The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-11-10
TELEGRAPHIC
THAT CABINET ROW,
I'm Which MacVeagh Displays
Ignorance AID Too
Much Tone.

N ACA u VA9s
Washington, 6.-The Star publishes
the following: A very important meeting
| Of the cabinet was held in President Ar
thurs parlor directly after his return
from Yorktown. It was Of unusual
length. The secresy maintained by mem
bers, and the ominous looks which fol-
lowed all questions relating to the sub
jects discussed, occasioned good deal
| of comment at the time, particularly
among correspondents Of newspapers.
The Star is enabled to present q tolerably
accurate history Of the meeting. Every
memb Der Of the cabinet was present. The
President, AS soon as ell were Feated,
stated that he had called the members
together to consider the question Of the
prosecution of GuitteAu. That from facts
which had come 10 his knowledge,,h be-
lieved government had been entirely IN
prepared for the case. He added with a
good deal of n.phasis, and accompanying
his words with q clenched fist that come
down with some force on the table that
he would consider it pre-eminently
dsgraceful to the government if
in the Guitteau case as in the star route
cases, government should confess that it
is unprepared to 60 on, and become com
PEELED TO ask a continuance. Attorney
General MacVesgh was present and
gave no sign. The President, noticing
a sc Vesgh's silence, put the question to
him directly as to the preparation of
government to proceed in the Gutteau
case The encouragement replied that
he did not consider il any part of his bust
ness to give attention to criminal prose-
cutions. The President replied that this
was great state trial, and the whole
country looked to MacVeagh to see that
1t was conducted properly and efficiently.
Mac Veagh said there was no law or Gus
tom for an Encouragement to appear in
criminal trisls. He had been told so by
Judge jeremiah Black. The President
then quickly and somewhat angrily asked
Mac esgh how it had been in the Aaron
Burr trial. sob, but that was trial
for treason" MacVesgh replied. YES"
said the President, land this is trial for
numbering the chi,f magistrate of the
nation, and to my mind It is the positive
duty of the attorney general to take
charge of the case" MacVesgh then re-
iterated that the law never contemplated
that as any part of his duty. The Presi-
dent replied that the statutes of the
United States authorized the attorney
general to appear for government at any
federal court in any case IN
which he might deem it his
duty to do so, and referred MacVeagh
to the particular section of the law. By
this time there was a coed deal of excite
ment around the cabinet table The
lawyers of the cabinet being appealed to
they agreed with the President. As
MACY eagh maintained his position that
it was below the dignity IF an attorney
general to appear in q criminal case, the
President asked him if he had done any
thing to obtain counsel to assist District
Attorney Corkhill in the prosecution of
Guitteau. McVeagh said he had not;
that 1t was duty which belonged to the
district attorney himself if he desired
additional counsel. The President, with
considerable warmth, said that was
new suggestion to him, and either
Mac Veagh or himself was very ignorant
OF the law, for according to his reading
OF the United States statutes, it was made
the express duty of the attorney general,
to engage assistant counsel in any case
where in his judgement the interests of
government required it. MacVesgh said |
he took different view Of his duty and
did not consider himself bound to take |
any pnIb III bu6 LIlhl Oh OultG63 Al, or BsO- 1
cure additional counsel for that purpose.
In the star route case Corkhill bad sug-
gested 8 desire for the employment of |
Mr.. A. Cock, as additional council. and |
MacVeagh said he had nothing to do
with it, and Corkhill could do as he
pleased in the matter. The President
said he was determined that government
should have able COUNSEL. and he would
himself direct, if MacVeagh declined
doing so, that Judge John Z. Porter, Of
New York, and Walter Davids, of
Washington, be employed as additional
counsel in the prosecution of Guitteau.
then said that if the President
desired it to be done he would employ
he gentleman named. 1t is said that at
,he close of this somewhat remarkable
cabinet scene, the President remarked
hat the attorney generals knowledge of
aw would be greatly improved by
reading the statutes of the United States,
which define the duties of ais Office.