The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-06

evtsaDiy accompanying tncn, Aua pre-
diets that the court .'in the course OF
few years. will be able TO dispose OF It's
docket in a session of two or three months.
while the justices win be able to devote
reasonable amount of time TO the circuit
court of appeals, and TO thus materially
add TO the efficiency and prestige of those
courts"
After mentioning the steadily -increasing
business of the circuit court of appeals.
Mr. Olney 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 10 tsrsely
stated in the report. Ii is shown that,
under the constitution of California, each
stakeholder of corporation is individu-
ally and personally liable for his proper
ton of all its debts and liabilities; that
the Central Pacific railroad is California
corporation, and in the year 1863 absorbed
the Western Pacific Railroad Company.
which was also o California corporation;
that aid was given to both corporations by
the United States in the shape of subsidy
bonds, on account of which and the inter-
est paid thereon by the United States,
there will eventually result, when the
subsidy bonds shall have all ma
tured an Indebtedness to the
United States aggregating in round
numbers SCI. 000, 600; that Leland Stanford,
at the time the subsidy bonds were ad-
vanced, owned stock in both the railroads
to the extent of one-quarter of the whole
stock, and hence became liable to the
United States 10 the extent of one-quarter
of the indebtedness. The report states
that the clam involves complicated and
strenuously contested questions, both of
Law and of fact. as to the merits of which
it Is impossible 10 form any reliable judg-
ment IN advance OF a thorough judicial
investigation. On this point the attorney
general says:
at was plainly the duty of the depart
ment TO see that the claim, whatever its
merits or its value, was not pre1udiced by
the decease of Leland Stanford and the
administration OF his estate in the probate
court. The claim was presented, and ex-
cept this no action has yet been taken. /
have offered TO bring suit upon the claim
at once, upon the defendants agreeing
that the evidence taken in il should be in
deed evidence in any subsequent suit, If
such subsequent suit were found to be
necessary. This proposition has not yet
been accepted"
The attorney general briefly reviews the
course taken by the department. with
reference TO the Commonwealers; and
devotes several pages of his report TO the
Pullman strike, in the course of which he
says the relation to il of the department
of Justice was indirect and arose only when
the railroads Of the country became in
VOWED and the passage of the United
States mails and the movements of inter
state commerce were interfered with. The
attorney general reviews the action of the
United States marshal, under the direc-
ton of the attorney general, in procuring
an injunction from the United States
court against Debs and his associates, and
says:
1T was hoped the vigorous measures
taken by the marshal would prove ade-
quate to the emergency, and that a resort
TO the military arm of the government
would be unnecessary. The situation,
however, did not improve, and on July
il had become so serious that troops were
called for. The strike at Chicago, 80 far as
il involved the obstruction of the United
States ais and the paragyzing OF inter
state commerce, was practically broken
when the United States troops reached
tDat city.
In commenting on the status of the
Union Pacific railroad as q creditor Of the
United States, reference Is made to the
report Of Hon. George Hosdley, special
counsel for the United States In the
same connection the attorney general
quotes at length the report he made 10
congress on April 20 last, explaining the
repetition of said report "a follows:
"All the reasons therein stated for i'm
mediate congressional action looking to
reorganization of the Union Pacific Rail-
way Company still exist-indsed, have
only increased in force by lapse of time. F"