Gilpin observer., 1904-03-24

ney General Knox. applied for writ
OF mandamus to compel Judge Francis
]. Wing of the United States District
Court of the northern district of Ohio,
to take what the department of JUS
tice maintains is legal action with res
pect to certain Chinese exclusion cases.
This is the first time in the history OF
the Supreme Court that the govern
ment has sought writ of maridamuS
against federal judge. In his appli-
cation Attorney General Knox main
tains that Judge Wing, in holding un-
constitutional, that part Of the Chinese
exclusion law which provides for the
deportation of alien Chinese after a
hearing before a United States commits
sioner, is proceeding contrary to de-
cisions Of the United States Supreme
Court and is preventing the deporta-
tion of Chinese who are unlawfully in
the United States.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Bristow, in testifying before the
house special committee on the post
Office report, claimed for himself re-
sponsibility for only the first seven
pages of the report which was sent to
the postofflce committee, and said the
other portions of the document were
the work of other officials OF the de-
partment. The clerk hire section, he
said was prepared in the Office of the
first assistant postmaster general and
that part relating to leases by inspec-
tors and others in his own department.
Mr.. Bristow's testimony threw much
light on all phases of the inquiry. He
practically cleared members OF con-
gress from wrong-doing touching the
clerk hire section of the report, by
stating that it was the duty of the
first assistants office to ascertain the
condition of the work in an office
where an increase had been recon-
mended..
In concluding his hearing before the
House committee on interstate and for
eign commerce Admiral Walker, presi-
dent of the Panama Canal Company.
stated that actual work on the canal
would be begun after the commission
had made stay of few weeks on the
isthmus for which it was to sail March
29th. Admiral Walker, in answer to a
question, said that a large number of
inspectors would be employed by the
commission. These inspectors would
be engineers and he did not want the
law to provide that they should be
selected through the civil service COM
mission Admiral" asked Chairman
Hepburn. what you have said in dis
paragement of the civil service COM
mission has been cry painful to some
members of the committee. Don't you
think it would be possible for you to
select what clar-women. scavengers
and water-carriersy you will need through
the civil service?" 81 am sorry to be
lar io1 he od
because / am a thorough believer in
ply to us. But am very sure that 1t
would not be satisfactory to the 18TH
mus of Panama"
With the paraphernalia for playing
Jai Alai. game which figures conspic-
uously in the contest against the con-
frmation of General Leonard Wood to
be major general, the members of the
senate amused themselves more than
an hour. protected from the gaze Of
the public by the closed doors OF an
executive session. A lively interest
was manifested in the game. 1t was
stated by members of the committee
that the game will be introduced at the
st. Louis exposition. Senators Proc
tor, Cockrell. Quarles. Foraker, Teller.
who participated in the hearings be-
fore the military affairs committee,
where the game was explained by ex-
perts, were the exponents of Jai Alai.
Senators Cockrell and Foraker, who
have paid extensive visit. to Cuba
while tie "Pelota" season was at its
height, explained that the gambling
features of the game are not essential
to it's adoption by the Cubans, while
Senators Blackburn, Scott and Teller
contended that without the betting
privileges the Jai Alai company would
not have made application to General
Wood for the concession to erect q
building as headquarters for the game.
The demonstration of Jai Alai came in
the last hour of the session and
through it all ran a discussion Of the
game, in which many senators partici-
pated. General Woods defenders
scored a point when Senator Patterson
admitted that he had spent a day
studying the testimony in regard to the
game and had come to the conclusion
that it contained nothing detrimental
to General Woods conduct and no rea-
son for opposition to his confirmation.
Admiral Walker. in his hearing be-
fore the House committee. explained
that the estimate of cost Of the Panama
canal made by the last commission did
not include the expense Of governing
the canal zone. Considerable discus
sion was INDUCED in as to what pro-
vision should be made in the proposed
law regarding the disbursement OF
money and the auditing of accounts.
but no conclusion was reached. The
admiral wanted every safeguard pos
s.ble in this connection. The engineer
ing features of the work were explained
at some length, as well as the intense
interest which prospective contractors
already are taking in the matter. The
admiral said that on the steamer on
which the commission was to sail state
r,,Oms had been engaged to the caDac-