The Wichita city eagle., 1881-02-03

N
II win be remembered fhata year ego next
moatA . bin was intredueed By Reprssssta-
tive Ryan. providing for Tie establlsAing q
y. 8. Court IN TIE District Of Kansas, 4
wichita. The bill was fsvossbly reported
By two committees with instructions - novs
suspensien Of rules for IT. passage. the -
sion being Bear it, end. Mr. Haskell get the
door but was ruled down, 70 the whole nat
ter went over. II seems now that the Hsuse
Committee on the judiciary have again gone
over the demands aud necessities for sddi-
tional courts, and last Thursday made . com
prehensiye report which ineiudes substi-
tute for the original bill, and recommends it,
passage. The original bill provided, after
the establishment Of court, for the punish
ment Of certain crimes, among which were
murder, manslaughter, rape, arson, bugsla-
~ and robbery. in which crimes the court to
be established 1t Wichita, should have orig
inal concurrent Jurisdiction over the Indian
Territory, or, over all portions Of It not oc-
cupied by the Cherokee, Greek, Choctaw,
Chickasaw and Seminole Indian tribes. In
all other portions the Wichita court was to
have original and concurrent Jurisdiction.
The new report referred to, says:
"Your committee find, therefore, that the
evils sought to be remedied BY this bin are
found in no lack Of law but grow Of circum-
stances and conditions which render the en-
forcemen oflaw, especially in some portions
Of the Indian Territory, impracticabIe. The
United States District Court located at Fort
Smith, Ark, has, at the present, exclusive
jurisdiction over all oGenses committed in
the Indian Territory. The court is situated
just over the extreme eastern line OF the ter
ritory and Is 20 remote from large portion
OF the territory that the officers Of that court,
by reason Of lack Of railroad or telegraph
communication, are utterly unsble in most
cases 10 apprehend the yiolators Of law which
infest those portions Of the territory that lie
adjacent TO Kansas aud Texas. In most
cases, before information OF the CRIME can be
carried to Fort Smith the perpetrator is be-
yond the reach Of justice. Your committee
report the accompanying substi-
tute, which provides for . division Of the
court Jurisdiction Of the territory attaching
the eastern portion OF 1t to the court located
At Fort Smilh; the south and western Dor.
tion Of II to the District Of Kansas. The
causes arising therein are made triable at
Fort Smith and Wichita, Kan, At which lat
ter point the term Of court for trial Of those
eases, provided for. The substitute changes
no statutes Of the United States for punish
ment Of crimes, extends no new law over the
Indian Territory, calls in question no Indian
Territory stipulation, but 1t is hoped by your
that the laws now upon the statute
book may. under the provisions Of the bill,
be readily enforced
1t will be observed that while the new bin
reported does not define the lines, Il gives
the proposed court At Wichita, exclusive
original jurisdiction over al classes Of crimes
by the U. 8. Statutes at large COM
mitted IN the southern and western portion
Of the Indian Territory. TIE substitute Of
fered we deem not only wise, but particular
ly advantageous to the court that 1t estab-
fishes at this point.
The Kansas City Journal, commenting up
on the new bill, says:
''The bill for the establishment of q United
States Court at Wichita, Kansas, with juris-
iiction over the western portion Of the In |
lian Territory. introduced by Mr.. Ryan, is
I measure long needed. The court at Fort
smith, Arkansas, has now exclusive jurisdic- |
ion, and the effect Of the new bill is simply
% divide the Indian Territory into two ju- |
1icial districts. And as much Of the litiga- |
ion and business Of the courts come from the |
<~yss 81 -rAA
course consequent, the Kansas border has its /
fleet equally with Arkansas. Next to the |
Of courts in the territory it.
eli, this division of Jurisdiction and busi-
less is the best remedy