Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-02-14
ILLEGAL PRACTICES.


Report of tho congregational Committee
Investigating the Federal Courts-Rep-
rcheDsib1e. Means Used to Increase the
Foes of Commissioners and other Of
nccrs.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-A sub-com-
mittee of the House Committee on Ju-
dietary, which spent some time last seq
sion in investigating charges of illegal
practices in Federal courts in various
parts of the country, submitted its re-
port on the inquiry to the full commit
tee yesterday, but no action was taken
on 1t, These practices, the report shows,
embraced the general suspension of SEN
tences pronounced on persons convicted
of violating the internal revenue and
the timber cutting laws, principally in
the districts of West Virginia and North
ern Georgia, and in the Northern, Mid
die and Southern districts of Alabama,
thus encouraging methods of fce-malS-
ing practiced y United States District
Attorneys, Marshals and their attor-
neys, United States Commissioners,
clerks of the Federal courts and other
officers connected with the judicial de-
partment of the Government. The sub
committee says that this practice of sus-
pending sentence has been carried to an
extent that is reprehensible, and it rec
ommends legislation providing that in
criminal cases, upon conviction, the
judge shall Immediately pronounce SEN
tence unless there is some good cause
for delay.
1t is shown by the report that large
number of witnesses are summoned in
nearly every case, the Federal officers
charging for every petty service per-
formed in securing them, increasing
their mileage allowances by making un-
necessary trips, and that they pocket
allowances intended for witnesses and
others who pay their own charges.
United States Commissioners by these
means secure annual incomes ranging
from So, 600 to $4,000.
Commissioner Henry l.. Hallett, at
Boston, Mass, is criticized for obtain
ing fees by practices such as these, and
the committee states that while he ad.
mitted that his average income during
the last six years was S2,6l5, the cvi-
dence satisfied the subcommittee that
| it was much larger. The committee re-
fers to Mr. Hallet as a persistent fee
taker and apparently subject to no re,
straint in the methods he pursues ex.
cept such as the accounting officers OF
the treasury impose by disallowine
the lille ial fees he claims. The report
reviews in detail the illegal prac
tices existing elsewhere than in Boston
and recommends the substitution ot
salaries for fees as the only method OF
putin an end to the corruptions of the
fee system.
Accompanying the report is bill pre-
pared by the committee intended to pre-
vent repetition of these illegal prac
tices by prescribing the fees and sala
ries that shall be received and by more
regular and more efficient system of ac
counts. The committee recommends
the dismissal of j. II. Green, United
States Circuit Court Commissioner fol
the Northern district of Alabama, anc
in reference to Judge Bruce, of the
Northern and Middle districts of Ala
bama, it says he is too much inclined tc
surrender the discretion that belongs tc
him alone and to register as the judg
ment of the court the agreement o.
|