The Washington herald., 1906-12-06
READY TO help PRESIDENT
Congress Quick to Favor Suggestions
in Message.
Criminal ApneaIs BuI RecOmmitted
to senate Judiciary Committee
for Bettermenf.

There is a disposition at both ends Of
The Capito. 20 give the President prompt
action on many Of che recommendations
made in his message. Numerous bills
were introduced yesterday providing leg
islation urged in the message, and sew
craI committees began e1ergetically the
consideration Of measures which the Ex-
ecutive would like 10 see written upon the
statute books.
The Senate judiciary Committee met
and took up the bill providing appeals in
criminal cases where the United States
is prosecutor. The committee last session
discussed this bill carefully and decided
to set aside the House bill which was
drawn at the Department of Justice and
passed in the House April l6
This measure provided broadly that in
all criminal prosecutions the United
States should have the same right Of
review by writ Of error that is given a
defendant, including the right TO a bill
of exceptions. The proviso went with the
bill that II on writ OF error error be found
In the rulings of the court, a verdict in
favor Of the defendant should not be set
aside A substitute was framed securing
to the United States the right to writs
Of error in specific cases, as for instance,
where 4 decision was made setting aside
an indictment, or from decision sus-
tanning a demurrer to an Indictment. from
one arresting a judgment Of conviction
for insufflciency Of the indictment, and
from a decision or judgment sustaining a
special plea in bar when the defendant
bas not been put I'm jeopardy.
In all these cases the United States was
to have the same right TO bin Of eX-
ceptions as in civil cases. This was not
what the President asked for, or wanted
and he said so plainly. His anxiety for a
square deal for the government In Grim
nai appeals was such that this was the
frs topic Of his recent message. The
Judiciary Committee found that the sub
stitute was adopted in committee without
a full meeting. and with a bare quorum.
Representative SpOoner pointed out clearly
the insufficiency Of the answer to the
Presidents request. and urged that the
committee ask to have the bill recon-
mitted. Senator Clark, Of Wyoming, as
chairman of the committee, was author
lied to ask that the bill be returned. and
this request was complied with by the
Senate. The judiciary Committee will
consider the bill next week with full
committee present, and it is expected that
a return to something like The House bill
will be decided on.
The joint resolution introduced by Sen
ator Carter, providing that an amend
ment to the Constitution giving the gen
eral government control of divorce legis-
latiCn should be submitted 20 the legisla-
lures Of the several States for ratihcauon
or rejection. will also be taken up Dy the
judiciary Committee within few days
and again reconsidered. The committee
last June voted to report this resolution
adversely. The temper OF the committee
is now to yield to the Presidents wishes
and seek alignment with him IN the mat
ter Of divorce legislation and the preven-
ton of race death. In the House. Mr..
Brick, of Indiana. introduced a joint reso-
luton on the subject along the lines OF
that which the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee reported adversely. Bills providing
for an income tax and for currency re-
form have been introduced by Repre-
sentative Sheppard, Of Texas, and Rep
resentative KeifeT, Of Ohio.
The House Committee on Banking and
Currency held a meeting yesterday. pre-
paratOry to the framing of a bill along
the lines recently recommended by the
currency commission of the American
Bankers Association, providing for a
more elastic currency. Hearings viii be
had.