Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-01-13
PUERTO RICO CASES.
Attorney GeBsrul Grigg. aud Mr.. Carl.
isis speak to the Court.

Washington, Jan. l2.-Att0rney Gen.
eral Griggs resumed his argument b.
fore the United States supreme court
yesterday, continuing his statement Of
the position Of the government as 10 the
rule Of uniformity in the tariff and in.
ternal revenue taxes lie insisted that
the Application Of the internal revenue
laws 20 Puerto Rico would b. unwise
and IN many places Improbable. A
rule u uniformity internal revenue
taxes, he said, could beestabAshed when
20 b. applied 10 contiguous states "a the
states were governed by similar laws
and similar conditions But when il
came % apply these taxes % widely sep
autcd territories inhabited by polyglot
races wide discretion was necessary.
Rndr'o endeayor 10 apply a system Of in.
tcrnal taxes would b. rather applying a
stmight jacket than a constitution.
Continuing, he said congress should
have discretion TO impose only such
take, as the people could bear
The attorney general concluded by in.
sisting that no private right would b.
conserved but that the right Of the gov.
ernmeut win BE- h4mpered by the sue.
Cess Of the contention Of the plaintiffs.
Hon. John G. Carlisle. cuc' attorney
for the plaintiffs, follow o g.. a. rs.
He began by saying l.l., le wuu.. not
discuss questions Of policy as they be-
longed 10 another forum. The questions
Were 70 b. settled only on the constitu.
ton. He said be had been as yet una.
BILE 10 form an opinion as 20 the exact
contention Of the government
First, however. he believed the con.
tention was that the island Of Puerto
Rico did not become a part Of the Unit
ed States either ON the signing OF the
protocol or the ratification Of the treaty
Of Paris, 80 there was a condition exist.
ing which placed the islands under the
gcqeral protection and jurisdiction Of
the United States with certain limita.
tions during the period between the ac-
QUESTION Of the territory and the pass.
age Of laws by congress and the island
might b. governed by the president sub.
Ject 20 the laws Of war and that the Is.
land did not become a part Of the Unit
ed States until admitted by congress
and until such time congress may legis-
late FOR the islands.
Mr. Carlisle said the real question was
not whether the constitution extended
20 the inhabitants Of Puerto Rico but
whether IL extends over the congress.
the president and the cabinet.
On the point that the territories were
not part Of the United States. Mr.
Carlisle read history Of the framing
Of the constitution showing that first IL
was the intention that AL treaties"
should be the supreme law Of the land.
This was before the word constitution"
had been introduced and he took il 70
mean that it was the intention 10 have
the constitution apply to all parts Of the
country whether in the states or simply
In territory belonging to them.
When Mr. Carlisle concluded, Senator
Lindsay Of Kentucky began the argu.
ment for the plaintiff in the next Of tn
Puerto Rican cases, that Of Huns w. the
New York and Puerto Steamship com.
pany. The case involves the question
Of whether or not congress had the
right 70 make the trade with the is.
lands coasting trade or foreign trade.