The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1878-02-08
BILL.
A Bill Looking to the Speedy Settle
men of the Log Question.
Some Opposition. But no Doubt the
Bill Will Pass the Senate

Below we give the proceedings
in the national house of Representa-
tives last Tuesday. on the bill in.
troduced by Hon. G. E.. Hooker,
which passed the house, and we
have no doubt will also pass the
senate. Should it become a law
our difficulties will be speedily and
amicabIy adjusted, and before many
weeks Business among the lumber
and logs will resume ani u peO>
pie will again be busy and smiling
as in days of yore. We hope it
may be so:
7 Mr.. Knott, of Kentucky from
the judiciary committee. reported
back the Jill introduced yesterday
by Mr.. Hooker, Of Miss, authorizing
the holding of the April tenn Of the
United States circuit court for the
southern district of Mississippi. at
Scranton, in Jackson county, on
the second Monday in March, for
the trial o! the cases arising out Of
alleged deprodations on government
lands, and the cutting of logs and
lumber thereon lie explained that
the object Of tie bill was to afford
The accused parties a speedy, cons
venient and cheap trial. which they
could not otherwise have if objection
was made; that this trial Of the
cases in the immediate vicinity of
the accused would lead to the en-
panneling, Of partial jurors, whose
sympathies would be with the delcn-
dants. The answer to this was that
the court might direct the summon
ing Of jurors from other pirts of the
district.
Mr.. Hooker, Of Mississippi, des-
cribed the utter prostration Of bus
mess which had attended the seizure
OF IN. lumber mills in that region,
the aggregate business Of which
mills amount to some 100000 a
year. They had all been stopped
through the action OF the govern.
ment, and the vessels engaged in
the carrying trade there had
been left idle Or had gone into other
business.
Mr., Frey, Of Maine, a member of
the judiciary committee. advocated
the bill as q measure OF justice TO The
government and Of justice TO the
mill owners.
Mr.. Foster, Of New York, OPP
posed the bill as being in the in
terest OF timber thieves. They were
no better than any other kind Of
thieves. II might as well be pro-
posed to have the courts for the
trial of whiskey thieves removed TO
the distillerie3. There was just as
much sense in the n proposition
as in the other.
Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, sug
gested that the officers of the gov
eminent could not possibly com.
plain of the bill; they could ask
nothing else than a speedy and fair
trial, and justice.
Mr.. Townsend, of New York, arr
gued that it was not wise legislation
to send causes Tor trial 20 the places
where there might be partiality
shown.
Mr.. Knott submitted that the sim
pie question here vas whether the
government could afford to deny TO
its own citizens a fair, speedy and
impartial trial.
Mr.. Reed, Of Maine, asked Mr..
Knott whether it was not a univer4
sal principle OF law TO remove trials
from where excitement existed and
whether this bill did not in defiance
of that principle proposed 10 send
these cases for trial to the very
place where the disturbing Influence
existed.
Mr.. Knott replied that the
United States circuit court had the
right to remove the trial OF causes
nearer to the vicinage of the crime,
and that in several OF the circuits
the same right existed as to civil
causes.
Finally the bill vas passed.
Yeas, 1879; nays, 1872.
The empire of Japan is made up