Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-22
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE STAR
k0tTrlllN.

Hon. George Hiss, OF New Work. Pre-.
pairing To secure Their nstic ttueu ON
Criminal SshargcS-sivsi ~utts An me-
Thought 4 gaiast Them Also.
The following correspondence has been fur.
nished for publication:
PoSroFFICE DEPARTMENT.
WASHINGTON. ID. c., Dec Ia, 1851
Hon. George Bass, Of Counsel
its Star Route Mail Cases.
Sw.-From an examination of the records of
this department. have been convinced that
money mas been paid out II the funds of the
government 10 certain persons under circum-
STANCES when pnng such payments within sec
ton fa,i Of the Revised Statutes i'm a number
OF Instances. The evidence which seems Ia ma
suifcient To maintain suits by the United STATES
To recover such money. is on file i'm this depart-
meHt. Copies of much Of - are already i'm
Your hands. In compliance with law \ here
10y request. unless YOU shall differ from me as 70
the weight of the evidence YOU will cause
suits To Ge instituted in the name If the United
States for the recovery 90 said moneys Illegally
paid from the parties who received the same
Very respectfully.
THOMAS l.. JAMES
Postmaster General
REPLY or Mr.. BLISS.
WASHINGTON, ID. C.. December IS lssf
Dear Su'.-Ihe request contained in Your let
Ter oil Yesterday that suits should be commenced
Z
with the Post-ofice department is received
When first became connected with the casas
known "a the ''star route cases | called the at
tention OF the attorney general 10 the propriety
oi commencing civil suits such as YOU suggest
lie fully agreed with me- but the matter has
bee delayed in consequence OF the uneypecfed
labor connected with the preparation of the crimi-
MAJ cases was, and am. unwilling that any idea
Should 20 forth that criminal proceedings We're
to be foreborne orslelayed and civil proceedings
substituted. If frauds such "a believe can he
shown To have been committed i'm these cases
cannot be punished 10y convictions in the crimi-
nal courts, 1t is more important TO show this to
the iaw-naklng power aud the public and thus
secure a change in the law. than 10 recover for
the Government even the whole OF the large
amount wrongfully taken from the treasury 4
DO not believe that our criminal law. detective
! as the United States statutes are in all criminal
matters are defective that crimes such "a
I these are not punishable. nor do | believe that
| there will be any hesitation on the part of jures
IN convictng on proper evidence, such evidence
as believe we can present.
| Under this conviction have Temporarily nut
aside the question of civil suits and have de-
voted myself To the criminal cases. Even YOU
! FAMILIAR as you are with these cases can have
iitte idea of the amount of labor which has
! necessarily been bestowed upon the preparation
OF them. The witnesses are scattered over
thousands of miles. Hardly one of them is less
IMAM 500 miles from this city, and MANY ofthem
| are twice that distance. These witnesses have
oeen sought out by your inspectors with an
energy. fidelity. and perseverance rarely conf
Dined in suboriinates either in public or private
| lie. The thousands of pages of testimony thus
gathered. together with that furnished by the
Yoluminous records of the Post Office and
Treasury departments have been examined ar
ranged. and distracted first by Inspector
woodward, and then by counsel. with an
amount of personal labor far beyond anything |
anticipated when l came into the case
and far beyond anything | would then
/ will tn al L..
| TINS examination breaks and omission
IN the chain OF Testimony have been discovered
and supplied. The criminal cases naturally
! divide themselves into four or five great COM
/ binations. We have this week completed to
| our satisfaction. the preparation for the grand
jury. and for trial of the evidence as To one OF
these combinations.
Though. as a general rule prefer not to say
anything as to what We expect to do. 4 may
! mention intend to issue this week subpnnas
! for about sixty witnesses to appear before the
grand jury as soon after the new year as that
body will toe ready 10 examine them.
great deal of progress has been made in
the preparation of the criminal cases connected
with the other great combinations-so much in
| deed that. so far as | can perceive. there is no
danger that the statute of limitations can bar
! any OF the cases. hope they will be ready for
the grand jury and for trial as a. jury and
| court can attend to them. Under these cir
cumstances your request for the commence
ment of civil suits seems to me timely. Person.
| ally. have no authority to commence such
suits. but you and know that the senior coun-
sci. who was yesterday confirmed as attorney
general, VIII not hesitate to give the requisite
authority, for one of the chief reasons for his
selection for that position was his avowed de-
termination TO press the star route cases. 4
shall at once transmit to him a copy of your
letter and ask his approval. When received
VIII cause civil suits TO be commenced I'm those
cases in which the evidence i'm the possession
oil the government seems TO justify such a
course. You will. 1 know. agree with me that
these civil suits should not i'm any way SUPER
sede the criminal prosecutions. for punishment
OF the offenders is of infinite more importance
than the recovery of money. Both civil and
criminal proceedings will be pushed as rapidly
as is consistent with Justice to the government
and to the defendants though 1t is quite posi-
BILE that You will not find the progress rapid
as you desire.
Your obedient servant
GEORGE BLISS. Special Counsel
Hon. Thos. l.. James. Postmaster General