National Republican., 1878-12-03

party, Dut winch are prosecuted or defended
BY tho Government. The large amount O
business before the Supreme Court Is referred
10, business being from two. and-a-half tc
three years behind, and the recommended tiou
ot an intermediate court made last year Is re-
viewed.
THE COURT OF CLAIMS
hns triod twenty-five suits for proceeds of cap
tured and abandoned property brought before
1t during the year, involving claims 10 the
amount Of Si10,753.76. OF these quits claim.
ing SlOi,459 wcro romauded for further pro
oocdings. In eighteen suits claiming $2S7..
iOi.sj there was Judgment for defendants aud
In five suits claiming Sis S90.01 Judgment foi
the claimants for the aggregate amount oI
el2, ,939.58. In $50 suits Of this class brought
since August 20, 1868. and claiming $2S, ,s6j,.
S3S.2S, pleas TO the jurisdiction were filed and
sustained aud the suits dismissed. Nnety.s y
miscellaneous suits, claiming In the aggregate
s3,40l ,9sl.6i, were brought to trial In this
court Three suits claiming $23.i5S were re.
manded for further proceedings or held under
advisomcnt.
In twenty-five suits claiming g., $50 OCT SO
judgment was for defendants. In one Of these
the judgment was for SS0s,975.ls, In favor ol
defendants, as the balance of their counter.
claim allowed after deducting, $500, ,G27, ,lC
awarded the claimants-thc Union Pacific Rail.
road Compauy-upon their claim. In seventy.
one suits, claiming $3.50, ,il5.5l, judgment was
for claimants for tho aggregate amount oi
$222, ,3s7.O .OI.
A change in the method of componsatinc
United States, attorneys by fees and tho sub
stitution: Of a regular salary..is recommended.
This should embrace NIL legal services In their
respective districts for which tho United
states requires an attorney. II these officers
were paid entirely by salaries the more serious
oleudors, and those who should receive the
first attendance Of prosecuting officer, would
be more vigorously pressed ). and the large sums
which are now expended in hopeless and petty
prosecutions, to which the Government has
been pledged, would be avoided.
Legislation In relation to tho duties and fees
Of United States commissioners is recommend.
ed, aud also reduction Of the fees of jurors In
United States courts from S3 to So. By the
latter reduction of expenditures amounting
to 100000 would be effected. The recon-
mendntion of his predecessor for q uniform
method of drawing Jurors for United States
courts for the whole country Is renewed by the
present Attorney General. lie also recon.
mends that section s7S, Revised Statutes, be so
amended that, save In capital cases, tho number
of witnesses which tho United States may be
required to summon aud pay for defendant
shall not exceed four, and that these shall be
allowed only when their testimony goes TO the
merits Of the case.
Tho importance Of providing In the court.
house Of the District Of Columbia more SC.
cure place Of deposit for the land records OF
the District is urged. Appropriations for this
purpose, as well as the usual repairs Of the
building will be needed.
In relation 10 the Reform School he says
AN examination OF this important nsti-
tuition has satisfied him that its officers have
done their best with the limited means vi
their command" The necessity of extended
accommodations to meet the increasing de.
mands on the school seem apparent
PROTECTION TO CIVIL OFFICERS.
The Attornoy-Gcncral says: at is import.
ant that additional provisions should be made
for the protection of the executive civil Off.
GERS. The punishment now attached To re-
sistanco TO the process of the United States
courts Is not proportionate to the crime OF
murder which in frequent instances has been
committed upon deputy marshals because they
have arrested, or cndCavorcd to arrest. violatOrs
OF tho law. 1t should not be left TO tho State
to determine and enforce the penalty for an act
against the execution of justice of such scrious
character, but appropriate legislation should
enable the court whose authority has bccn do
fled aud Whose faithful officers have been killed
to administer the penalty which the crime de-
serves. 1t Is unfortunately too clear that il
this duty be left 10 the courts of the Slater 1t
cannot be expected that in certain portions Of
the Union 1t will now be faithfully and eni-
ciently performed.
THE ELECTION LAWS.
Information which | received from various
sources led Inc TO believe previous to the recent
Congressional elections that such Interference
with the canvass preceding it had taken place,
and was reasonably expected with the clCC.
tOn itself that the attention of the officers of
this Department should In certain localities be
called to iniractiOns of the laws which had oc-
CURED, or which might be expected and the
necessity of doing all IN their power 10 pre-
vent them aud TO secure fair election. lu
some instances II was deemed to have been
fully shown that peaceful meetings, lawfully
called for the advocacy of particular candidates
for Congress, had bccn intruded upon by armed
bands, who, under the speciOus prctcxt of
keeping the peace, prevented by disorder aud
rullianisn the organization or tho proper hold.
ing Of such meetings.
The Attorney -Gcncrpl's office Is not provided
with the means ofany general system of in.
vcstigatiOu OF in fraction OF the laws. 1t de.
pcnds mainly upon tho reports of facts in in
dividual cases made by the officers of tho DO.
partmcnt upon the ground, and oil their re.
quests for instructions in regard thereto.
Awaiting himself of thGscas well Us of inlOrma.
ton from those public sources which are COM
mon TO all, 1t Is apparent that in various parts
of the Union, especially IN certain portions Ol
the States Of Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas,
and Virginia, instances of unlawful colnbna-
ton aud violence, Intended to prevent a free
and peaccable advocacy of candidates for Con.
gress, occurred previous to the day of election,
and upon the day Of election deliberate frauds
were rcsortcd TO in voting aud canvassing
tho vote often accompanied by threats and
intimidation.
A frequent outrage upon tho purity of the
ballot was in what is familiarly known rs
"ballot.box stuling," and consisted in propur.
ing tho boxes by dcpositing therein before the
voting cOmmouGGd, or after 1t was concluded,
large numbers OF fraudulent ballots, and also
by folding smaller ballots within u larger one
in such u way that they cuUll be shaken out
by the voter us he deposited his ballot, OF
alterward by those who had tho custody of
the box.
This fraud was accomplished by the use of
small ballots printed upon tissue paper, aud
was pcrpGtratCd in so many different places
and with tickets so carefully prepared aud Of
such similarity, that il cannot he doubted that
II was the result OF au organized conspiracy of
some contrnl.dircctng agency to defeat the
will of the people and Ialsiy the true result Of
the election
Tho canvass aud election was accompanied
in the State Of Louisiana by u series OF cow
ardly and cruel murders, tho only apparent
motive for which was to prevent the ColOrcd
people from exercising their right Of suffrage.
These murders occurred In Cuddo, Texas,
Natchitochos, and other parishes. 1t has bccu
my duty to advise the proper subordinate OIL.
Al