Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-04
SOUTHERN SENATOR'S WIN POINT
Fil,buster Against Proposed Act Con.
Quoted Because Of Clauses Relating
to Troops at Polls and Races Dis
elimination Provisions Stricken
Out-FederaI Court Jurisdiction
lRy Associated Press.l

\ new penal cod. VAS enacted into
law today through tn" adoption in
both Houses Of Congress cf the con
frr"nc" :epor, on the bill drafted by
Il john comm'Ssi Ii originally ap. 'OiAt
cd in 1877 and r"appOinled at the
cos" of the fif!y-liinth Congress-.
The second commissi II consisted
Piles. Clarke. o; Arkansas and MI,
lard. ard Representatives Moore,
sylvania: Pearsons. New i>rh:
Dcnby. Michigan: Shcrlry. Ken
lucky and IIous,nH. Tennessee"
The bill as adopted consist. OF
NOR" than zoo sections and j. a com
preh"nsive and coherent revision and
compilation of practically all OF the
purely penal laws.
Provoked a Filibuster.
For several days there has been a
fllibuster In the Senate led by My.
Clarke. Arkansas. against the section
relating to the use of troops at places
where general or special elections are
held =
Finally the conferees struck out OF
the section the provision relating TO
the keeping Of peace al the polls. be-
cause it was recognized that Federal
troops are not now used for that pur
pose.
The commission also dropped all
reference 10 the statute of 1875.
which forbids discrimination on ac-
OF grand or petit jurors. but left the
law as 1t was originally enacted.
The new code will become law
when i. shall have been signed by
the President
Uniformity Found Difficult.
The commission found II difficult to
make uniform laws thar would ooer-
ate in all States. and among these
were the prohibitOry liquor laws Of
a number CT States.
1t was found that this class of
cases can only be covered by a gen
eral statute. and enc was included,
known as the Knox amendment. max
ing an &C, penalized by the law ot
the State an offense against the Fed
e-al government. when committed
within the limits OF the State. in or
upon any place subject 10 the eNclus'
ion jurisdiction Of the Federal gov
ernment.
There never had been any previous
attempt to make systematic and
com, plete code such AS exists in near
~ every State.
Cosrt Jurisdiction Defined
The revision defines more clearly
the jurisdiction nf the Federal ccu-:
over cases coming within the ad-
miralty AMI maritime law. il enlarscS
the statute so as to reach modem
Developments as TO methods Of com
hitting crime and the extension or
American territory. II prohibits n;
only obscene" literature but 'flthy
literature from the mails: l. rlimi
mates some OF The so-cailed "ku-klux
laws"
Practically he only new legislation
Is that g. punish leaks" ri govern
M ntal statistical information and tho
regulation Of interstate shipments ~
intoxicating liquors.
In order that any serious error
might 10 corrected. the hill does no,
become effective unit! January I.
1910. enabling Congr, IS. when
meets next December To Greet any
serious mistakes or omission.
a joint resolution was adopted con
tinuing the commission TO cOiify III"
laws other than the criminal statutes
in accordance With the instruct ms
to the commission when originally
appointed.