The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1878-02-15

III Nt0DtiO -
the trade to Pensacola and Mobile
and elsewhere for the purpose of
frcightage no longer to be furnished
by these mills, which have been alb.
Isolutely stopped since their seizure.
n Now it seems to have been sup
posed there were arrests OF the per
son under these seizures, but that
is not so, as it vas a seizure Of the
property itself and necessarily a
stoppage Of the entire industry and
the bankruptcy of the capitalists
who were engaged in it as millmen
and the utter pros,ration OF the
laborers who were employed to car.
ry on the milling operat ons. This
bill simply proposes that a special
term Of the court shall be holden on
the sea board for the purpose Of
giving speedy trial and release OF
this interest from the oppression
under which it has been suffering.
Now | conc to what has been
said by some Of the gentlemen on
the opposite side when this matter
was under discussion yesterday-l
mean privately TO myself--that the
Jury who will be assembled and
~impanneled to try the question will
be Of the Immediate vicinity, and
therefore interested in favor OF the
parties against whom the govern
ment was litigating. In answer to
this, | can only say that in the prac'
tice of the Federal courts IN my
own state, the Federal judge lndl.
Gates to the marshal from what
counties of the state he shall impanr
mel his jury, ordinarily taking the
counties alternately until exhausted,
and then begin again, jurors in 40 in
stance being summoned from more
than three or four counties. SO If this
bill passes, as ! trust in the relief and
interest of these people and ia JUS
tice to them as well as to the gov"
eminent it will, the Federal Judge
1nder your Federal statute and the
practice which prevails there will
be able to order his marshal to dlr
Drect the Jury to be i%mpanneled from
any county in the state, and not
from the immediate vicinity, which
is sparsely settled, and where these
trials will occur.
The petitions and memorials l
have had the honor to present to
the the consideration of the house
in the silent way in which petitions
and memorials are presented, by be-
ing dropped into the box, have never
asked or desired anything except a
speedy and impartial trial, and 50
anxious have they been, so pressing
has been their interest, so over
whelming the disaster upon them.
that they have even expressed then
willingness TO leave this question to
be decided 10y the Fedora! judge
and the Federal district attorney
without the intervention of q jury,
All they desire and what their ne
cessities absolutely demand is speedy
prompt and decisive action.
[ must be allowed to say, Mr..
Speaker, when have applied to the
department Of justicc-to the attor'
nev general-and when have con
yersCd on this subject with the sec
retary of the Interior, they have
listened to me aad expressed The
desire on their part there should hi
an early adjustment Of this matter
but how it should be accomplished
and in what form, they did not pre-
ciseIy know. | had submitted my
self a proposition that this matter
r should be left to referees or com
m~issioners but impressed with The
conviction that also would Involve
still greater delay. and probably
a, raise the question whether or no.
the suits now in the Federal court
could be thus disposed Of | resortcc
TO the other method Of asking tina.
n special term Of the court shoulc
be ordered to sit in the immediate
vicinity, and near where many o
: the litigants reside who are unable
to employ attorneys and undergo
the extraordinary expense OF trans
,, porting witnesses some two hundred
miles. This is all the bill proposes
:, In answer to the objections made
, by the gentleman from Ohio lMr
, Foster) and the gentleman from
/, New York (Mr. T%ownsend), l be-
to refer to the existing laws II
reference even to trial of strictly
criminal cases-and this is a quasi
criminal proceeding against th'
property and persons charged by
! the government which VIII D.
: foun6 in sections 662 and 500 Of th'
revised statutes of the Unito(
States +:
, 662. The supreme court, or, whel
+ that court is not sitting. any clrcui'
Justice or circuit judge, togethcI
with the judge Of the proper dis
! trict, may direct special sessions o
, a circuit court to be held, for TIN
trial Of criminal cases, at any cou
venieut place within the dls'ric
near to the place where the onense
, are said to be committed than tn
place appointed by law for tn