New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-20
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.
co,,s,, % cor1RTs IN THE EAST.
- ~ M .rsy,s VIEWS AS TO HOW THEY

, cont % botb Houses of Congress report OF the sec
retarv OF state on the necessity OF introducing mo
tlops into the extra territorial jurisdictlonal u
rho united states in China, Japan and other Eastern
,ries whore Consular Courts are allowed by reates
THO SECRETARY OF State deals with the subject conpIe
bens,yely. without absolutely denying the cohsu.u
tionality of the judicial acts OF the United states Hi
ters and Consuls as the law now stands nc SHOWS V
there IA ample TO question the entlre conIoi'y u
their procedure To the Constitution Taking the grou
,bat treaties with those countries cano give to Con-
gress greater rights American citizens thefe IMAM
the Constitution itself gives, he says:
II will for instance, be wei to examine wnetn 1919
superpositon OF thS peiSos VI Minister or Consul
Is the constitution OF tribunal Oh JusSS'ttSS ~ Cen
rior e the SgPgo me Sa that the Jurisdiction of t
buua 40 constituted Is exercised OUTSIDE OF lhe 10
limits Of the he U inT@s ' OF Indictment and a by
Jury which are indispensable IN criminal e"u sn
within such territorial hnlusi wh i nth The
elate resources provided are consistent VIII iinI
Federal judicial system of which inc Con t ~ Ii
system must necessarily be part "II ,do 90 tbe Pc
crcfonal power conferred by section 4ioo VI t"e he
vised Statutes upon the munster 30 h himself NAV
may ~, death sentence WINCH ne na soi a. ~
have pronounced. the Presidential Glenency, - in
HghefeT the powers given to Ministers Consus as
such To make DEGREES and resulhtou5 Tor the cVos VI
trials In their before themselves 0s qdges NY
not Involve legislative function Incompatible WIN ,ne
judicial function; and lastly, wEtthS lIe pTV.a 20
Consus and commercial agents IN countries nor III
habited BY any civilized peoph OF Wneie NJ 'io"'
The fitness Of consular officers as rue 10 uschSo
judicial functions is next considered, with the conca
sion that the OF the consular service oehhu men
of bness capacity alive the interests OF the Ameri
can trade rather than trained iuriss ana that there -
,s Of incongruous and conflicting otedure by con
sular officers who, while excellent commercial repre-
sot,ves may be unfamiliar with the law. The sweep
Ing ,pogiOus or the statutes whlch ltaFe ue hnr
ter or Consul the judge of how ar te oohehic la"'
Which con greas nas extended To the treaty countries
NAV be necessary suitable which enp"tr Iln 20 al
Minister AT will the general common Ia" ana tne Jaw
OF equity and admiralty ana when gVe hiin atnOIy
10 M. ke new laws supply such deficiencies IA eAlst
and doubts are expressed 10 Ia tIc coiStuonliy %
Wisdom cntrsting sufl NGe dlituIt 10 consular ~,
Gr,rs The coincalOn Of the mass OF statutory law on
the snbec m the Revised Statutes u oehsnred as III
digested disconnected IL ~ parts ana obscure Us
whole thus glyiGE L5e 90 "''
'one,S o. t ",csti"n OF the practicabity OF adopt
In, "A r,lCt, cuc OF extra territorial JIis yt!on inc
scrrqfary examines the constitution OF HlAcu lheI
ntjona Court ms in EGYPT and concludes that il Is not
rrritnrin but derives itS validity from the laws
at roe rruury where is hcd, even though foreigners
eli ~ permanent udEcs IN CnGa tnch syssin D., re-
