Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-14
WASHINGTON NOTES.

The President and Party Return
 From Their CruIse-SecretaFy Noble
 Demands an Investigation Into she
 Unlawful Occupation of the Sioux
 observation-disclosures From the
 Army May be Pardoned-The Scott
 Chinese Exclusion Act.
 WASHINGTON, May 13.-The President, Mrs. Harrison, Secretaries Windom and Rusk and Senator Hawley returned to Washington this afternoon at 3:15 o'clock, after cruise in Chesapeake Bay in the United States steamer Despatch. They enjoyed the trip much and it is more than probable that it will be repeated in short time.
 Secretary Noble has directed that prompt and thorough investigation be made of the published report that settlers are now unlaw fully entering the Sioux reservation in an ticipation of favorable result of the pend- ing negotiations for cession to the United States of part of the Sioux lands. The law respecting the occupation of these lands by unauthorized persons is plain and explicit, and the secretary expresses his purpose to enforce 1t promptly and vigorously if occa- sion requires it.
 It is probable the President will issue proclamation granting psrdons to all desert 0A5 AAOA4A tA0 Ou1tco 0LAGC6 "AC9ASA under confinement or at large. Senator Plumb has urged this action on him for some time and it is rumorod that the proclamation will soon be forthcoming. President Grant in 1873 granted pardons to all deserters from the army and navy. Since that time 4o.S00 enlisted men in the army alone have deserted and only 5000 have been captured. The par doning of these will save the government the great expense constantly entailed in captur- ing those at large and convicting them. Sec retary Proctor evidently favors the plan. He has ordered the release of numbers of desert CTS confined in the military prisons.
 Lieutenant Colonel John G. Chandler, deputy quartermf ster general, has been or~ dered to Westerly, R. l.
 The Supreme court to-day rendered an opinion in the important case of Chae Chang Ping, appellant, vs. the collector of the port of San Francisco. This is suit to test the constitutionality of the Scott Chinese exclu- sion act. Shortly after the Scott exclusion act went into effect Chae Chang Ping re- turned to the United States from China and endeavored to secure entrance at the port of San Francisco. He had left this country armed with a certificate enti- tling him to return, but the certificate was declared invalid by the Scott act. The collector refused him admittance and suit was then brought in the United States court for the district of California to test the constitutionality of the Scott act, in accordance with the provisions of which the collector acted. The California courts upheld the constitutionality of the act and from this decision the case comes here on appeal. This court af6rms that judgment. It holds that Congress has the power to abrogate 8 treaty and in support of that view cites the author ities of the court on the subject, holding that the propriety of such action is not a matter for judicial cognizance, but that it is matter for the political department. Congress, it says, has the power to exclude aliens from the country whose presence is deemed mimi cal to our interests.