St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-05
NiILLER's REPORT.
The Attorney General Presents
the Annual Of His Office.


the Annual Of His Office.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-The annual
report of Attorney General Miller for
the last fiscal year shows that the duties
OF the department of justice have been
extensive and varied. The enforcement
of the laws and the difficulties encoun-
tered are set forth:
In some parts of tho country says the re-
poe, the lawlessness To which attention was
called i'll the last annual report of this de-
parlment continues. The enforcement OF
the internal revenue laws and of the United
states election laws is particularly resisted:
and officers of the internal revenue. as well
as United States maIshals are frequently met
with violence, and are occasionally the
victims of assassination at the hands
of those guilty of violation of these
and other laws and their friends.
Several aSSassinati0ns of officers and Wit
nesses with the purpose OF impeding the ex-
ecution of the laws and orders of the United
States couivs, have occurred during the past
year. n the last ten days q deputy
marshal. Attempting TO serve a warrant Tor
The arrest OF q man tor the violation OF The
postal laws, was shot and instantly killed by
the man sought to be arrested. and in q pre-
liminary examination before a magistrate OF
the state the prisoner was promptly dis
Charged. 1t is certainly all anomaly in gov
eminent that those who have committed
ton in the federal courts should not only
not be punished, but not even be put upon
trial, although in at least two cases III one
district during 1880 we'll known. Yet such
Is The fact. IL is needless to say that the fed
eral courts have no adequate jurisdiction of
these Ofenses. The supreme court has re-
Gently decided that there Is peace of the
United States.' Is il not The duty of con-
gresS TO provide by law for the preservation
of this peace everywhere and at all tunes.
Notwithstanding the difficulties of the Stu
alton, the officers of this department have
Leen diligent in executing the laws. In pros
ecutions for violations of the election laws,
in several districts, convictions and pleas OF
guilty have been obtained in a large number
of cases. AS an illustration of one of the diff
cultieS met in such prosecutions. the district
attorney for one district reports that in GER
tain county. a number Of whose citizens were
convicted of violations of the election laws,
the county court ordered all fines and costs
passed against them Ill The United States
court to be paid out of the county treasury:
and that i'll another county, q number of
whose citizens were in like manner con-
ylcied, or had pleaded guilty to indictments
for such otfenses in the United States court,
l,SOU was actually paid out of the county
treasury upon such fines and costs in one
day. These facts speak for themselves.
The crowded condition of the supreme
court docket is brought to public attention.
The docket of the court at the close OF the
last term, as compared with the condition at
the close of the term next preceding, shows
an increase of thirty-twO cases undisposed of
appellate and original Five thousand five
hundred and sixty nine petitions. represent
ing I.39J vessels. and claiming about ST.,
100000, have been fled in the court of
claims under the French spoliation act and
maturing past year. TWenty-foIIr cases have
been decided favorably for the claimants, in
Yolving an allowance of S1O2S"3. During
The past fiscal year ,7l8 civil suits to which
the United States was a party were termi
mated. There were terminated during the
year 1G,6iS prosecutions, 1877 under the Gus
toms laws. 6. 72O under the national revenue
laws, 8 3 under postofiice laws, 1908 under
election laws, under the civil rights act.
65i under Intercourse acts. DAG under the
pension laws, 30 for embezziement, under
the interstate commerce law, - under the
naturalization laws and 6.S9l miscellaneous
prOsecutiOus