Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06

board Of trustees for an appropriat ton of
300 for the fiscal year 1897, and of 300
10 make up that amount for the fiscal year
3S9S, meets my approval.
THE suggestions in the last annual re-
port TO Congress touching the status of the
school a reformatory and charitable
Institution are here repeated.
The school Is not charitable instit1-
ton, and 1 again suggest that 1t be placed
In the District appropriation bill under the
head Of refOrmatories and prisons, and not
under the head Of charities, where il has
always appeared.
Il believe II to be for the interest of the
school that the appointments made by the
board of trustees should be confirmed or
approved by the Attorney General, and not
by the Commissioners of the District, as at
present. This would avoid delay, and
would place the school In the same relation
to the department as the other reform
school, i can see no reason for any dis
tinction. and its existence gives rise to I'M
necessary trouble and Inconvenience.
Reform School, District of Columbia.
THE report of the board Of trustees Of
the reform school of the District of Column
bia shows that at the beginning Of the last
fiscal year there were in the school us
boys; there We're received during the year
126, total of IA, as against 32S tor the
previous year. Seventy-six of Those receiv-
u
six by the Supreme Court of the District Of
Columbia. thirty-cne by the United States
courts outside of the District and thirteen
by the president of the board OF trustees
There Were discharged during the year
eighty-niue by order of the trustees, tweh-
ty-two by expiration of sentence ttnited
States Courts). three by order OF court
tchange of sentenceJ, and six escaped and
still absent. leaving in the school June
~, 1851 ~ There we're TO deaths during
the yer AMI the general health of TIE in
mates has been and is good.
Il repeat the recommendation of last
year that Congress should take action upon
the suggestion of the board of trustees as
to giving il such control of the boys after
discharge as will enable il to reclaim and
return to the school any boy whose subse-
Qusnt conduct is bad. Much has ben done
AT the school during the year in the way
OF permanent improvements and the eNtcil-
sion of the system of instruction in hahdl-
crafts and manual training L approve OF
the suggestion of the board as to TIE pldc-
ing of the control OF the institution entirely
III der toe Department of Justice. where. as
a government Institution. it properly be-
longs.
Potomac Flats Litigation.
The. department. has engaged the serv-
ices of Mr.. Holmes Conrad. late solicitor
general as special attorney to conduct the
litigation growing out of the reclamation
of the Potomac flats at Washington. Some
claimants have Appealed. and one OF the
cases will be argued and submitted 10 the
Supreme Court in January next
Regarding the government OF Alaska, thS
Attorney General says:
Government in Alaska.
TIE presen: system of government in
Alaska was provided for few settlements
on islands and on that part of the coas.
which pertains to the comparatively mar
row panhandle nearest to California To
30 tI.y av,r-
cslIy to the whole vast territory televea
times the size of New York;, the laws OF
the United States. with some exceptions,
and the laws OF Oregon IN force IN 1881
We're extended BY the organic act Oh lildl
Year
A district court, sitting at WranSell, on
the coast. and Sitka, on al Standard else
where VIXEN the judge thinks proper-and
five commissioners Cwo at kadiak anu
I'nalaska, on islands, and the others at
Sltka, NrangelI and Juneau, a coast town.
constituted the local judiciary until the act
of June 1 of this Year. By that act four
;.iditiC nal cOnmlSs. oners. with deputy
marshal for each, were authorized. one
of these commissioners and one deputy
Will b. at St Michaels, on the west coast;
Cns at Ungd, on an island, and one COM
missioner. with a deputy, is at Dyea
short distance inland. ON the southern pam
handle
The remaining commissioner and his dep
uty have been assigned to Circle City, IN
Y hat is called the klcndlke region of the
interior governor, clerk of the court,
marshal. ten deputy Inarshals and ms
trict attorney are provided for, and the
functions of secretary and treasurer of
the territory, justice of the peace, probate
Judge. notary, register of the land office.
receiver. surveyor general, collector OF Gus
toms examining magistrate, register OF
deeds and wills, &C. are distributed among
thu officers ibnyc named. All the ordinary
legal needs of the community are afforded
W the laws of oregon and of the United
~ L.. he nj 8
TEN may be unohjectiOnabie, il is obviously
Inadequate in personnel and local extent
10 AFFORD protection and control to the
vast interior of the territory.
1t j. ell known that rush of population
into "a I gion nearly thousand miles IRON
aUy OF the towns named. except Circle city
Cyhere the whole government consists, in
fact. of Il commissioner and deputy mar
shah. as begun and promises, in the com
ing spring to attain large proportions
Just whore it VIII extend and where II
Will remain, depends largely upon the fu-
tI-Te discovery of gold or other valuable
products of the largely UNEMPLOYED coua-
try. but it now seems that the valley of the
Yukon and White rivers, near the British
boundary. will be largely filled up with
pruSprctOrs. and to some extent perma-
reatIy settled. Circle City, Mitchell, Gin
ton, &c. have been established near the
Yukon. and a few weeks of next spring
may suffice for the establishment of other
towns. some OF which may be abandoned
for more promising sites.
las il is &c the interest OF the govern
ment to encourage the development and
settlement of the country. and its duty to
follow up its citizens there with the bene-
fits CT legal machinery. L earnestly urge
upon Congress the suggestion that dupli-
cate of the present system of government
be provided, with such fexibility as will
enable ii TO adjust itself to the future
NrtaS of greatest population for part of the
legion of interior country north OF the
siXtieth parallel of latitude and near the
British boundary. or that regular terri
toriai goyerrmen ts be provided for bcta
parts Of Alaska. the wisdom of Con
gross may determine.
Attorneys for the Government.
The attention o. Congress is called TO
Revised Statutes Ji:'S prohibiting any per-
s. holding any place of trust or profit or
discaargins any official function from act
Ing as agent OF attorney for prosecuting
any claim against the government, in SO
far as ii concerns attorneys employed by
this department under Revised Statutes
.b3 and $50 10 assist the Attorney General
or district attorneys
W lnle the general purpose OF section
1i.fs is excellent, 1t creates much embar-
EASEMENT 10 the department and To MEM
bers Of The bar. particularly in the neigh