Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-06
Mr.. 0LNEY REPORTS.
Some Important Topics Discussed by
the Attorney General.
MATTERS OF LOCAL INTEREST.
Misapprehension as to the Sherman
Anti Law.
SUPREME COURT ARREARS

Attorney General olney submitted bis
first annual report to Congress today. CIV
ing complete review of the operations of
the judiciary and the Department OF Justice
during the past fiscal year.
| The volume Of the business of the federal
courts is largely and rapidly increasing.
The number of criminal prosecutions pend
ing in the circuit and district courts Of the
United States on July 1. 1893. was 9,3S5, as
against S,sOS pending in the same courts
July /, 1885. while the expenses of the
United States courts exclusive Of judges
salaries) incurred and paid In the fiscal year
1893 were s4,52s676. as against s2,s74, 733
incurred and paid for the like expenses In
the fiscal year 1885.
| The aggregate amount Of the judgments
rendered in favor of the United States in
civil suits during the last year was s2s5 054.
and the amount actually collected on these
judgments was s9o,sS1. while So 200 was OBJ
tanned during the year on judgments rem
dered In former years for the United States,
and sGs.s2S was otherwise realized in civil
suits.
The aggregate amount of fines, forfeitures
and penalties imposed during the year in
criminal prosecutions was s7es, 92l, and the
amount Of these fines. forfeitures and
penalties collected during the year was
Sl34, 131, while S13. lob was realized on fines,
forfeltures and penalties imposed in former
years.
The Supreme Court.
The Attorney General says it is crafty
ing to state that the Supreme Court is max
/ ing reasonable progress in overcoming the
arrears Of business. which. until the estab-
! hshment of the circuit courts Of appeals,
steadily increased from year TO year.
The docket at the close of the last term,
as compared with the docket at the close
of the term next preceding. shows a de-
crease of ID cases.
| The two cases of greatest consequence TO
the government decided by the Supreme
Court during the past year were. what are
known as the Chinese exclusion" case and
the hat trimmings" case. The latter in
volved no legal principle of special moment.
but its decision adversely to the govern
ment makes it liable to pecuniary claims
variously estimated as amounting to from
Sl0,000,OO0 to $4,000, 600. The Chinese ex-
clusion case on the other hand, brought in
to debate question Of constitutional law
second to none in gravity and in the far
reaching results dependent upon its deter
mination.
Circuit Courts of Appeals.
The Attorney General says that the sue
cessful work of these courts. especially In
the relief given by them to the crowded
docket Of the Supreme Court, is demonstrat-
ed by q statement OF their practical opera
tons. During the last fiscal year there was
docketed in these courts total OF 7o4
cases: during the same period 542 cases
were disposed of. leaving 4S1 cases pending.
of which III have been argued and are
awaiting decision. and that during the same
period OF the cases disposed Of only % were
appealed to the Supreme Court Of the
United States.
The Attorney General refers in this con-
nection to the Court of Appeals OF the Dis
trict of Columbia and says that the court
organized May l, 1898, soon as practic-
able thereafter entered upon it's duties, and
has since continued in the discharge of the
same to the great satisfaction of the bar
and the litigants interested. The report
OF the clerk shows that 215 cases have been
entered in court, Of which 10 are appeals
from the commissioner of patents; that 13g
cases have been finally adiudicated,o of which
are patent appeals. and that thus there
which are patent appeals.
The Court of Claims.
Tine report of the assistant attorney gen
eral having charge of the business of the
government in the Court Of Claims-other
than that pertaining to Indian depreda-
uons-discloses the existence of a large VOL
ume of business.
While GA cases. other than Indian depre-
dation cases, have been disposed OF, and
only SiS cases commenced, the latter COM
prise individual and separate claims, more
than 100 in number many of which do
not require strictly professional treatme
or strictly judicial considera ton, and in
their examination and settlement are rem
dereu greatly more burdensome to the court
ana TO the Department of Justice and more
costly, both to the government and TO the
claimants. than is apparently necessary.
War Claims.
The so-called Bowman act cases which
are mainly for the recovery of compenss-
ton for property taken by the army dur
ing the civil war, present an accumulated
volume Of business sufficient TO. fully &C.
cupy the time and industry Of the court.
and to fully exhaust the appropria TONS IL
the present scale is not enlarged. for sew
eral years to come. The rate at which they
can be tried and disposed of must rest with
Congress.
French Spoliation.
During the past year but 40 of these cases
have been decided by the court, with the
aggregate allowance Of S4l,o6S bringing
the total allowance in these cases I'D to
Of which Congress. in March.
1881. appropriated s1.304.09 There re-
main, therefore. judgments ssgregating
s2.o1s.l96 unappropriated for and 45es cases
pending, embodying claims estimated by
lne RESISTANT attorney who has had special
charge OF these cases at about $S1OO0OOO
The comparatively small number of these
cases disposed Of during the past year Is
explained by the fact that the failure Of !
Congress to appropriate for the judgments
already rendered caused the court TO doubt
the ACCESSIBILITY Of obstructing other bust
ness in order to dispose of more of this |
class of cases.
Indian Depreciation.
The report Of the assistant attorney gen.
eral having in charge Indian depreciation
claims shows that between November / |
lS92, and November Is, 1893, 1,2S6 actions |
were commenced in the Court Of Claims in |
Which damages are claimed amounting in /
the aggregate to s5.oos. 1857: that during the
same period judgments were rendered in 4l6 |
cases. In which the total amount claimed 4
was I9l; that of these judgments 2oo |
were for the claimants, and gave a recoy-
cry or Sid5,5 500, as against SS140Sl claimed:
mat or SAID Judgments. the amount claimed
therein being S12, TO9.9l, PA were for the
defendant; and that the total amount re-
covered upon this class OF claims during the
period in question has been consAiera hlV less
han one-third of the total amount claimed
Court of Private Land Claims.
The report of the United States attorney
-ully sets forth the condition of the bust
hess Of this court the principal feature Of
which is the large number OF suits that