The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
Correspondence.l


The effort to impeach Judge L. r
Whitley of Shanghai will remind stay al
! home Americans that the federal court
is ready and waiting for them in ths
far east if they and trouble should find
themselves together in the orient. This
consular court and those of other ma
lions at Shanghai is maintained as a
refuge from native court procedure.
Consular Courts.
In China, Japan, Egypt and at some
points on the north coast Of Africa
the great powers Of the western world
have insisted at various times on their
own courts for their own subjects. OF
course this is reflection on the nation
or people which no strong power would
tolerate. Japan never really ranked as
one Of the powers until the consular
courts there were withdrawn and for
eigners left to Japanese justice. The
foreign courts at the treaty port of
pride, but China is In no position to
ask for their withdrawal.
Scope of Court at Shanghai.
If two Americans in China have diff
ficulties, then-or If an American and a
Chinaman develop legal dispute-the
case is adjudicated before the Amer
lean Judge in Shanghai If an Amer
lean dies in China his estate is admin
istered through this court. Business
and contract law with which Ameri
cans in China are concerned is passed
on in Judge Wilfey's court. Criminal
cases involving Americans and joint
police court jurisdiction with other for
eign courts over part Of Shanghai
belong to the American judge. He
doles out maritime law too.
The Paul Jones Book.
There is public document, book,
called 1.-THE Paul Jones Commemora-
ton" The government issued it, and
few copies were given to each SEN
ator and representative to do with as
he would 1t is likely that each SEN
ator and representative wishes that the
book never had been published. There
have been scores of applications for
every copy printed, and from some
districts the applications have come by
the hundreds, possibly even the thou
sands, for the number keeps mounting
every time the inquiry is made.
Real Bones of Great Sailor.
BY the way, this Paul Jones book,
ha MI that q in II
prove pretty conclusively that we have
the real bones of the real Jones safe
in the coffin under the stairway in the
big hall of the Naval academy.
Soon the bones win be transferred to
the more hallowed spot within the
chapel, and when they are there the
thronging visitors may be pretty well
assured that they are standing close to
the real remains of that very much Of
man who took the Drake captive and
who thrashed the Scraps out of hand.
The story of the finding of the body
and of the means that were taken to
make it seemingly certain that the
right coffin had been brought to light
are as nothing in insuring the genu-
ineness of the discovery to the proof
which the pictures present. There is
picture of the bust of Jones made
during his lifetime put side by side
with the photograph Of the body that
was unearthed in Paris. 1t is the body
of John Paul Jones unless some man
walked the earth asa Jones' double in
the days long ago.
Increase Of Widows' Pensions.
Charles G. Burton, commander in
chief Of the G.. A. R., and the members
of the pension committee of that or
ganization-General r. B. Brown, John
r. King and s. s. Burdette-conferred
with the president the other day about
the bill pending in congress for the in
crease of the pensions of widows from
So to SIP per month. The president
told the committee that he would APP
prove this measure should it become a
law and that he would stand by the old
soldiers whenever he could do So Gen
eral Brown, who is a former COM
mander in chief Of the G. A. R., says
that he is confident the bill will be-
come law at this session of congress.
Land Values Growing.
Assessed and estimated values in the
square known as reservation B are
interesting in view of the abandon
ment Of the Sixth street railway sta
ton and the effect on prices In that
section. Advocates of the Hepburn
| hill +olxo thic rnuaro 70 omnhaS izp thn
necessity of immediate purchase by
the government of the land on the
south side of Pennsylvania avenue
from Second street to Fifteenth street
| northwest for future public buildings
and Mall extension.
The square contains 146,662 square
feet, assessed at $2S0,116 or about
$191 an average foot for the ground
and $197,700 for improvements, with
real value for both, determined by
the assessment rule, of $716,724, OF
about $3.50 an average foot.
Bust of the President.
President Roosevelt has received a
bust Of himself made by workmen of
Montevideo, Uruguay. The presenta-
ton was made by Senior Lafinur, min
lister from Uruguay. 1t is about three
feet In height and surmounts dove,
representing peace, with its wings
spread The dove stands on an ebony
globe upon which the outlines Of North
and South Americasare engraved. The
bust was made in commemoration OF
1 AenN