The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-19
ExTRAD1T1oN BILL PREPARED
By Attorney General, Who Asks Con-
eress to Pass 1t at Once.

By Attorney General, Who ASKS Con-
gress to Pass 1t at Once.
WASHINGTON, D. C., May ls.-In
accordance with the request of Attor-
uey General Griggs, the judiciary COM
mittee of the house of representatives
To-day considered means OF dealing
with the Neely case and like offences
arising In Cuba. The need of action
was explained by the attorney general
In a letter to Chairman Ray, of the
committee, in which he said:
"Recent offences of criminal nature
committed by an employe of the postal
service in Cuba, who has fled from JUS
tlce there and taken refuge in the Uni
ted States. make 1t my duty to call
your attention to the fact that the np-
pllcatlon of the present extradltion laws
Of the United States to such cases is in
a condition of doubt and uncertainty,
which make 1t embarrassing to the de-
partment of justice to secure the
prompt return OF such offenders to the
Jurisdiction in which the crime Is com
mltted aud in which they should be
tried.
Laws Should be Adequate.
at is obvious that the laws of the
United States ought to provide a sure
and speedy return Of the fugltIves from
justice who Soc from. cpha-and-seek rec
fuEe In the United States have
drafted an act which will make the
course of procedure in such matters
sure and certain and respectfully ask
that 1t be considered by your commit
tee and II found expedient that It be In
troduced and passed as speedily as
possible"
The attorney generals bill is entitled
IAN act for extraditlon and rendition in
certain cases." and provides:
Section Applies to Cuba.
"sectIon 1.-That sections 5,278 5,27i,
5,272, 5,273 and 5.274 of the revised stat
utes and all other statutes of the Uni
ted States concerning extradltion to
foreign countries, in pursuance of
treaties, shall apply to and govern ex-
tradition to the island Of Cuba, while.
occupied by the United States and dur
ing the continuance of the government
established and maintained in said is
land by the United States in tho same
manner and to the same effect as
though Cuba were country with
which treaty existed stlpulatIng and
providing for extradltlon in the case of
all feIonfes and other crimes past and
future, against the penal code or the
laws in force on the island Of Cuba and
in the same manner as II the governor
or other chief officer of Cuba were the
head of an independent government
thereof.
Penalty Attached to Its Violation.
section 2-That every person who
knowingly and wllfully obstructs, re-
slsts or opposes any agent, person or
officer who has prisoner in custody
under the provision on the foregoing
section in the execution Of his duties.
or who rescues or attempts to rescue
such person while in custody ns afore-
said. shall be punished by fine of not
more than $1,000 and by imprisonment
for not more than one yenr,"
A third section applies to sections
527s and 5,219. Of the revised statutes,
to the rendition OF fugltIVes between
the states ana territories md the Is
lands in the possession of the United
States, under the treaty of Paris.
Discussion Took a Wide Range.
The discussion before the committee
took wide range, covering the status
OF those officials who are performing
clvll functions while ting island is un-
der military control. sofne Of the mem-
bors regarded this military authority
as so complete that L covered the
cases of Necly and others and would
permit the military branch to take
Neely in.this country fnd return him to
Cuba.
The view was CONCEAL that the sttua-
ton 'In Cuba was ynost extraordinary
ana complicated, AZ Spain had rclin-
qulshed sovcreIgnty, the United States
had not assumed s5vcrelgnty and Cuba
had not orgauizodin a sovereign govern
ment.
Being Considered nt Length.
j.. q. Ray, thcichnirmon, laid before
the committee j brief bill he had
drawn, having put one section and pro-
vIdlng for thcf surrender Of offending
oiHeials Of Culja when hoelng into the
United statcH This and the attorney
generals bill we're considered at length.
It was finally determined that the
questions Involved were OF such u far
reaching cbhrneter. tonchlnE our au-
thority In Cuba, that It would be deslr-
able to secure cooperation with the