The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25
SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.

SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
The Celebrated Brewer Election Case FL
nnly Decided
WASHINGTON, March 23.-The supreme
court ofthe United States today decided the
case of the United States VS.. Clark Brewer
ct al, which comes here on a certificate of
division of opinion among the judges of the
circuit court of the United States for the
western district of Tennessee. Brewer and
others were election officers and were in
dicted under a federal statute for refusing
or neglecting after election TO open the
ballot-boXes at the place where the cleo
tion was held, and for failing to register
the names of the voters; these being re-
quirements of the law of Tennessee. The
indictments did not allege fraud or intend
to commit fraud, nor that the election was
affected by the action of Brewer and his
colleagues. The lower court submitted
eight questions as to the validity of the
indictment. The supreme court, in an
opinion by Justice Brewer, holds that the
indictment was bad, and answers five of
the questions in favor of the election
officers. and does not answer the remain
ing questions:
The U. S. supreme court today affirmed
the decision of the supreme court of the
District OF Columbia refusing to grant
Sy lvanus G. Boynton a writ of mandamus
to compel the secretary of state to pay to
him certain money held as a part of the
award made by Mexico in the We'll claim.
Il L L IL Z
has discretion in the matter OF paying un.
der this award claims which he believes
the honor of the United States requires
should be retired, and that the present
suit is one in which the intervention of
the judicial department of the govern
ment would not be warranted.
In the court of claims an order was is-
sued Tor the clerk OF the court to certify
to the treasury department the validity of
certain of the French spoliation claims for
the payment of which more than 81 ,000,-
600 was made by congress at the last ses-
sion. 1t is required in the law that before
the claims have been adjudicated by the
court or can be paid by the treasury, it
shall be necessary for the claimant to
make certificate in court to the effect that
he is an administrator of the heirs of the
original sufferers In the dozen or so
cases reported to the department this
morning this formality has been complied
with.
The supreme court today affirmed the
judgment in the case OF the East Tennes-
Bee, Virginia d Georgia railroad company.
sppellan, VS.. Joseph f. Fazier ct al. A
comparatively recen. law in the state of
Tennessee makes judgments issued against
railroad companies for labor or material
furnished or for damages sustained liens
against the railroad with rights prior to
all other liens. The point in question is
whether or not this is an impairment of
the contract OF the charter granted In lS47
TO railroad company, OF which tie pres
ent East Tennessee road is the successor
BY this charter the railroad company was
authorized TO mortgage its charter and
road In order to com plete its construction
and equipment. The court holds that
there is no impairment OF contract and
that the rights granted by the charter
ceased with the construction and equip
menI OF the road.
Western Coal Statistics.
The census Office today issued in bull
letin history of the coal product in the
states west of the Mississippi river. The
product in 1880 is shown to have been
4,5S4 ,324 short tons, while in 1889 it had
increased to 16,067 800 short tons. While
the quantity produced in 1889 has in
creased more than three-fold during the
decade, the value is shown to have de-
creased from S1.93 per ton at the mines in
1850, to Sl.52 in 1889, making the total
value OF the output of 1889, S24, Alb, ,262
-Four states and territories are now given
as producers OF coal for which no product
was reported in 1880, nancy, North Da-
kota, Texas, New Mexico and Indian Ter
ritory. The bulletin further shows that
in 1889 there were $50 regular mining es-
tabishnents west of the Mississippi river
and 1926 country banks and local mines.
The aggregate OF wages paid was Sl7 ,156,-
800, anu the number Of persons employed
is given as 1916. OF the whole product,
10.051 ,229 tons were mined in the trans
Mississippi valley; 4.S36, .s6S IN the Rocky
mountain region and l,l79,903 on the Pa
;ifc coast The value per ton OF the trans
Mississippi product was S1.42; the Rocky
mountain regions, $l.55, and the Pacific
coast region, S2.25.
Afro-PFess Association.
The national committee of the Afro
Press association, Z. III. Murray chairman,
and ii. Price Williams, secretary, called
upon the president today and long adj
dress, setting forth the claims and indi-
vidual merits OF the colored people for a
prominent position on the worlds far
commission, and also negro jurist to fill
the position OF one OF the new federal