The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-11

l'S' a uiSeh6lS c VI tuelr uuu1eS ana peTfeC
loT nty 70 their officers. who declare tha
the. would take them into action wit
con faence.
Fl ,e great work done in the record ani
pens poSt division of the war Gcrartn,en4; +,
Major Ainsworth, Of the medicaT corne
and the clerks under him, is entitled r.
I honorable mention. Taking I'D the wor1
with nearly 4, 900 cases behind, he closed
| the last fiscal year without a sinrIe case
4 left over, though the new cases had in.
creased So per cent. in number OYER tic
previous year by reason Of the legislation
! of the last congress
/ Chinese Exclusion.
The enforcement by the treasury dcnare-
nent of the law prohibiting the coming
OF Chinese to the United States has been
effective as to such as seek to land from
vessels entering our ports. The result has
been to divert the travel to vessels enter
ing the ports of British Columbia, whence
passage into the United States at obscure
points along the Dominion BOUNDARY is
easy. A very considerable number OF
Chinese laborers have. during the past
year, entered the United States from
Canada and Mexico.
The officers of the treasury department.
and of the department of justics lave
used every means at their command TO in
terccpt this immigration. Tie depart
ment Of justice has construed the laws to
require the return of any Chinaman found
to be unlawfully in this country to CHM
as the country from which he came, not
witEstandinG the fact that he came by tho
way of Canada: but several of the district
courts have, in cases brought before item,
overruled this view CT the lay
and decided that such per
SONS must be returned to Canada
This construction robs the Law Of Ill
effectiveness, even If the DEGREES could oe
executed, for the men returned can tho
next day re-cross the border Bnt tho
only appropriation made is for sending
them back TO China, and the Canadian
officials refuse to allow them to re-entsr
Canada without the payment OF the $50
head tax. | recommend such legislation
as will remedy these defects IN the law.
To Extend Federal Jurisdiction.
In previous messages have called the
attention of congress to the necessity OF so
extending the jurisdiction Of the United
States courts as TO make triable therein
any felony committed Whtle IN the act Of
violating a law of the United States
These courts cannot have that independ-
ence and effectiveness which the const ta-
ton contemplates SO long as the falonious
killing of high court officers, Jurors, and
witnesses in the discharge or their duties,
or by reason of their acts as such, is only
cogniZable in the state courts.
l concur in the recommendation Of the
attorney general that the right in felony
cases TO q review by the supreme court be
limited. 1t would seem that personal lib
erty would have a safe guaranty if the
right of review in cases involving only
fine and imprisonment were limited TO the
circuit court of appeals. unless a constitu-
tional question should in some way be
Involved
The Nicaragua Canal.
The annual report of the Maritime
Canal company of Nicaragua shows that
much costly and necessary preparatory
work has been done during the year in
the construction of shops, railroad tracks
and harbor piers and breakwaters, and
that the work of canal construction has
made some progress.
deem it to be matter Of the highest
concern to the United States that this
canal, connecting the waters OF the ATTAIN
tic and Pacific oceans and giving TO us a
short water communication between oar
ports upon those two great seas, sao1ll
be speedily constructed and at the small
est practical limit OF cost. The gain in
freights to the people and TIE direct saw
ing to the government o. the United
States in the use of its canal vessels would
pay the entire cost Of this work within a
short series of years. The report of tie
secretary of the navy SHOWS the saving il
our naval expenditures which would re-
suit.
If this work is to be promoted By the
usual financial methods, and without the
cid of this government, the expenditures,
in its interest-bearing securities and
stocks, will probably be twice the actual
cosS. This will necessitate higher tolls
and constitute a heavy and altogether
needless burden upon our commerce and
that of the world Every dollar OF the
bonds and stock of tho company sho1ld
represent dollar expended in the legiti-
mate and economical prosecution OF 6he
work. This is only possible by giving to
the bonds the guarantee of the United
States government. I am quite willing to
recommend government promotion in tie
prosecution of a work which, if no other
means offered for securing its completion,
is Of such transcendant interest that the
government should. in my opinion, secure
it by direct appropriation from its treas
ury.
A guaranty of the bonds Of the Canal
company to an amount necessary to the
completion Of the canal could. think, be
SO given as not to involve any serious risk
Of ultimate loss. l most sincerely hops
that neither party nor sectional lines VIII
be drawn upon this great American pro-
ject, so full of interest to the people of all
our states and SO influential in it's effects
upon the prestige and prosperity Of our
common country.
Mr. RusE's Bureau.
If the establishment of the department
of agriculture was regarded by any one
as mere concession to the unenlightaHed
demand of worth class of people, that
impression has been most eifectually
removed by the great results already
attained. Its home influence has been
very great in disseminating agricultural
and horticultural information, in stimu-
lating and directing q further diversi-
fcation of crops; in detecting and eradi-
eating diseases of domestic animals,
and, more than all, in the close and in
formal contact which it has established
and maintains with the farmers and
stock raisers of the whole country
Every request for information has had
prompt attention and every suggestion
merited consideration. The scientific