Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-05-29
OUR WAR POSSESSIONS
United States Supreme Court De-
fines Their Standing.
SANE AS TERRITORY
The Decisions In Substance l. Congress
Only Has the Power 10 Tax
Imports and Exports Of
Our New Territory.

Washington. May 2s.-In the United
States supreme court yesterday opinions
were handed down in all but two Of the
cases involving the relations Of the Unit
ell States 20 its insular possessions. The
two eases in which conclusion was not
announced were those known as the
Fourteen Diamond Rings case and the
second Dooley case. Tho latter deals
with u phase Of the Porto Rican ques-
tion and the diamond rings case involves
the right 10 the free importation Of
merchandise from the Philippines 20 the
United States.
The two cases which attracted the
greatest share Of attention from the
court were the DeIima and the Downes
case and of those two the opinion In
the Downos is considerably more far
reaching as IL affects our future rela-
tons, whereas the DeLima case APP
peared 90 be- quite sweepiugly opposed
10 the governments contentious. many
persons precipitatodly concluded the
government had been worsted ali along
the line. This view suffered decided
change when the conclusion was an.
nounced in the Downes case. The court
was very evenly divided on both cases,
but political lines did not control.
The DcLima case involved the power
Of the government TO collect duty on
goods imported into the United States
from Porto Rico after the ratification
Of the treaty Of Paris and before the
passage Of the Porto Rico act. The
court ,aid the governments contention
in this case was substantially claim
that Porto Rico is foreign territory. The
court held that the position was NOT
well taken. that Porto Rico WA, nc the
time territory and the duty collected
must boz returned
The Downes case dealt with the legal.
/ ity Of tine exaction u duties on goods
imported from Porto into New York
after the passage Of the Foraker act
| providing for duty upon goods shipped
from the United State. into Porto Rico
and also on those shipped from Porto
Rico % the United States. In this case
the court held that such ezaction was
legal and constitutional
The point Of the two opinions consid.
cred collectively. is that Porto Rico was
was never after the acquisition ~ that
island foreign Territory, th- until com.
gress acted upon u" Question no duty
o''i' 't e.." ared. but tina, a. soon rs
coaH5ss outlined a method Of control.
I ing the islands reyenut.s that action be-
came binding, in other words that cou-
gress has power under the constitution
20 prescribe the manner Of collecting
the revenues % the couniry's insular
possessions and has the right 20 lay a
duty on goods imported into our insular
possessions from the United States or
exported from them into the United
States. Il holds. In brief. that FOR tax
alton purposes they are not a part Of the
United States u the extent that goods
shipped between their ports and the
United States are entitled 20 the same
treatment a. though they were shipped
between New York and New Orleans.
Justice Brown delivered these two
opinions and there were vigorous dis.
senting opinions in both. In the
Downes case four Of the court united in
an opinion characterizing In strong Ian.
guage opinion Of the majority in that
case. In this opposing opinion Chief jus