The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-08
United states Court Frauds.

In view Of the fact that the force bill pro-
vices for making the United States courts
and their fficials part Of the force bill elec
ton system, under the Iretext of securing
honest politics" the revelations made in
the subcommittee OF the House judiciary
committee, which has been investigating
alleged illegal practices in United States
courts, are instructive. It appears that In
large number of judicial districts it has
been the practice Of tho court officials to put
money IN their pockets by means Of frivo-
lous cases instituted by professional inform
ers for the sake Of fees North and south,
east aud west these practices have been
found to prevail, Alabama, New York,
Massachusetts,, Wisconsin, Mississippi,
North Carolina, New Jersey, Louisiana,
Tennessee, Indiana. Kansas. Minnesota and
Michigan being the states specially men,
toned for the hagrancy of these frauds,
though other states are not exempt.
As to Southern Alabama the committees
report is to be that it is the practice OF
marshals to employ disreputable persons,
at salaries from $40 TO SIS per month. sim
ply to make charges against citizens in
order to enable the court officers TO collect
fees from the United States In nineteen
months gu arrests for trivial or technical
violations OF the law were made OF these
cases 145 resulted in acquittal, 80 were nolle
pressed, and in AS cases in which convic-
tions were obtained the offenses charged
were SO trivial that the average punishment
inflicted in each case did not exceed
twenty-eight hours Imprisonment The
government collected from these defend
ants 81 $40 in fines and paid out over $40 900
in witness fees. The district attorney for
seventy-two days work ran up full bill
against the government for $i3, 239 and
the other officials prospered in like proper
ton. Cases are cited where men who were
charged with cutting 81 worth of timber
off government land and we're fined SO
received back from the United States
$50 or more in allowance for
witness fees in their own cases. The
marshal charged S22 30 for arresting a man
for cutting 81 worth of wood. The wit
nesseS in tnat case drew $22 and the COM
missioner $17 81 for fees. In this Same
| court eighty-nine men pleaded guilty in
one day to slight violations of the law and
were fined. Not a cent of the fines was
collected, but the official fees charged
against the government in these cases
amounted to 1900.
In Massachusetts, the chief evil com
planned Of is the abuse of the naturalzing
| powers of the court. Circuit Judge
Nelson delegates his whole powers
In this matter to his clerk
The clerk makes an income of $1,000 year
out of the naturalizations. In one year he
turned out 5000 citizens, against seven
naturalizations In the state courts ANY
body can become naturalized, whether emit
tied to it or not. When Judge Nelson was
asked by the committee where he got his
authority to delegate powers to his clerk,
he replied that that was question of law
aud he was there to testify only to facts
The committee characterize the proceedings
in the United States court of Massachusetts
as a scandal, and fraud on the govern
ment. They came to that conclusion unani.
mously
| Nice places these to which the force bill
would send the people for honest politicsr