Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-29
Our Dral Form of Government.

The United States Senate was last week
beef the scene of an interesting debate on
what we will call the dual nature of the
Federal Government. That Is to say, n
bill was under discussion which in
wolves that complex question. We might
say that this debate grew out OF the New
Orleans riots and out Of the consequent
troubles (now happily settled) between
the United States and Italy. The United
States Government pleaded want OF
power to punish the rioters. the offence
which they had committed being one
against the State Of Louisiana, and not
against the United States. Blu. as UNCLE
SAM would neither punish the rioters nor
permit Italy TO punish them. our trans
atlantic friends came TO the conclusion,
no doubt. that he was powerful for evil
and powerless for good.
Anyhow, the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations Of the United States Senate re-
ported recently bill providing as follows
"That any act committed in any State or Ter
ritory OF the United States in violation OF the
rights OF a citizen or subject OF foreign country
secured 10 such citizen or subject ty treaty be-
tween the United States and such foreign conn.,
try, which act constitutes crime under the laws
Of such state or Territory. shall constitute Ike
crime against tho peace end dignity OF the
United States. punishable in Ike manner as In
the courts of said States or Territories. and
within the period limited by the laws OF such
State or Territory. and may be prosecuted in
the courts Of the United States, aud, upon con-
vlctlon, the sentence executed in like manner "a
sentences upon convictions for crimes under tho
Laws of the United States"
The reader will at once see weak point
in this bill-namely, that any State would
have the power to repeal the United States
statute so far as that State was concerned.
How long would such statute continue
in force under such circumstances How
long would any State hesitate to free her
own citizens from the strong hand of the
Federal Government
Mr.. GRAY objected tina, the new bill
adopts forty-four different criminal codes,
or as many az there are States, as criminal
codes of the United States so far as those
codes relate to acts done or committed
against a citizen or subject of foreign
power He thought Congress ought to
pass n Jaw 10 operate uniformly MI o'cl
the United States-that is, if it ought to
pass any law touching the subject. Mr..
PALMER, of Illinois, denied the power of
| Congress to prescribe different penalties
for tho same act. Other senatorsspoke on
| the question.
Mr.. MORGAN. Of Alabama, is, we believe,
the senator who reported from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations the bill OF
which we write. MORGAN, GRAY, VEs~,
PALMER, and TURTLE are all Democrats,
but do not agree on this bill.
As the questions involved in the discus
sion arc ali ates.riPhts questions, 1t 10
not strange that Democrats should feel
deep interest in the subject. We are per-
fectly confident that even if the bill passes
the Senate. as we do not expect it will, 1t
will be defeated in the House of Repre-
sentatives. The people of this country
are not vet ready to consolidate" all the
States into one grand central despotism-
that Is, if they have not already been so
consolidated. Little Italy or big Great
Britain will endeavor IN vain to induce
our Congress to pass law containing
such a provision as the principal one in
| Mr.. MoaoAN's bill.