Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-28
DOMESTIC.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 2t.-i private let
ter from New Orleans, al the 2Gth ul,mo,
10 gentleman III Tins city, furnishes the
following information from Fort Scott =
" Lieut.. Sharp, OF tie army, has this mo
mcni arrived here from Fort Scott, which
post he ielt on the 10th inst. He states,
that not any of the provisions forwarded
ircm New Orleans by the coRiractur) had
reached there; one OF the vessels had re-
turned TO Mobile, the other supposed 10
be lost a. sea, as nothing has been heard
OF her since she left here. Ii appears
from the statement Of lieut.. S. that there
is no possible hope of getting provisions
OF Ia that place, as the river is lined with
Indians, and every mode of conveyance
cut of by them. The troops al Fort Scott
will have 10 TALL down TO The mouth of The
Apalachlcoia, at which place trey can be
supplied, otherwise they must go in TO
for Hawkins"
A previous letter from the same gentle
| man, mentions, that a considerable Guan-
THY Of provisions, forwarded from New
Orleans for the army, by way of Pensa-
cola, had been stopped and turned back
by lie Spanish authorities at that place,
vino refused permission 10 transport the
supplies up the Escambia.
FEBRUARY 25.-Among the cases that
have been discussed i'll tie Supreme Court
OF the u. States, now i'll session, a very
Interesting question has arisen as TO the
jurisdiction of the Federal Courts. This
! question arose i'll the case of the United
.States against John BerenS, on which Il di-
visien OF opinion took place between the
Judges of the Circuit Court in Massachu-
sets, and the question was consequently
referred into the Supreme Court for the
determination of the Judges of that fri
bunxl The case was argued by Mr..
Writ jAuormey Generah and Mr.. Whca-
ton o. New York, for the United States,
and by Nr. Webster, of Boston, for the
accused
Bevens WAS marine on board the u
nited States "a gun ship independence,
aud was indicted for aud ioumd guilty of
numbering a seaman on board, while the
ship was laying in Boston ilarbOg. II was
urged on the part of the prosecution That
the place where The ship lay gave lie
Circuit Court ccgniZauC0 OF the offence,
under the grant of Admiralty aud mari
fine jurisdiction given 70 the Federal
Court in the constitution, and also be-
cause the crime was committed ON board
public ship of var.
cred by ChivIJusiicc Marshall, on Satur-
day last. The Judge wcre of opinion,
that though Congress had tie power to
lesislate in the case, and to make the of
fence punishable under Ike admiralty ju-
risdlction given 10 The Judiciary in Ike
constitution, that Congress had not ex
ercised this power IN lbC act Cf 1900, for
tie punishment, OF certain crimes against
the Uniied States, o. ~ any other law
They we're likewise Of opinion, that
though Congress bad clearly authority TO
invest any Of the federal courts, or a
court martial with rOgnlIduCe Of offences
committed on board OF ships OF war OF
the United Siaics wherever they might
Iav vet, as the act OF 1870, IN speaking
of a ptacs within The exclusive jurisdic-
ton OF the United States, evidently re-
ferr d only TO objects imm0vabIe and
strictly territorial such as fort arsenal,
dock yard, &c. aud as by the navy ma
Tins act, Tie crime Oi murder was pun
lshabie by 4 court martial, only when
committed 0ul of Tie limits ofthe Uniled
ates, tn oil'auee lor which the prisoner
VAS indicted Was not cOgnizabIe iD Tie
Circuit Court.
The consequence is, the accused can
moi be sentenced IN lie Circuit Court for
the crime of which he has been found
guilty, and The judgment against him
will OF course be arrested. Nat. Int.
More than forty petitions we're yestcr-
day presented in tic H0usr of RepTcsen-
ialives. In consequence of the accumu-
latiou ofiliiS description Of business, Con
grcss can do bul little other; and, after
all. it j. probable HAT mol thirty bills,
founded on such petitions, are passed at
any session Besides frustr9iug other
important business, Tie petitions are
sm0iliered in their own overpoweriDg vo-
lun,e Of words aud subjects: tie minds
Of the members, iaiigucd With Tie mum
her and variety OF claims on their alien
ton, relax, and naturally become inscn-
sible 10 tie merit of claims, often most
worthy of their regard. There is, we
fear, no remedy for this evil bnt we
think il would he an mporIantaile,ia ti0n
of IT, for each House 10 prescribe GER
tain period In tie session, and tllat not
far advanced, after wIlichno petition shall
be received. After the arrival of thai ne