, 1874-07-01

a LETTRE DE OA0HET.
BY tho first section Of the law for tho aup-
preston Of newspapers, recently amugglod
through Congress- by mon who have everything
to fear from m outspokon md independent
preBs. it Ia provided TINT tho Criminal Court Of
tho Datrict Of Columbia shall have Jurisdiction
OF all crimes and misdemoauors committed In
tho District and not lawfully trablo In any other
visions of the thlrty-third section of tho judi
ciary aot OF 1889 shall apply to tho Criminal
Court Of tic District of Columbia.
4 vory harmless thing this bill roads like. No
wonder 1t was passed. There was nothing on its
faco to arouso suspicion. But tho effect Of mixing
tho provisions Of tho thirty Third section Of tho
judiciary net Of 1889 applicable to the Criminal |
Court Of tho District Of Columbia WAS to pass
just such d law as Afr. Carpenter wantod but
failed to obtain. We hero copy tho thirty-third !
section Of tho Judiciary act OF 1880, now made
applicable to the Criminal Court Of the District
Of Columbia:
SEQ. 80. For any crime against the United States
Qbel is madc sch crime by tho act Just passedl tho
offender may. In the discretion Of the Criminal Court
tho District Of Columbia Of Justice Of the uniled
satcs or BY any Jstice Of the Poaco or other mags
trate Of any Of tho States where o may bc found, at
the expense Of tho United Btatea be arrested inpris
oned or bailed; mud copica Of process ahal 10 70
turned speedily may be into tho
Clerks o!nco Of said Court, together with the
rccognzanco Of Witnesses for their appearance In tho
The Criminal Court OF tho District Of Columbla
I'm f1sin INN r.
Buch commitment Of offender or Tincsa is made In
any part Of tho United States except tile District Of
Columbia, 1t shall be tic duty Of tho Judge whoro tho
delinquent Ii imprisoned scasonabIy to ISSUE and Of
tho a1Arala1 Of the district to execute warrant for
tho removal Of the offender aud Witnesses, either
Of thcm The may be- to the said District Of
Columbia.
To illustrate the workings Of this Inv: II n1r.
Carpenter should repeat ha pranka at Long
Branch at Washington hotel, and o oorro-
apoudent there should hint or make mention Of
thon,, Mr. Carpenter, as the most eroctual
means Of compelling tho newspapers to let him
alone, would complain to the Criminal Court Of
the District of Columbia and have tho editors
and publishers arrested in New York, or Chi
cago. or Sun Francisco, and cartcd of to WASH
ington, at Government expense, to bo tried. In
this manner 10 would seek to gag tho pross. OF
for 1t by no means follows TINT, because orim-
inal suit haa boon begun. 1t n,ust be brought to
trial. But porhaps we should not asoribo the ali
thorahip Of this bill to Carpenter. Ho assorts
that oven his own gag-law WAS not lntended to
muzzle the press. There is not q man In tho
United States who puts the aamo Interpretation
on that intended law that Carpenter does. but,
then, Carpenter had the eifrontery to toll tho
good people Of Wisconsin TINT 1t would have
been a violation Of Ills oath to support the Con-
stitution Of the United states if he bud not
takeu his share Of the back-pay grab! So We
| cannot always tell how much 70 should believe
OF what ho says.
1t ia q little strange, If this last bill was In
| spircd by Carpenter, tint the question whether
it sas constitutional not did not occur to him.
| By the Sixth Amendment Of tho Constitution Of
tho United States, the jury that trios man for a
crime must bo summoned from the judicial dis
triot in which tho crime WAS committed. When
!! Charles a. Dana, odltor Of the New York Sas,
was arrcsted under warrant Issued by q United
Btatea Commissioner, OIL charge Of lboling a
Washington official, mud it was sought ia
transport him to Washington for trial, Judge
Dlatohford treatel tho whole proceeding will
contempt, and ordered Dana's discharge; mt
only With contempt eau any such actor
10 treated by any Judge 30 lonf
"a tho Constitution of the United states re-
mains what it is. Judge Cooley, in his consti
tutloual Limitations, approves Of Judge D!atcl4
fosl's decision, and, by mploatton, condemns
tile gag.law Which passed both Houses withou
any knowledge. OIL the part Of the members. o
what It contained. Speaking for one newspaper
wa wish to remark that wo shall pay 10 astelt
tion whatover to this ieltre dc cachek It doc
not amount to o respectable thrent. It is
"gag," ct only to grace tho boards Of u min
strel show. It will not ecare even the Post
| Ouioa orgAna OF tho rural DISTRICTS
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