The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-12-26
The ADMINISTRATION
PRESENTS ITS CASE.
Attorney Gen Griegs Speaks
for Five Hours on EXten-
Sion Of Constitution.

SION Of Constitution.
Washington, Dec 10 The United
States supreme court again was
crowded to iss full capacity today to
hear the concluding arguments 10 the
cases involving The status of Puerto
Rico and the Philippines Among
those who secured points of vantage
in the area reserved for the bar was
Judge Day, who as secretary of state
during the critical stages of the war
with Spain, and later as head of the
American commissioners wbo nego-
tiated the treaty of peace at Paris,
was one Of the most influential fac
tors is shaping the cooditioDs now
under discussion before the court
Former Secretary Carlisle and other
prominent members of the bar and OF
the two houses of congress were
present Attorney General Griggs
concluded the presentation Of the
governments case. celebrating the
poiute be enunciated yesterday One
of these was the distinction between
organized territories and uuorganized
territory under the jurisdiction OF
the United States Justice Brewer
had asked the attorney general to
make clear his views on this distinc
ton Dir Gtiggs took up territory
after territory, showing in each case
that it came usder the operation of
the laws Of the United States By an
act of congress specifically extending
the laws to the territory and not e1
proprio vigore. He said that while
Rhode Island and South Carolina
ssood outside of the union they we're
treated as foreign states, and when
they ultimately asseuted to the union
congress passed law extending the
revenue laws to them
In the case of Louisiana, the
attorney general pointed out that all
the declaratioDs Of Jefferson were to
the effect that in order to come under
the operation of the laws of the
United States these lave must be
explicitly extended to new acquisi-
lions. Jefferson selected certain acts
to be Immediately extended and 9TH
ers to be extended from time to time
aa might be found practicable
The attorney general directed at
tention, in the instance OF the
acquisition Of Florida, to the fact that
three American statesmen-Monroe,
John Quincy Adams and Andrew
Jackson-each of whom was elected
president of the United States, uni
ted in declaring officially that the
constitution did not apply Of its own
force to territory newly acquired by
this nation. by virtue of the act Of
acquisition. but tbat such extension
must- be accomplished by the action
of congress
Mr Griggs also specified the terri
torial organization of Oregon, Mis-
souri,, Montana and Wyoming, in
each case showing that congress
specifically extended the laws to these
territories
Fieally az to the extension of laws
to the territories. Mr. Grggs said
that by act of congress in 1874. con
gress had expressly extended the
constitution and federal laws to the
"orgapized territories" and to every
territory hereafter organized " But
the act went no farther than "organ
lied territories" and could not be
interpreted to mean that expanse OF
country entirely unorganized
The Guano Islands were cited in
support of the proposition that terri
tory may belong to or be under the
Jurisdiction of the United States
Over 10 different islands. keys aud
groups Of islands have thus been
taken possession of and made for such
special purposes the property Of the
United States They enjoy certain
privileges under the law aud the
United States supreme court recog
nized their status, but they are rot 8
part of the United States
Justices Brewer and Harlan aeked
3 number of questions. Justice
Brewer asked if the attorney genera'
held that as congress extended the
constitution and laws to the organized
territories. congress also could take
them away from the territories
Mr.. Griggs answered that this was
most serious question but he
thought it safe to say tina, when the
laws were once extended to terrific
ries an in9iolabie contract was created
aud co1}d not no hrokep