The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-12

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also arisen with reference TO the colIec-
ton OF tonnage tax O. vessels coming
from Hawaiian ports; with reference 20
The status Of Chinese in the Islands. their
entrancV and exit therefrom; as to pat
eHts and copyrights; as to the register of
vessels under the navigation laws; as to
TIE necessity Of holding elections in ac-
eordance with the provisions OF the Ha-
"eiian statutes for the choice Of various
onieers, and as 20 several other matters
OF detail touching the interests both OF
the tssaEd and OF the FEDERAL government
by the resolution Of annexation the
President was directed to appoint five
commissioners 10 recommend TO Congress
such lesislation concerning the islands
as they should deem necessary or proper.
These commissioners were duty appointed
ana after a careful nEsstigation and
study Of the system % laWs and govern
z ea' prevailing in the islands. and Of
the conditions existing there, they pre-
pared bill to provide government un-
der the title Of ''The Territory OF Ha-
wall The report Of the commission.
with the bill which they prepared, was
transmitted by me 20 Congress on De-
cember 6, 1895. but the bill still awaits
final action.
The people Of these Islands are entitled
to the benefits and privileges Of our Con-
stituiion. bat in the absence of any act
OF Congress providing for Federal courts
In the islands, and for a procedure by
which appeals. writs Of error. and other
judicial proceedings necessary for the
enforcement OF civil rights may be prose-
cutsd, they are powerless 10 secure their
enforcement By the Judgment OF the
courts of the United States. 1t is mani
festly important, therefore, that an act
shall be passed as speedily as possible
erecting these islands into a judicial dis
trict. providing for tie appointment of a
judge and other proper officers and meth
DDS OF procedure in appellate proceedings.
and that the government Of this newly
acquired territory under the Federal Con-
stitution shall be fully defined and pro-
vided for
Territory of Alaska.
A necessity for immediate legislative
relief exists in the Territory Of Alaska
Substantially the only law providing a
civil government for this Territory is the
act of May II, 1884. This is meager in its
provisions. and is fitted only for the ad-
ministration of affairs in a country sparse
ly inhabited by civilized people and un-
/ important in trade and production, as
Was Alaska at the time this act was
Tassed. The increase in population by
! immigration during the past few years,
consequent upon the discovery of gold.
has pr0cGccd such a condition as calls for
more ample facilities for local self-gov-
| eminent and more numerous conveniences
! OF civil and judicial administration. Set
Elements have grown up in various places,
constituting in point of population and
business cities of thousands of inhabit-
ants, yet there Is no provision Of Jaw IN
der which a municipality can be organ
| lied or maintained.
In some localities the inhabitants have
met together and voluntarily formed a
municipal organization for the purposes
| of local government, adopting the form OF
| municipal constitution and CHARTER, I'M
/ der which said officials have been ap-
| pointed; and ordinances creating and reg
ulating a police force, a fire department,
department of health, and making pro-
vision for the care of the insane and indi-
gent poor and sick and for public schools,
have been passed These proceedings and
|
ties are without statutory authority and
| have no sanction. except as they are
maintained by the popular sentiment of
| the community There is an entire abb
sence of authority to provide the ordinary
instruments of local police control and
| administration, the population consisting
Of the usual percentage Of lawless adven-
! turers of the class that always flock to
new fields of enterprise or discovery, and
under circumstances which require more
| than ordinary provision for the mainte.
nance of peace, good order. and lawful
| conduct.
] The whole vast area Of Alaska COM
| prises but ore judicial district, with one
| Judge one marshal, and one district at
| torney, yet the civil and criminal business
has more than doubled within the past
year, and is many times greater both in
| volume and importance than it was in
| 1884. The duties of the judge require him
| to travel thousands of miles to discharge
| his judicial duties at the various place:
/ designated for that purpose. The Terri
| tory should be divided into at least two
districts, and an additional judge, district
attorney, marshal, and other appropriate
officers be provided.
| There is practically 10 organized form
of government in the Territory. There i:
| no authority, except in Congress, to pas.
! any law, no matter how local or trivial
| and the difficulty of conveying 10 the Con
gress an adequate conception and under
standing of the various needs of the peo
| pie in the different communities is easily
| understood. 1 see no reason why a moro
| complete form of Territorial organization
| should not be provided. Following tn,
precedent established in the year 1906
| when a temporary government was pro
| vided for the recently acquired territory
| then known under the name of Louisiana
| il seems to me that il would be advan
| tageous to confer greater executive powe
upon the governor and to establish. a!
was done in the case of the Territory o.
Louisiana, a legislative council havins
power 10 adopt ordinances which shall ex
tend to all the rightful subjects of loca
legislation, such ordinances not TO taxi
| effect until reported to and approved b.
the Congress if in session, and If that bod!
is not in session then by the President. II
this manner a system OF laws providin;
for the incorporation and government o
towns and cities having certain popula
tiOn giving them ;he power to ESTABLISH
and maintain a system of education TO b.
locally supported. and ordinances provid
ing for police. sanitary. and other suci
purposes, could be speedily provided.
believe a provision OF this kind would b,
satisfactory to the people OF the Territory
1t is probable that the area is too vast am
the population too scattered and transi
tory to make it wise at the present tim
| TO provide for an elective legislative body
but the conditions calling for local self
government will undoubtedly very sooI
exist, and will be facilitated by the meas
ures which / have recommended.
| Government of Psrto Rico.
I recommend that legislation TO TIL
same end be had with reference to tn
government Of Porto Rico. The time
ripe for the adoption of temporary form
of government for this island; and man,
suggestions made with reference TO Alas
ka are applicable a.so to Porto Rico.
The system OF civil Jurisprudence nov
adopted by the people of this island i
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