The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-04
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
FIRST CONTRoLLEEs OFFICE.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March ~, lo>S.
Editor GrcenriHe Nc'Us:
A bill has been introduced in the House to
EXEMPT the claims of witnesses and Jurors
from the provisions OF Sec 3i,7 Il. S-ln oIner
words, to stamp upon such claims the quaIltS
of gotiabilty. For this Bill to become Il
law would make bad matters worse.
That there Is Mt present an evil needing cor.
reclion no one can doubt who secs the court
calenderS In some partS oi thc country 'nnavu ,.
down with business anu no money lof !ui"iH
and witnesses. ~ , c,,,,.
The cry on so many mouths that the iiult
is with the Appropriations Colnmiitce uoeS
not to INV mind, address itself to the graEa-
men ofthe otfcnSe. The principal cause OF IN"
trouble lies in the unbounded freedom when
L. S. Commissioners, and those lhtcreSteu
with them in the fec.bnsinesS, BAYS o. 1,''- pro
ber-rrespass Cases without any regard 70 the
wishes or desires of either the lntcrnai-iteN-
enue or Public.I ds-Departmeni OIL the 10y, w.
erment. the officers of which might well be
trusted with n controlling power 10 determine
the matter of prosecuting violations oi me
laws pertainihg TO their respective brhnchcS
of the service. As IL is at prrstt, 'iu.'1iHue m G
and hundreds of cases are instituted by Com
| missioners over the protest OF The lhterhal-
| Revenue officers of the Governmcnt ana de-
| spite their representations that no interest Oi
| the Government will he subServed By the
| prosecutions: and the officers OF. the Interior
| Departmeut General Land ofllce) confess ana
| dcplorc the same utter helplcSSness on their
part to regulate or control prosecutions lor
| alleged trpSlGlSScS OH DuDIlC tihioSi iiitN'
| Whatever supcrv iSion, or revisory power
the First Comptroller may have ever the ac-
counts of the Commissioners themselves in
these matters, and tins IN many instances c',, CAN
of abuses which he Is powCriess To prevent
he certainly has none over thclr laNaIion OF
witness fees; for the law expressly PROVIDES
in Sec Sic RS. that II marshals accounts Tor
payment to Jurors and witnesses shall not he
revised in such II way as to hold the marshal
responsible for an erroneous taxation OF such
fees by The Court or Commissioners. .
LegaliZe the traffic in these fees by making
the certificates which evidence them negntl-
able, or transferable, and you Will have the
active workers in the eemaking business
extended so as to embrace not merely Com,
missoners, deputy marshals, professional
witness. &C., &c, but every broker or dealer IN
such claims who may possibly see a commis
sion to himself in every such certificate that
Is issued
What is needed is not the comforting of ne
gotiabiIity upon such claims, hut the curtail-
m cnt of the power of commissioners 10 en-
tertain cases without proper regard TO those
branches of the Government whose interests
are most nearly concerned thereby. Wlththc
amendment of the law that is here suggested,
an amendment that would he fatal confess
10 two-thirds Of the frivolous "inlernatrcVe-
nue." and "publIc timber trespass' cases
which ure instituted in many parts o. the
country at an ell, rmous expense to the Gov
ernment, the present appropriations lOr the
judiciary would be found ample. ana more
and marchals would never be without money
to pay all proper expenses OF the courts. 49,.
You will perceive, therefore, that am not
one OF those no join in the ''hue and cry
that is raised about the Appropriations com
miitee as though the whole faalt were
there.
Perhaps If all the committees did theirduty
ms we'll and faithfully as the appropriations
committee we would not have so many evils
to complain OF. That committee, however,
very much like the First Comptroller, Is made
the scape-goat for Il multitude OF sins
Do not understand me to Suggest that the
4 Appropriations Committee should fail to
make the necessary provision for Inc proper
enforcement of the laws. 1t Is abuses OF Inc
law which speak of, abuses not SuihcicnlI!
guarded against at present, but which, II rem
edied, would cause many OF the present
troubles, now laid at the door OF The Appro'
priations Committee, TO cease.
Nor will you understand me as prcdlcating
the statements above made 10 be trueol every
commissioner or fcc-Cflcrr.
\ large part OF the Cnmm!ss toner's IN every
part Of the country are conspicuous III lnclr
failure TO avail themselves Of the fec-inaklng
business; but persons Of this Kind are very
soon "culn by those who have much strong
cr zeal In the matter: AMI thus the business
is attended TO by those who have Juster ap-
probation Of the injuries which the Govern
mrnt sustainS att hands or Vlolators OF Tue
internal.revenuc and public-timber laws;
So far as the motive underlying the phi
herein referred To is the dcs ire to afford rellc
to those who have unWittlngiy palu money
for the claims OF jurors and witnesses prior
to this time, this ONCE, am sure Is III ncar'S
The office would welcome any proper
means Of escape for those who are l1abIe 10
suffer iur their past acts. But Spekln2 lor my
self and not for the Office, / think the plan
proposed III the above bill TO be too c0mprr,-
nensivc, and for the reasons above indicated
'e'' 'ejr.iTH,EUs J. Jr.ALTHEEUs JOHNSON.