Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Opinions Of the Attorney General Of the

prisinp tovnsman r. Farnham, ESQ, has pun
Iisbed an additional volume Of the Opinions OF
the Attorney General of the United States
The nresent volume, being the sixth of the
.nt;re series, contains the Opinions Of Mr.
Attorney General Cushing from March 4th,
1853, to October It'll, 1854, period Of about
seventeen months. We need not say that the
reputation of Mr.. Cushing as profound jurist
has been fully sustained by this the first in.
stalment of his labors now given to the public.
The learning aDd..research of these Opinions
together with the vigor, comprehensiveness
and scholarly accuracy of language with which
the most reconcile principles of law are enun-
ciated, are not more marvellous than the as
tonishing amount of labor evinced in their
preparation. Mr.. Gushing, it is we'll known,
is one Of the most industrious of our public
men, although but few know how much he
has really accomplished. In addition to his
duties as an important member of the Presi-
dents advisory council, and his duties always
onerOus as representing the United States be-
fore the Supreme Court, he has prepared the
Opinions, many of them exceedingly elabo-
rate, involving principles of constitutional, in
ternational, municipal military and admins
trative law, contained in the volume now just
published.
To give an idea Of Mr.. g industry, to say
nothing of high talents and requirements, il
is only necessary to mention one or two facts.
Mr.. Writ, it is known, held the office of At
tOrney General during the entire terms of
both Presidents Monroe and John Quincy
Adams, a period of twelve years, yet the
number Ct Tsges occupied ty his opinions
given during this whole time is only 725,
whereas Mr.. C.'s Opinions for seventeen
months ell 76O pages 1t is true, that the
business Ct the Government has very largely
increased since MIR. Wirt's day, and numer-
Gus complex questions have arisen under its
| administration which then had net occurred,
but to come down to the more recent period
| Gen. Taylor's and Mr. Fillmore's administra-
tions, it will be found that Mr.. C. has already
accomplished more than Mr.. johnson and
Mr.. CIitteIden together. We mean 10 dis
| paragement to any Of the gentlemen named,
but simply mention tie fact to show the vas
| amount Of Mr.. c 5 labors.
We understand that the materials for Sec
Dad volume of the Opinions of this distin.
gushed gentleman have accumulated, and
will be published soon after the expiration of
| the present Administration. While the mat.
| ter is 90 abundant, the substance is no less
| SO. A mere glance at the index will show the
| important character Of the subjects discussed
| Among these Opinions the following have
| struck us az pre-eminently able: "Jurisdic.
| ton of Federal and State Courts - Analy-
ais of Judicial System Of the United States -
"Ofhce and Duties of Attorney General"
purchase of Belligerent Ships by Neutrals "a
Reciprocity Treaty with England" the va
rious Opinions on courts martial, military and
naval and also those upon the extradition of
| fugitives from justice end from service Of
the latter class We might specify the elabor-
ately discussed Opinion in which it is held
that the right Of a master to reclaim a fugi-
tive from service extends not only to the
States and organized Territories, but also to
all the unorgsnized territorial possessions of
the United States. We cannot doubt that this
volume will find ready sale to the legal pro-
| fession.
| Military superintendence- Balls sps-
| ciai Committee.-The following communica-
| ton, clipped some time since from the New
York Ns,os, but crowded out hitherto by the
| pressure upon our columns, will be found Of
| interest even at this late date as written by
one evidently fully conversant with the sub.
ject:
| WASHINGTON, August IL, 1855.
| The appropriation bills are making fair
| Roadway, and would undoubtedly have passed
l long since were it not for the factiOus disposi.
tion manifested by the Black Republicans to
weigh them down with irrelevant and absurd
amendments. Prominent among these Is that
OF MI Ball Ct Ohio to the effect that it shall
not be lawful, after the 18th day of Novem.
| Der, 1896, tor any Oficer in commission in the
military service Of the United States to have
charge OF or to be employed az assistant, su-
perlntendent, or architect in the construction
OF baildings for custom houses marine hos
pitfalls, minis, post Offices, court houses capitol
| extension, or other public buildings except
such as pertain to the military defences of the
/ United States; and that from and after the
said date the general supervision of the con-
struction OF the Capitol and Post Office extern
| siOns shall be transferred from the Secretary
of War to the Secretary of the Interior
Now, 1t Is well-known fact which no man
OF ordinary Judgment will dispute, that the
engineer officers of the army are, from tho
very nature Of their profession, peculiarly
fitted for the supervision of the immense pab.
lie improvements now being made by the aov-
| ernment; and IL is II fact equally notorious
that since Captains Bowman and Meigs have
been detailed to supervise the erection and
extension CT the public buildings, an immense
amount OF money has been retained in the
Treasury which would, under the old contract
system, have been squandered in enriching
those irresponsible contractors who are now
backing Mr. Ball in his efforts to effect its
restoration. Yet that gentleman, not content
with causing an investigation which has been
not only cOuIted, but demanded, by gentle
men Immediately concerned, has thought
proper, in his superior wisdom. to move for
the establishment of that Galphin and Gar
| DINER school which consigned the adminisfra.