The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-12-27
ARGUED BY GRIGGS
Attorney General on Status Of
Our New Possessions.
COURT ASKS DIRECT QUESTIONS
Relation of Porto Rico and Phil
ippineS to United States Is
Discussed at Length.

A Washington special says: The
United States supreme court was
again crowded to its full capacity
Wednesday to hear the concluding ar
guments in the cases involving the
status of Porto Rico and the Philip
pines.
Attorney General Griggs concluded
the presentation of the governments
case, celebrating the points he enun-
ciated Tuesday. One of these was
the distinction between organized ter.
ritories and unorganized territory un-
der the jurisdiction of the United
States. Justice Brewer had asked the
attorney general to make clear his
views on this distinction.
Mr.. Griggs took up territory after
territory, showing in each case that it
came under the operation of the laws
of the United States by the act of
congress specifically extending the
laws to the territory and not e1 pro-
prio vigore. He said that while Rhode
Island and South Carolina stood out
side of the union they were treated as
foreign states, and when they ulti-
mately assented to the union congress
passed a law extending the revenue
laws to them.
In the case Of Louisiana, the attor-
ney general pointed out that all the
declarations of Jefferson were to the
effect that in order to come under the
operation of the laws of the United
States; those laws must be explicitly
extended to new acquisitions. JefeH'
son selected certain acts to be imme-
diately extended and others to be e1-
tended from time to time as might be
found practicable.
The attorney general directed atten-
ton in the instance Of the acquisition
of Florida to the fact that three Amer
lean statesnen-Monroe, John Quincy
Adams and Andrew Jackson-each of
whom was elected president of the
United States, united in delaring Off
cially that the constitution did not
apply of it's own force to territory new
ly acquired by this nation by virtue of
the act Of acquisition, but that such
extension must be accomplished by
the action of congress.
Mr.. Griggs also specified the terrific
rial organization of Oregon, Missouri,
Montana and Wyoming, in each case
showing that congress specifically ex-
tended the laws to these territories.
Finally, as to the extension OF laws
to the territories, Mr.. Griggs said that
by act of congress in 1874 congress had
expressly extended the constitution and
federal laws to the "organized terrific
ries," and to every territory "hereaf-
ter organized" But the act went no
further than "orgauized territories"
and could not be interpreted to mean
that e1panse of country entirely unor-
ganized.
Justice Brewer asked if the attorney
general held that as congress extended
the constitution and laws to the or.
ganized territories congress also could
take them away from the territories.
Mr.. Griggs answered that this was
a most serious question, but he
thought it safe to say that when the
laws were once extended to territories
an inviolable contract was created and
could not be broken.
Justice Harlan asked the attorney
general to state later on to what ex-
tent congress could impose tariff to
be collected against goods coming from
New Mexico, Arizona and Alaska.
Justice Brewer also reminded Mr..
Griggs that Oklahoma was not in
cluded in the treaty taking in the
Louisiana and Mexican territory, and
was an apparent exception to the rules
stated by the attorney general.
Justice White asked the attorney
general if he claimed that congress
could so exempt territories from the
laws as to give them privileges not en-
joyed by the states. Mr.. Griggs re-
sponded that he did SO claim, that in
fact the territories had been for years
exempted from internal revenue and
direct taxes.