Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10

Public Land nnd Postal Frauds.
In my last annual message, In con.
nection with the subject Of the due
regulation Of combinations Of capital
which are or may become injurious to
the public. l recommended special ap.
| preparation for the better enforcement
Of the antitrust law as II now stands.
to be expended under the direction of
the attorney general. Accordingly (by
the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation act Of Feb. 25. 1903, SO
'l1t., S64, 900, the congress appro-
| Mated for the purpose Of enforcing the
various federal trust and interstate
commerce laws the sum Of $4,000 to
be expended under the direction of the
attorney general in the employment of
special counsel and agents in the de.
partmcnt ofiustice to conduct proceed.
ings and prosecutions under snid laws
In the courts Of the United States. I
now recommend. as a matter of the ut.
most Importance and urgency, the ex-
tension Of the purposes Of this appro-
| priatlon. so that it may be available
under the direction of the attorney
general and until used, for the due en-
| forcement az the laws Of the United
States in general and especially OF the
civil and criminal laws relating TO pub
| lie lands and the laws relating to postal
| crimes and offcnscs and the subject of
naturalization. Recent Investigations
have shown a deplorablc state of af-
| fairs in these three matters Of vital
concern. BY various frauds and by
forgeries and perjuries thousands Of
acres Of the public domain, embracing
lands Of different character and ex-
tending through various sections Of the
country. have been dishonesty ncquir
ed. 1t Is hardly necessary to urge the
importance OF recovering these dishon'
| est acquisitions, stolen fro ~ the people,
ard of promptly and duly Furnishing
the offenders.
Through frauds, forgeries and per.
juries and by shameless briberies the
laws relating to the proper conduct Of
| the public service in general and to the
due administration of the postoffice
department have been VIGOROUSLY vio-
lated, and many indictments have been
found, and the consequent prosecutions
are in course Of hearing or on the eve
thereof. For the reasons thus indicat-
ed and so that the government may
be prepared to enforce promptly and
| with the greatest effect the due pen
alties for such violations Of law, and
to this end may be furnished with suffi-
cient Observation-Disclosures and competent
legal assistance for the investigations
and trials which will he necessary al
many different points of the country,
urge upon the congress the necessity
Of making the snid appropriation avail
| able for immediate use for all such
| purposes to be expended under the d.
rection of the attorney general.
Need For Treaties Making Bribery
EXtrsdftable.
Steps have been taken by the STATE
department looking to the making OF
bribery an extradtable offense witt
foreign powers. The need Of more ef
fectivc treaties covering this crime II
manifest. The exposures and prosecu
tons Of official corruption in St Louis
Mo-, and other cities and states have
resulted in number of givers and TAX
ers of brides becoming fugitives in for
eign lands. Bribery has not been In
cluded in eStradition treaties hereto
fore, as the necessity for II has no
arisen. While there may have beef
as much official corruption in forme
years. there has been more developed
and brought to light in the immediate
past than in the preceding century o
our countrys history. II should be tn
policy of the United States to leave m
place on earth where n corrupt mai
fleeing from this country can rest u
peace.
Alaskan boundary.
After unavailing attempts to reach a.
understanding on the Alaskan bound
airy question through joint high con-
mission, followed by prolonged negotia
tons, conducted in an amicable spirit
a convention between the United State
and Great Britain was signed Jan. p
1903, providing for an examination @
the subject by a mixed tribunal of 81
, members three on side, with vieN
to its final disposition. Ratification
were exchanged on March las
whereupon the two governments al
pointed their respective member
Those on behalf OF the United State
were Elihu Root, secretary of wa
=, | Henry Cabot Lodge, senator of tt
United States, and George Turner, n
Q ex-senator Of the United States, viii
r Great Britain named the Right Hol
: Lord Alverstonc, lord chief justice {
D England; Sir Louis Amable Jette,
Q C. NJ G., retired Judge Of the supren
e court of Quebec, and A. 3. Ayleswort
+ X. c., of Toronto. This tribunal M
n In London on Sept. under the pres
= dency Of Lord Alverstone. On the 20t
= Of October a majority Of the tribun
d reached and signed an agreement c
u all the questions submitted by Il
n terms of the convention. BY tn
: award the right Of the United Stat
II to the control OF continuous strip
border of the mainland shore, skirtir
J. all the tidewater inlets and sinuositi
Is Of the coast, Is confirmed the entran
h to Portland canal, concerning whi'
y legitimate doubt appeared. Is defu'
n as passing by Tongass inlet and to Il
d northwestward Of Wales and Pear
l. ~