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St. Andrews Standard, 1835Last week Col. Wyer introduced a bill to assess the inhabitants of Charlotte for erecting a new Court House in the County, and by a resolution of the Committee, the St. Andrews Standard will be immortalized in the Journals of the House, an order having been made that a copy of this aid Bill be published in said newspaper for the information of the Inhabitants of the County of Charlotte.
St. Andrews Standard
Nov 4, 1837
The Supreme Court was opened here on Tuesday last, on which occasion . . . the Judge commented in strong terms on the decayed and dangerous state of the Court House, and we trust the rand Jury will take steps to bring this subject before the County. "We have witnessed, with pain the inconvenience and suffering which the venerable judges who have visited us for some years past have endured; on many occasions sitting from morning till midnight, oppressed with heat, exhalations, and sudden draughts of air in summer; and either shivering with cold in winter, or flushed with an occasional glow from the stoves, attended with smoke and the cal for open doors, producing the miserable alternative of another period of freezing. The room in which the courts are held is too low; badly arranged and quite insufficient for the requirements of the County. The magisterial bench suffer equally at the Sessions; and the Barristers as well as their clients, must have often experienced the difficulty of communication when the lapse of a few minutes might materially affect the causes before the Court. At the late election, the Sheriff wisely abandoned the Court House and occupied the elevated portico which is ascended by flights of crazy steps almost as moveable as the willow 'whose silver lining to the breeze upturns.'"
St. Andrews Standard, 1840
Improvement
Our new court house is now in a state of great forwardness, the plastering and stucco work being completed. On a recent visit to this building e were much pleased with the faithful manner in which the work has been performed. The Judges Barristers, Grand and Petit Jury Rooms, together with a spacious apartment allotted for Session business, are all convenient and well adapted for the use of those engaged in the administration of the laws of the country. The Court Room in the centre of the building will be judiciously laid out for public convenience, and by no means overlooking the accommodation expected by the Bench and the Bar. The building committee, together with the architect, Mr. Thomas Berry, are entitled to great credit, for having faithfully performed their respective duties. The building is situated on arising round in the vicinity of the Jail, and from its commanding situation, it will have an imposing effect when completed.
St. Andrews Standard
Oct 2, 1840
For the Standard
Mr. Editor—
We the Grand Jurors, impannelled to serve as the Grand Jury for the present September Term of the Court of Common Pleas, amongst other of our duties, considered it aincumbent upon us to visit and inspect the new Court House recently ereted in the town of St. Andrews. We thought it our duty to do this for two reasons, first because the Building when erected, was the property of the county, and respecting which all Freeholders have and naturally feel an interest, and secondly, because great fault was and still is found with some of our predecesors in office, for not looking into and examining the state and condition of the Gaol, now the old, but still called the new Gaol, after it had been delivered up as complete from the hands of the Contractor. We have closely examined the first named building, the Court House, both inside and out, and after a thorough examination, we have great p;leasure in saying that we are all very highly pleased with it, and that while it unquestionably is a great ornament to the town, it is also decidedly creditable both to workmanship and design to the skilfull architect who built it. We have been extremely sorry, however, to learn, that Mr. Berry will lose seriously by his contract, but we have no doubt that a proper application to the Legislature on his part will result in not only making hm whole but rewarding him, in some slight degree at al events, for the great extra expense, it appears that he has incurred in his desire to give general satisfation.
-- We are, Mr. Editor, Yours, etc., On behalf of the Grand Jury, W. H. Mowat, Foreman
St. Andrews Standard
Nov 6, 1840
Opening of the New Court House
On Tuesday last the 3d inst., His Honour Mr. Justice Parker left his lodgings and proceeded to the opening of the new Court House, waited upon by the High Sheriff and Coroner, the Magistrates and Gentlemen of the Bar in their Roes, civilians, officers of the Court and constables in appropriate dress. The usual preliminaries attending the opening of the Court being gone through and the Grand Jury empanelled, consisting of . . . .