Year: 1871

! WASHINGTON, Feb. l, 1871.


The following is the annual report of the Attorney
General, sent to Congress today


The act OF June %, 1870, to establish the Depart
make an annual report to Congress in January Of
each year Of the business of the said Department OF
Justice and any other matters appertainng thereto
that he may deem proper including the statistics OF
crime under the laws Of the United states and as far
practicable under the laws OF the several States
In obedience to this provision OF law respectfully
submit the following rep0rt:-The act took effect on
the 1st day Of July, 1870. Upon my qualification as
that my predecessor had made none OF the changes
contemplated by the act except few which were
mainly Of q formal character.


LACK OF OFFICE ROOM.


In endeavoring to organize the department, &C.
cOrdng to the design Of act ], encountered serious
the Treasury building 10 provide suitable rooms in
that building or In any otner in the vicinity, Con-
sequently the Examiner Of Claims In the state De-
partment and the Naval Solicitor still retain their
respective offices in the buildings occupied by the
State and Navy Departments. The Solicitor General
and Of the Assistant Attorney Generals have Of
fees in building on street. The other Assistant
Attorney General has an office In the Capitol. The
offices Of the Attorney General the solicitor OF the
in the Treasury building Thus the officers Of this de-
partmen are dispersed In five buildings some OF them
building sufficient for all OF them shall be provided
the purpose OF Congress to bring under one direction
all the law officers OF the Executive Departments
will not be thoroughly accomplished.


THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.


The sixteenth section OF that act gives to the At.
torney General the supervision of the various dis
trict attorneys. In the main the country is well
served by these officers. Some Of them complain,
not unjustly, of the inadequacy of their compensa
tion Tne same service rendered TO private clients
would receive far more liberal reward. They are
now paid salary Of 5000 year. five dollars day
for attendance in court ten cents mile for travel,
docket fee in each case OF i've, ten or twenty
dollars, according to the disposition OF 1t, and two
Should the fees exceed $4,000 q year the ex-
cess must be paid into the Treasury after
certain ssS for j. nre Intended % clerks
compensation for the labor OF corresponding with
the departments at Washington. This labor has
been much increased in late years. 1t often requires
extended investigation and much clerical service.
know no work for the public which is so Ill paid.
the general professional service which these officers
perform is OF the highest value to the government.
Unless that service is efficient, dues to the govern
ment are unpaid and crime 1s unpunlsned. They
are opposed to skiu adverSares, and 1t Is essential
to the respecability as well as to the interests OF
the government that they should be men Of high
pected to abandon private Tor public centage
without something like an adequate remuneration.


AN INCREASE OF THEIR CONDENSATION.


to some such scale as the following, namely:-An
annual salary Of five hundred dollars in the smaller
districts and thousand dollars In the larger.
doubling OF the present per diem and docket tees,
and au extension OF the commission OF two per
centuln TO all collections for the government. The
rule which flxes six thousand dollars as the maxi
mum of compensation should also be abolished. The
application OF maximum rule OF compensation 70





not earn ten thousand dollars In fees without doing
ten times as much work as the man who receives
one thousand dollars in fees. Ten times the work
ought to bring ten times the pay. The present sys.
TEN has natural tendency to diminish the zeal OF
the oticer when his maximum is reached and to tend
him to seek improper incidental allowances II the
compensation at the proposed rate should rise 70 an
lnordinate amount in Of the largest districts,
diminuuon IN the rate might be made after GER
tain amount is reached without departing from the
rule that an increase Of labor should bring an In
crease OF pay should the increase be made the
ont QttO
recty rom the Treasury, could be paid In the mere
lucrative districts out OF the emoluments o. shelr
principals These suggestions on the subject Of the
maximum are also applicable 10


MARsHALS AND CLERKS.


am persuaded that the increased emciency
wrought in all these offcers by the proposed
change would bring into the Treasury ten
fold more than 1t now receives from
their surplus fees. While the law prescribing
maximum remains in force, It shsuld 6e ooeJed
as strictly as any other law. The clerks OF tho
courts Of the United states as Wen as the district
attorneys and marshals, are required TO render
semi-annual returns OF their em0luments, and to
pay into the treasury all above the maximum. In