Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-26
THE UNITED STATES LAWS.

Workings of the Attorney Generals Department For a Year.
 WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-Attorney General Brewster has completed his annual report. It contains a number of suggestions and
 recommendations looking to new legislation amendatory of existing statutes. Our crimi- nal procedure is faulty. In criminal cases the pleadings should be simplifed, uniform system of challenges provided and the trials shorn of the technical objections and num- berless dilatory motions that can now be interposed to prevent speedy trial upon the merits. In preparing indictments for ofenses against the United States it is necessary to follow the common law forms of the last century with all their technicalities, verbosi- ty of description and repetitions, so that what should be a simple and concise written accusation becomes a long and confused mass of descriptions and allegations wholly unin- telligible to both defendant and jury. With
 view to remedying the evils, omissions and
 defects of criminal procedure, MT. Brewster ! submits number of carefully selected forms
 and recommends their adoption general
 laws for the courts of the United States. He
 recommended that the statutes authorizing
 outgoing United States marshals to execute
 all processes in their hands at the expiration
 of their commission be changed so as to re-
 quire them to turn over to
 their successors all unfinished business.
 The present law leads to confusion and conflict of authority well delay in the settlement of marshals' accounts. He recom-
 mends salaries for United States marshals
 o4 TbaT
 tenn is an expensive one. It is estimated
 that it costs the government ten dollars in expenses for every dollar of the 'marshals'
 emoluments, which shows that it would be to the interest of the government to give the
 marshal fixed salary so as to remove all in-
 ducements to perpetrate fraud upon the gov
 ernment and wrongs upon the citizen. The
 same reasons in favor of sa1aried offices ap- plies even with more force to United States
 attorneys who examine the accounts of the
 marshals. The emolument of the attorney
 ought not to be contingent upon the amount
 of business he must pass. MT. Brewster recommends that the attorney general be authorized to adjust the salaries of marshals upon some basis to be fixed by law.
 On the subject of United States prisoners the attorney general favors the erection of a penitentiary centrally located and con- tro1led by the United States in which to confne its own prisoners. It is not al ways possible to secure such treatment and discipline for prisoners confined in State and municipal institutions calculated to effect their reformation. United States prisoners as rule are of better class of men than 4kl.a ,Nf, forming better work. If govern ment prison were erected the convicts could be employed \ in the manufacture of supplies exclusively | for the government. This would keep them ! employed and should render the peniten- | tiary almost self-sustaining It would also ! avoid any objection to convict labor, while \ the taxpayers would be relieved almost en- \ tirely of the burden of supporting them. If | Congress acts upon this recommendation l it is suggested that the penitentiary should 1 be erected at some convenient point where there are ample facilities for the transporta- l tion of the goods manufactured by them.
 ! The Star route civil suits, the attorney | general says, have been vigorously pressed. | In fourteen cases instructions to bring suit l have been given and in six eight pro | cesses were issued and suits commenced | The condition of the public service, so far as ! it relates to officials in his department, is 1 greatly improved. This is due to the active ! efforts of the present administra- | tion in checking irregulari ties, correcting abuses and punishing frauds and exactions committed by marshals, district attorneys and commissioners in a number of districts. In every case in which these matters came to his attention he does
 all in his power to remedy and in some cases has secured the conviction and public pun ! ishnent of such offenders. In these efforts l to improve the public service many dificul- 1 ties were experienced. They were resist ! ed by delinquent officers and their adherents,
 but the useful and purifying effect following
 conviction and imprisonment was soon felt { in the whole service. In order to continue I this strict supervision of the conduct and ac- ] counts of court officers he recommends an
 ample appropriation by Congress.