Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-10
Miss Hannah E. Mershon. Col.
lfngSwOOd, N.J., saws:

WHO shall have the authority cquiva-
lent to that usually exercised in latin
countries by Il judge OF court of first
instance, but the iSthmian canal COM
| mission shall fix his salary and may
! lcgislate respecting his powers and au-
thority. increasing or diminishing them
| in their discretion, and also making
provision for additional or appellate
judges, should tho public interest re-
quire.
The laws Of the land, with which the
| inhabitants are familiar and which
were in fore On February 20. 1854, will
continue in force in the canal zone am.
| in other plHccs on the iSthmuS over.
| which the tntrd States HIS jurisdiction
until altered pr annulled by the com
mission, but there are certain great
| principles Of government which have
| been made the basis of an cxisten, e as
! A ton " hich we deem essential to the
rule of law and the maintenance of
order ana which shall have force in
sail zoae. The principles referred to
nt:Iy be generally stated as follows:
That no person shall b.. deprived of
| life, liberty or property without due
1
shall not Ec taken for public use with
out just compensation that in all
| criminal rrocccdiuGS the accused shall
| enjoy the right of Il Speedy and public
| trial, to De tnf0rmrd Of the nature and
| cause of the accusation, to BE- con-
| frout"d with the witness against him:
| to have compulsory process for obtain
| ing witness in his faV0: ana to hare
! the assistance of counsel for his de
! Tense: that excessive bail shall not he
! required nor excessive fines imposed,
nor cruel or unusual punishmentS i'll
| tliCt"d; that no person shall be put
| twice ii. jeopardy for the same offence
ar be compelled i'll any criminal case to
| bc a witness against himself; that the
| right to be secure against unreasonable
| searches; and seizures shall not be
| Violated that neither slavery nor in
| voluntary scryitude shall exist except
as Il punishment for crime; that no bill
of attainer of ex-post facto law shall
bc passed; that no law shall be passed
abridginis the freedom of speech or of
the press. or of the rights of the people
To ptaCcably assemble and petition the
government for redress of grievances:
that no law shall De made respecting
the establishment of religion, or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof.
Provided, however. that the COM
mission shall have power to exclude
| from time to time from the canal zone
and other places on the isthmus over
" hich the Cnitcd States has jurisdic-
ton, persons OF the following classes
Who were not actually domiCilcd with
i'm the zone on thn Goth day Of February,
1901, viz:
Idiots. the insane. cpilCptics, paupcrs.
criminals, professional bcSgars. per-
sons afflicted with loathsomc OF dan
scrnus contagious diseases: those who
have been convicted Of felony, anar-
chists. those whose purpose it is to in
cite insure elton and others whose
presence it is believed by the commits
sion would tend to create public dis
order, cndangcr the public health, or
in any manner impede the prosecution
of the work of opening tho canal and
may cause any and all such newly ar
rived persons or those alien to the
zonc to be expelled and deportcd.
Tho commission may leGislate on all
rirh,ful subjects of legislation not in
| consistent with the laws and treaties
of the United States so far as they APP
ply to said zone and other places; and
the said power shall include the enact
ment of sanitary ordinances OF a pre-
yentiye or curative character TO he en-
forced in the cities of Colon and Pana-
ma. Such legislative power shall also
include the power to raise and APP
propriate revenues. All taxes, Judicial
fines. custom duties and other revenues
levied and collected in said zone by OF
upder the authority of the commission
for its proper purposes. All laws rules
, and regulations of governmental