such opportunities to for r evil as to need no argument for its abolition it has been stated that all the territories but utah would favor the appointment of a fourth judge utah has never opposed the movement on the contrary we think that this territory more than any other needs a change in this respect the varied rulings that have been given on the same question in the same court require adjudication in a court where the judge that rendered them has no voice in their determination A decision in the third district court means I 1 its ts confirmation 4 fir in the supreme court of the territory if appealed and when the case cannot be carried beyond there is little chance for the appellant we earnestly hope that the montana bill will be made general in all the territories |