Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-05
G O,U RT OF A p p Z A l. S

Attorney General Olney, in his annual
report to Congress, makes full statement
OF the operations of the Department of
Justice during the past year, and submits
several suggestions for improvements in
The judiciary system. He calls attention
to the extent and magnitude of the juris-
diction of the department and to the rap
idly increasing volume of business trans
acted by the federal courts. The Attorney
General gives a brief statement of the OPP
erations of the United States Supreme
Court. and says that unless some unfore-
seen cause arrests its present progress,
the Supreme Court in the course of d few
years will he able to dispose of its docket
in a 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
adj to the efficiency and prestige of those
courts. He says the court through the
arduous labors of It's members and the
skilful management of its business by
their chief, may be expected at no distant
day TO be as distinguished for the prompu-
tude with which decisions are rendered
as ii once vas for the delays inevitably
accompanying them.
The business of the circuit courts of APP
peals is reported to be steadily enlarging,
and the Attorney General apparently JUS
titles the appointment of an additional cir
cult judge in the seventh and ninth cir
cults and possibly also in the sixth cir
cult. In regard to the Court of Appeals
of the District of Columbia the Attorney
General says: This court continues to
discharge its important duties to the gen.
eral satisfaction of the lawyers and
clients concerned, and is rapidly reducing
the mass of appealed cases which had
continued to accumulate prior to. its or
ganization. AS shown by the report of
the clerk, the cases docketed during the
Ill., a..
Guiding eleven patent appeals; the cases
disposed of were 27I, including eleven pat
ent appeals; cases pending July l, 1894,
were 66, including seven patent APP
thirteen Gncluding one patent appeal, had
been argued and were awaiting decisions,
and of the cases disposed of. thirteen had
been appealed to the Supreme Court of the
United States"
Court of Claims.
A special chapter Of the report is de-
voted to the important business of the
Court of Claims, including the status and
amount of war claims, French spoliatioa
and Indian depreciation claims before that
court. The pending war claims amount to
s24, 100000. and the Indian depreciation
claims to SAB 1918 S67. 1T is not probable"
says the Attorney General, that the en-
nual dispatch of business upon the present
rate of appropriation and with the force
organized as at present can De very greatly
increased and the conclusion, therefore,
is irresistible that without substantial en-
largement of the force which can be de-
voted to this work those delays must con-
tinue which now constitute reproach to
the government and justify the importantly
and solicitation which are serious bur
dens upon the time of those who must
listen to Them
He earnestly invites the attention CT
Congress to the glaring defects In the pres
ent system of confinement of the United
States prisoners, and urges the growing
Importance and necessity for the erection
of suitable prisons and reformatories for
convicts sentenced by the federal courts
The number of applications for pardon
during the year was 516, of which lis We're
granted. Attention is invited to the con-
tinued lawlessness in the Indian territory,
and to the inefficient administration of
justice there, with a view to the enact
ment of such legislation would tend to
remove or greatly lessen the evils de-
scribed. Strong reasons are presented for
immediate congressional action looking to
a reorganization of the Union Pacific Rail-
road Company on basis equitable alike to
government and private interests
The Stanford Estate Claim
The Attorney General makes a brief
statement in regard to the suit against the
Stanford estate, In satisfaction of the gov
eminent claim of sG0,0O0,OO0 against the
Central Pacific and Western Pacific rail-
road companies. In which the late Senator
Stanford was large stakeholder. The
Attorney General reviews the law on the
subject, and concludes as follows:
Il have, however, been furnished with
opinions of eminent lawyers of California
to the effect that the United States can be
gin suit on Its claim without waiting for
the maturity of the subsidy bonds. And
as there is an obvious hardship In any I'M
necessary delay of the settlement of the
Stanford estate, / have offered TO bring
suit upon the claim ut once upon the de-
PENDANTS agreeing that evidence taken IN Il
should be deemed evidence In any subse-
quent suit, IL such subsequent suit We're
found to be necessary. This proposition
has not yet been accepted"
A long chapter of the report is devoted