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

Washington, Dec 10 The United
States supreme court again was
crowded to ito foil capsci,y today to
hesr the oouoludiug arguments IN the
Gases Involving the status Of Puerto
Rico and the Philippines Among
those who secured points of vantage
in the srea reserved for the bar was
Judge Day, who ~ secretary Of state
daring the critical stsges of the war
with Spain. and later % head Of The
American commissioners who nego.
tisted The treaty of peace at Paris,
was one OF che most Influential fac
tore 10 shaping The conditions now
under disousaion 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 csse. celebrating the
points he enuncisted yesterday. One
OF these vss the distinction between
organised territories and unorganized
territory under the Jurisdiction Of
the United States Justice Brewer
bad asked the attorney general to
make clear bic We've on THE distino
ton Mr Griggs took up territory
after territory, sbowing in each case
thst Il cs@e usder tho operation of
the laws Of the United States by an
cot Of congress- specifically extending
tho lave to the territory and not ex
proprio vigore. He said that whiIe
Rhode leland and South Csroliua
stood outside Of tho union they. we're
trested % foreign states. and when
they ultimately asseused to the union
congress passed . Law extending the
revenue laws 10 them
In The case of Louisians, the
attorney general pointed out that Oh
the declarations Of Jefferson we're to
tha eject that in order TO come under
the operation Of the laws Of the
United Ststes these Laws must be
explicitly extended TO new scquisi.
tions. jefferson selected certsio cots
to DO immediately extended and 9th.
ere TO DO extended from time to time
"a might be found practicable.
The attorney general directed q.
teutiou. in the Instance of the
acquisition Of FIorids, TO the fact that
three American ststesme en- Monroe.
John Quincy Adams and Andrew
Jsckson--eaoh of whom was elected
president Of the United States, mi.
ted in declaring officially that the
constitution did not apply Of lie own
force to territory newly acquired by
this nation. BY virtue Of the sct Of
acquisition. bat that such extension
must; DO accomplished by the action
Of congress
Mr. Grisgs also specified the terri
iorisl ORGANISATION Of Oregon, Me.
sonri, Montana and Wyoming, in
each case showing that oosrress
specifically extended The laws to theee
territories
Finally 90 to the extension of laws
TO the territories. Mr. Gwggs ssid
shst BY aot Of congress in 1874, con
gress bad expressly extended the
constitution and federal Laws to tho
"orgsnised territories" and TO every
territory hereafter orgsoized " But
The act went no farther than "orgsn
izad territories" snd could not be
interpreted 10 mean that expanse Of
country entirely unorganized
The Guano Islsude werc 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 and the
United States supreme court recog
nized their statue, but they are not q
part OF the United States
Justices Brewer and Harlan aeked
number of questions. Justice
Brewer asked If the attorney general
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
q most serious question but he
thought il safe to say 'tha, when the
laws were once extended to terrific
ries an inviolable contract was created
and could not be broken
Justice Harlan asked the attorney
general TO state later on to what extent
congress could ;mposc a tariff to be
collected sgairs. goods coming from
New Mexico. Arisona and Alaska