The examiner., 1881-12-10

system Of savings depOsltOrles Tn cons nection with the postoffice departme ent: The statistics of mail transportation show that during the past year railroad 1Foutess have been increased in length E6 ,249 miles, and in cost Sl IA 1882 while lssteamboat routes Ahave been decreased in length 2,182 miles, and in cost $l34, ; O54. The so-called star routes have been ! decreased in length 3,949 miles, and in cost 1864 LA. Nearly all of the more expensive routes have been super- eeded by railroad service. The'cost of the star service must therefore rapidly decrease in the Western States and Territories. The postmaster general; however, calls attention to the con: stantly increasing cost of the railway mail service as a serious difficulty in the way of making the department self sustaining.
 Our postal intercourse with foreign countries has kept pace with the growth of the domestic service. Within the past year several countries and colonies have declared their adhesion to the postal union. It now includes all those which have an organized postal service, except Bolivia, Costa Rica, New Zea- land. and the British colonies in Aus. tralia.
 | THE STAR ROUTE CASES.
 As has been already stated, great re- ductions have recently been made in the expense of the star route service. The Investigations of the department of justice and the postoffice department have resulted in the presentation of in- dictments against persons formerly con- nected with that service, accusing them Of offenses against the United States. hr1sn t1,n ofSn Sa1c r,o are charged with the conduct of the cases on the part of the government and upon the eminent counsel, who, before my accession to the presidency, were called to their assistance, the duty of prosecuting with the utmost vigor of the law all persons who may be found chargeable with frauds upon the postal service.
 The acting attorney-general calls at tion to the necessity of modifying the present system of the courts of the United States, a necessity due to the large increase of business, especially in the supreme court. Litigation in our Federal tribunals became greatly ex- banded after the close of the late war. So long as that expansion might be at tributable to the abnormal condition in which the community found itself i'm mediately after the return of peace, prudence required that no change be made in the constitu- ton of our judicial tribunals. But it has now become apparent that an immense increase of litigation has directly resulted from the wonderful growth and development of the country. There is no ground for belief that the business of the United States courts will ever be less in volume than at present. Indeed, that it is likely to be much greater is generally recognized by the bench and bar. In view of the fact that Congress has already given much consideration to this subject I make no suggestion as to detail but eX- Ipress the hope that your deliberations may result in such legislation as will give early relief to our over-burdened courts. The acting attorney-general also calls attention to the disturbance of 1 the public tranquility during the past band of armed desperadoes, known as cowboys,'' probably numbering from fifty to one hundred men, have been engaged for months in committing acts of lawlessness and brutality which 1.-the local authorities have been unable to repress. The depredations of these |" cowboys have also extended into Mexico, which the marauders reach from the Arizona frontier. With every disposition to meet the exigencies of the case, l am embarrassed by lack of au- thority to deal with them effectually. The punishment of crimes committed within Arizona should ordinarily, of course, be tleft to the Territorial authorities. But it is worthy of consideration whether acts which necessarily tend to embroil the United States with neighboring governments should not be declared crimes against the United States. Some of the incursions alluded to may perhaps be within the scope of the law (Revised Statues, Section 5,2S6) forbidding "mil- tary expeditions or enterprises, against 1 friendly States But in view of the speedy assembling of your body, I have preferred to await such legislation as in your wisdom the occasion may seem to demand. It may, perhaps, be thought proper to provide that the setting on foot, within our own territory, of brigandage and armed | marauding expeditions against friendly nations and their citizens shall be pun ishable as an offense against the Uni ted States will add that. in the event of requisition from the Terri terial government for protection by the On1Ce0 }SGaCeS aSalnSC "QOmeStlc VlO- lence," this government would be powerless to render assistance.
 The act of 1795, chapter 36, passed at a time when Territorial governments re- ceived little attention from Congress, enforced this duty of the United States as to the States. But the act of 1907, chapter 39, applied also to Territories. This law seems to have remained in force until revision of the statutes, when provision for Territories was dropped. I am not advised whether this altera- htion was intentional or accidental, but it seems to me the Territories should be offered protection which is accorded to States by the Constitution. I sug- I gest legislation to that end. It seems to me, too, that whatever views may l prevail as to the policy of recent legis- lation, by which the army has ceased to be a part of the posse commitatus, an exception, might well be made for per- mitting the military to assist the civil | Territorial authorities in enforcing the laws of the United States. This use of the army would nol seem to be within the alleged evil against which that legis- latlon was aimed. From sparseness of 1 population, and other circumstances, it l is often quite impracticable to summon a civil posse in places where officers of justice require assistance, and where 8 military force is within easy reach.