Newport Offers Its Town Hall to Win a Court of Its Own

The petition to the county commissioners and the judge of the Superior Court asking for the dividing of the county into judicial districts has been circulated in Newport and on the east side of the county this week and has been generally signed, the people recognizing the advantages to be gained by the holding of court on this side. Expense will be saved not only to the county but also to all litigants residing in the district. The petition reads as follows:

To Hon. D. H. Carey and the Honorable Board of County Commissioners of Stevens County, Washington.

Petition for the establishment of a Judicial District of the Superior Court of the State of Washington, to be held at Newport, Washington, and to be known as District No. —

We, the undersigned, qualified electors of Stevens County, petitioners, respectfully petition as follows:

1. That all that portion of Stevens County lying east of the west line of Range 42 and north of the south line of Township 30, except Township 40 North of Range 42, E.W.M., or such other territory as the Honorable Judge and Board of County Commissioners may determine upon, shall be declared and made a judicial district.

2. That the place of holding court within such district shall be at the Town of Newport, Washington. Provided, however, that said district or said Town of Newport shall provide suitable building or quarters in which to hold such court and its officers, and a suitable jail, and maintain the same until such time as the county or district may see fit to provide or maintain such quarters.

The petition will be presented to the county commissioners Monday next by a delegation from Newport. The matter of providing quarters for the court and its officers will be arranged by the people of Newport, the town council having gone on record in the following resolution adopted Tuesday evening:

Whereas, the Board of County Commissioners of Stevens County, Washington, and the Hon. D. H. Carey, judge of the Superior Court of the State of Washington in and for the county of Stevens, are about to establish a new judicial district of said Superior Court to be holden at Newport, Washington;

And whereas, it is the consensus of opinion of the people within the proposed district that the Town of Newport should provide suitable building or quarters for the holding of such court;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Council of the Town of Newport shall and does hereby agree to prepare and tender to the Board of County Commissioners of said Stevens County and to said proposed judicial district the free and unrestricted use of the present Town Hall of the Town of Newport, for the purpose of holding such court therein, until such time as the town or district may provide other or more suitable quarters.

Be it further resolved, that said Town of Newport shall provide suitable quarters for the clerk and sheriff in attendance upon such court, and also a suitable jail building for the use of such district, until such time as other or more suitable quarters may be provided.

Favorable action from the court and the county commissioners is anticipated, and if the order is made at the May session it is likely that court will be held here in June.