Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-12-17

The Judges OF the court of private
land claims provided for by the act of
March 3, 1891, have been appointed and
the court organized. It is now possible
to give early relief to communities long
repressed in their development by un
settled land titles and to establish the
possession and right of settlers whose
adverse and unfounded claims.
The slippery Chinese.
The enforcement by the treasury de-
partment 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 entering 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 depa.t-
ment, and of the department of justice
have used every means at their command
to intercept this immigration, but the
impossibility of perfectly guarding
our extended frontier is apparent. The
Dominion government charges head tax
of $50 on every Chinaman entering Can
ada, and thus derives considerable rev.
rue from those who only use its ports
to reach position of advantage to evade
our exclusion laws. There seems to be
satisfactory evidence that the business;
of passing Cinnamon through Canada to
the United States is organized and quiet
ly done. Justice has construed the laws
to require the return of any Chinaman
found to be unlawfully in this country to
China as the country from which they
came, Notwithstanding the fact, that he
came by way of Canada; but, several of
| the district courts have in cases brought
before them, overruled this view of the
law, and decided that such persons
| must be returned to Canada.
Law and Order.
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 tr1able
therein any felony committed while in
| the act of violating law of the United
States. These courts cannot have that
independence and effectiveness which
the constitution contemplates SO long as
| the felonious killing of high court officers
jurors and witnesses in the discharge oi
their duties, or by reason of their acts az
| such is only recognizable in the state
courts. The work done by the attorney
general and the officers Of his depart
ment, even under the present inadequate
legislation, has produced some notable
results in the interest of law and order
Washington wickedness.
The attorney general and also the com
missioner of the District of Columbia
call attention to the effectiveness ant
inadeauacy of the laws relating to crimes
against chastity in the District O
Columbia. A stringent code upon thi
subject has been provided by congress
for Utah. and it is a matter of surprist
that the needs of this district shoult
have been SO long overlooked.
In the report of the postmaster gen
eral some very gratifying results are ex
hibited, and many betterments of tn
service suggested. A perusal of the re
port gives abundant evidence that tn
supervision and direction of the posta
system have been characterized by al
intelligent and conscientious desire +
improve the service. The revenues o
the department show an increase of owe
five millions of dollars, while the esti
mate for the year 1898, shows q surplu
of receipts over expenditures.
POsTOFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The postmaster general recommends
and concur in the recommendation
that the free delivery system be at ono
| extended to towns of 5000 population
His discussion of the inadequate facili
ties extended under our present system
to rural communities and his suggef
tions with view to give these communl
ties fuller participation in the beneht
| of the postal service, are worthy OF you
careful consideration.
We were receiving for foreign posSag
| nearly two millions of dollars under tn
old system, and the outlay for ocean maj
| service did not exceed $500, 600 pc
snnum. It is estimated by the post
master general, that, if all the contract
proposed are completed, it will requir
$24f ,354 for this year, in addition to tn
! appropriation for sea and inland postag
, already in the estimates, and for the mex
fiscal year, ending June 30. 1893. tker
: woald probably bo heeded about $3.50
900.
THE NAVY.
The report Of the secretary of tn
navy shows gratifying increase of ne,
naval vessels in commission. Tn
Newark. Concord, Bennington an
: Miantonomah have been added durin;
the year, with an aggregate of somethin
=