Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-26
TRAVESTIES ON JUSTICE.
ATTORNEY GENERAL RREWS-
TER ADVOCATES REFORM.


Neglect of Duty by the United States
Supervisors of Election RepOrted-The
Corruption of the Jury System of the
District OF Columbia Disgrace to the
! Country.
! WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-The annual
report of Attorney General Brewster was
completed to-day. He renews his recon-
mendatiOn in former reports, that the fee
system of the payment of United States
Marshals be abolished and the salary sys-
tenn be substituted.
With reference to the chief supervisors of
elections, he says that ''the statutes that create
chief supervisors of elections and define their
duties and fix their compensation do not
place them under the control of any depart
ment of the government. For years approval
of their accounts and Disbursements Of
the appropriation for their payment have de-
veloped on the Attorney General Under the
authority thus thrust upon them my prede-
| cessOrs have examined the accounts of these
officers and exposed and checked many unnec-
| essary expenses, and have also had occasion
to make large reductions while investigating
these accounts. Reductions have been made
in instances where the services appeared to
be merely constructive and their payment in
judicious. The head Of some of the depart
ments ought to have the duty assigned to him
to regulate these matters, and to systematic
the work of the chief of supervisors.
PUBLIC INTERESTS NOT REGARDED.
AT present they don't show sufficient regard
for public interests and a proper execution of
the law to entitle them to interpret it accord
ing to their own wishes. In the matter of
their compensation they are too easily led in
to Ingenious devices for creating large bills.
The department to which this duty is assigned
must be empowered to review their whole
proceedings and adjust their claims upon
scales suited to the locality, density of
population and the emergency of the
occasion. 1t IS suggested that all accounts
Of the chief supervisors should be
inspected in open court under the inspection
and examination of the District Attorney or
his sworn assistant, and they must be seen
forwarded to the proper department for fur
ther examination and reduction if deemed
advisable and necessary. These laws are of
the highest Importance to the general well
fare, and their proper execution a matter of
prime necessity. Their abuse on the other
hand is great public wrong to be guarded
against b., appropriate legislation"
sENSELEsS VERBOSITY.
The Attorney General directs the attention
of Congress to the want Of proper legislation
for criminal cases. In preparing indictments,
he says, for offenses against the United States
it is found necessary to follow the COM
mon law forms of the last century, with all
the technicalities, verbOsity of description,
repetitiOns and precision of statements form
erly required, whereby thai which should be
simple and cOncisey written accusation be-
comes lengthy and painfully confused
mass of descriptions and allegations,
wholly uninteligible to the defendant,
who Is called upon to answer, or 10 the jury
selected to try the case. To reduce pleadings
to plain and comprehensive statement of
facts would serve equally to the advantage of
the government ana the defendant. There is
no reason why an Indictment ought not to be
adjudged sufficient and good in law which
charges a crime substantially in the language
of the act prohibiting the crime and prescrib-
ing the punishment, or so plainly that the
phaPuah ms NO Iv
understood by jury. He describes the cum
bersome methods to technical embarrass-
ments, whereby punishment is postponed and
avenues opened for guilty people to escape.
OTHER INCONGRUITIEs.
Among other incOngruities he calls atten-
ton to the fact that in the absence of any law
upon the subject the manner of conduct
ing challenges and impaneling juries is
wholly IN the discretion OF the court. 1t is
general subject Of complaint. he saws. among
lawyers who are called into the var OuscOurts
that the difference which exists in the prac-
tice In the several courts, in the matter OF
peremptOry challenges, subjects them not only
to great annoyance, but often leaves them in
danger Of losing the right which the
law has granted to the defendant
whom they represent. Another cause
Tor controversy is when prisoners are jointly
indicted whether they can demand separate
trials and whether, when jointly tried each
defendant shall have separate peremptury
challenges, or they shall all be considered as
one person, with only the challenge that one
person is allowed. All the doubts and diff
culJies which are here enumerated cOuld
easily be abrogated by the passage of p law
providing uniform and comprehensive sys-
TEN of challenges. The Attorney General
says the evi.s that surround the jury system
in the District of Columbia demand condem-
nation. He enumerates the evils, among
them being the limited number of peo-
pie who by law be compelled
to Sc We, and the unnecessary hardships i'm
posed on those " whO are mpeled to serve.
JURY HARDsHIPs.
He ca Is attention to the extraordinary fact
that service as jurors in the district means
an enforced attendance at court and almost a
total abandonment of private business for one
fourth of the whole year-a hardship and in
justice that is not imposed upon citizens in
any other place in the United States, and
would not be tolerated in any community
where the people have voice in framing
their own laws. He says: at is a subject of
belief and common repOr0 that the bus
mess Of jury fixing 1lourishes to
an alarming extent in the
District 1t is asserted that men
live, support their families. and even become
rich In the practice of this nefarious profess
sion. Such practice or profession exists to
some extent In nearly every large city, nnder
the best devised jury systems, and notWith-
standing the care, attention and large re-
ward thrown around the juries to prevent
their being tampered with. But as the jury
system now exists that unscrupulOus men
should safely conduct lucrative business in
debauchlng juries in the district should occa-
sion no surprise"
The Attorney General recommends that the
jursd ictiOn of the United States Circuit and
District Courts for the judicial district of
Maryland be extended for purposes of secur-
ing trial in such courts, and before juries
drawn from the entire State of Maryland of
cases involving crimes committed in the Dis
trict OF Columbia against the United States
PREY FOR THE WORLD.
The National Treasury, he says, is a great
centre of allurement and temptation. In
roads are made upon it through all the ave-
nues by which it can be approached. All
plans to defraud the government, no matter
where contriyed, are mostly consummated in
Washington, and when the guilty parties are
arrested their trial must of necessity take
place before a jury drawn in the district The
arrest of one set of defendants brings to
all others who are engaged in similar schemes
If the defendants are wealthy, as is often the
case, by liberal expenditure of money
they secure the acquaintance and friend
snip OF prominent men who are of a So
clal disposition, and whose open and public
ASSOCIATION and companionship with the de-
PENDANTS is not without its helpful effect
when the case Is called for trial. The govern
ment stands alone and opposed by many dis
advantages, while the defendants aided not
only by their wealth, the encouragement and
influence of their friends, but by a certain
feeling of indifference, which seems to prevail
in Washington concerning such crimes. are
permitted to depart from the court room trl-
umphing In their acquittal, escaping punish
ment and the scandal arising about the adj
ministration of Justice. Such has been the
case before, and such will occur again, so long
as the national treasury is confined solely Ia