The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-08
DEPARTMENT. OF JUSTICE.
Annual Report of Attorney General
Griggs-Spanish Prizes.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-Attorney General
Griggs to-day submitted to Congress his an
nuaI report of the operations of his depart
ment. 1.-THE wal revenue act" he says,
has been especially productive of doubtful
questions, and many instances Of advice
and direction to the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue relating to different features of
that statute will be found in the report of
that officer. The attention of Congress is
respectfully called to them in order, that If
it be deemed necessary or advisable, Con-
gress may correct any defects or i%nequali-
ties in the law which the interpretations Of
the Department of Justice have made.
Very soon after the outbreak of the war
with Spain the department was called upon
to take charge of legal proceedings for the
condemnation of vessels and cargoes cap
tured by our navy as prizes, and brought
into our ports for adjudication. AS early as
April % two Spanish vessels-the Buena
Ventura and the Pedro-were so taken, and
thereafter similar captures were made by
our war ships during the progress of the
war until a total of fifty-six vessels were
brought into various ports and libeled as
prizes. Of this number fifty were taken to
Key West, within the jurisdiction Of the
Southern district of Florida, four were taken
to Charleston, one to Savannah and one to
New York. All but eight of the fifty cases
brought in the Florida district have been
heard and decided, those still being unde-
cided being cases of capture during the lat
ter stages of the war. The amount realized
from the sale of captured vessels and car
goes condemned as prize is SOL. O34. In ten
cases appeals have been taken on the part
Of the claimants to the Supreme Court from
the decree of the District Court, and are now
pending.
There was an increase of eighteen in the
number of cases on the appellate docket OF
the Supreme Court of the United States, and
a decrease of siXty-ewo In the number dis
posed of, the number remaining having
been reduced thereby from 3$3 to 3l3.
1.-The attention of Congress is called to the
necessity of providing a more complete and
dequate form of government for Alaska.
The efforts to administer justice and MAIN
tain order in the territory with the large
accessions of population that have recently
gone into that region. restricted by the very
limited machinery provided for Alaska III
it's original Sparsely populated condition., are
attended with great difficulty and embar-
rassment. The power of Congress to pro-
peculiar conditions of this territory is I'M
doubted. The machinery of justice is en-
tirely inadequate. There should be an in
crease in the number of judges, the number
of United States commissioners and United
States district attorneys. The powers OF
United States commissioners in that terri
tory should be increased, so as to enable
them to hear and conclude minor cases or
both civil and criminal nature, Wit right
of appeal to the territorial District Court.
of the fee system in connection with the
office Of United States commissioner. |
omm that q change in the method of
compensating these officers be made, so that
their compensation shall be paid entirely by
a fixed salary, and a. fees covered into the
treasury