The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-12-12
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OLNEY FILES
HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
The Supreme Court I'm n Few Years
VIII BE Able to Dispose of the Bust
ness with Dispatch-The Pullman
Strike-The Soldiers Home.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec 4.-The
attorney-generars annual report to con-
gress, made public today, shows that the
affairs with which the department of
justice has had to deal during the past
year have been, in some particulars, of
unusual interest and Importance. From
the figures given, the continuous growth
of business in the federal courts is mani
fest
In speaking of the supreme court. the
encouragement says that at no distant
day it will be "as distinguished for the
promptitude with which decisions are rem
dered as it once was for the delays in
evitably accompanying them" and pre-
diets that the court in the course of a few
years will be able to dispose Of it's docket
in q session of two or three months, while
the justices will be able to devote a rea-
Sonable amount of time TO the circuit
courts of appeals and TO thus materially
add to the efficiency and prestige of those
courts"
After mentioning the steadily increasing
business of the circuit courts of appeals.
Mr.. Oney suggests that, as the system
has come to stay, an additional circuit
judge should be appointed in each Of the
Seventh and Ninth circuits and possibly in
the Sixth
The facts concerning the claim presented
by the United States to the eXecutriX OF
the estate of Leland Stanford is tersely
stated in the report. 1t is shown that I'M
der the constitution of California each
ly and personally liable for his proportion
of all its debts and liabilities; that the
Central Pacific railroad company is
California corporation and in the year of
1869 absorbed the Western Pacific rail-
road company, which was lso a California
corporation; that aid was given both cor
porationS by the United States in the shape
of subsidy bonds and on account Of which,
and the interest paid thereon by the Uni
ted States, there will eventually result
when the subsidy bonds shall have all
matured, an Indebtedness to the United
States aggregrating, in round numbers.
$50. 00O. 600; that Leland Stanford, at the
time the subsidy bonds were advanced,
owned stock in both the railroads to the
extent of one-quarter Of the whole stock
and hence became liable to the United
States to the extent of one-quarter of the
indebtedness The report states that the
claim involves complicated and strenuous
ly contested questions, both of law and
of fact, as to the merits Of which il is
impossible to form any absolutely reliable
judgment in advance of n thorough judi
cial investigation. On this point the at
torney-general says it was plainly the duty
of the department to see that the claim,
whatever It's merits or its value. was not
prejudiced by the .decease of Stanford and
the administration of his estate in the state
probate court. The claim was presented
and, except this, no action has yet been
taken.
81 have offered to bring suit upon the
claim at once upon the defendants agreeing
that evidence taken in it should be deemed
evidence in any subsequent suit, If such
subsequent suit were found to be neces-
sary This proposition has not yet been
accepted"
The report directs attention to certain
recommendations in the ,ast annual re-
port and requests their favorable consid-
GRAFTON by congress. They relate to-:
1. The abolition of the system by which
United States district attorneys, marsha-s,
clerks and commissioners are paid by fees.
q The vesting in United States commits
sioners. wherever it can legally be done,