Springfield Weekly Republican

The Attorney General, in his report to the Legislature, states that eight cases were carried up to the supreme court at Washington the past year, all of which have either been dismissed or will be by the consent of the defendant's counsel. He speaks of offenses against the laws which affect only the public, as violations of the laws in regard to gaming, houses of prostitution and liquor selling, in which, when complaints are made, they very often fail because no one has sufficient interest in the result to employ counsel in the lower courts. He suggests the expediency of making some provision for the employment of a public prosecutor in the lower courts for such cases, if not in all criminal prosecutions. He would divide the several counties into two or more districts each, and have one person in each district have the exclusive power of trying the criminal cases now tried by police courts and trial justices. He also recommends the passage of a statute authorizing suits in behalf of the commonwealth, which are now brought in the name of the treasurer, to be brought in the name of the commonwealth.