The Japanese Government may In time propose modl
ncton o. the foreign judicial yalJs OF treaty anu
tnr cree! ION Of general niIe''cyuri lho remaining
alternative IL then lresente"-the constitution" Oh hik
c0urr OF the United states AZ the plcH ,SIi,Ic o VI
rir infcrcnur-e with country selecting 7hanghal Ia
China Cor inNancei tLe ApI I -, III - ,i
judge there Win iune u.,s - ,i, 80, -
In lilo Federal District Courts 81 the United states ana
hodius office for during good behavior provision
chonsng gr2hd lu!i's 'o pi't" ,..lO.,.S ',
ordinary iurirs try cases; the appointment Of
| eIsY
H. H. OF Associate Justices in the larger
uerial cities with powers aud functions precisely de-
nne y law the pronunciation OF au nrls'h. c9ie me
i,u ~ M, terms seat OF tue principal conrt,
and lastly auTo Rtr recourse "a 'hcut Court ~ th
ini., -tlf,a sac purely judicial sy-ten, separated
frIIn he consular functions. "o'i IA the judgment oi
the SECRETARY ol STATE itih"c tA' 4"'t- "H1A hIlpI
, r.enf schc.ne, especially ia casoo involving human
", Il. ,, -..ept law was framed scyon capital con
vic. a., ,, or,urrcd. all CuiuI ard Japan. These
~ ,.c az, unmarried by The secretary. only
I.H'"uy,9 w.. ,", f0Vrd cow. IN the "a so uf
L. U.l 40 u
Writing ~ TIE Departments ~ state IA cara 70 ths c,o
AI' ~ n,pcs th. couu,., or tnr prisoner t.
secrro rcf renee GO the Preside NJ btt coulh nos see
~, INV e,sr to grant his request Ilus n.ti the scr-
20 ~ 5,atr '.iyiuE the prosecution and not the
rrisoner the u,ucnt oil the DOUBT IN reporting the
,utiou of The -rntruc. Mr seward, ihc consul Gen.
crni wrote to Mr.. BuTuglmc 40 part Hs follows; /
have oniy 20 say, conclusion thal tuSt no similar
dut, will be- imposed npon n' ASn 20 I'ns ~ remain
lu otiicc There Is reason, excepting Che absence O'
appropriate legislation. why American tI]rns n China.
charged gith grave olcvrs' -hnhM MOI t'e ire plv-
nc,e OF % tr;a by jury - elsewhere tni"nchoIt The
world where the Institution o.. ''y'zl..,h prevails
when fuoh & the case, iihh T. not Hsht 40 deprive
thns tLu- charge Of privilege dear io I fIcemcB
sor set to iinn'-c upon c'rs'lr olcrT t' r-p"n,Ih
titles grave aH they Pr" now obliged "a assume
piracy and murder" bat few hours before the time
nacd Tor nc nan ts ne com lt'' ',l3 Nv tl' 'ol't
Iar Ian. james Wglc also convicted Oi murder 90
shhufhar' MT blrhhf'mo i''l'l "AIit"l 'or tAS
execution of the sentence ON nti'r 'oiiI nc carried
olt Waite escaped frumtlo jail Another SIN tuor case
,,Irirr b. The r1uauar Count AT Hio-p. and parourl
Inv tue President condition of undergoing HE im
d'i,lul communications and Is now held In prison undcr
JcrUite purt comment OF inc execution ~ the death
| rfufrrt.. Tine recent WClkuuWu case OF MiTZhu az
| Alexandria b. referred 20.
I'm r1pc.,Iou Mr. Blame admits hat ON the whole the
,ur.u4f judicial SyFtttu has worked Hl considerable
regularity utility aud rucce-s but %" attributes this re-
rIt d, Ia .lr+sf.r,cd right ~ extra rgl,Orlay and
t, average common uf The tOuSds r1tler than 10
M sltuuuury prccisiUn OF The stutuiesi ani hc
dn4 whether the flct that the arbitrary powers tho-c
r-s p,ar.s s a scrcctIy used isa Ful tent argument
FOR comforting OF continuing tHure powers In Vicw Of
p ths hc deem. 10 las duty 10 urge tho PRESIDENT 10
rssift - HIls
! ry.t,u ia a Judicial And oouHtl ,u,.ouAl acu~c.
| WI