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The Constitution of the Association makes it my duty to "communicate the most noteworthy changes in statute law on points of general interest made in the several States and in Congress during the preceding year." I proceed to the performance of this arduous task, craving your patient attention.

THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

It is doubtful if any Congress has had to deal with problems more difficult and legislation more important in its results than the first session of the 56th, which began on December 4th, 1899, and adjourned on June 7th, 1900. The law making mania is in evidence from the fact that in the Senate there were introduced 4,961 bills, and in the House 12,220. Of these there were enacted 197 public and 729 private laws. Many of the bills bearing upon subjects of grave import are in the hands of the committees, or upon the over-burdened calendars of the two houses, and will receive consideration at the next session.

The legislation accomplished has reached into the very heart of the difficult questions presented, and many of the unusual responsibilities that devolved upon the Federal legislature have been met with fearlessness and with a wisdom that time will prove. Hawaii had come to us by voluntary action and the laws essential for her annexation and government were pressing. Alaska, with a greatly increased population, excited and feverish in their pursuit of the precious metals on the coast line and on the Yukon, was, as she has been for many years, practically without law. The transition from disorder under Spain to order under the United States had to be accomplished in Porto Rico, and her relative status determined. The condition of affairs in the distant Philippines. was disturbing and the Army and Navy needed the legislation that would permit efficiency. Our guardianship over Cuba brought up much to disturb. A fixed standard of value was needed to bring about stability in business. Active industry in all the trades was demanding a larger volume of

the circulating medium.

Valuable treaties with other powers were pending for the consideration of the Senate.

I refer to the laws that seem to be of general interest, congratulating myself and you that the number is not greater, for as has been well stated by the accomplished President pro tempore of the Senate, the Honorable Senator from Maine, "It is no small part of the duty of Congressional leaders to contrive how not to legislate; to prevent great numbers of ill-considered, selfishly promoted and vicious measures from becoming laws."

AGRICULTURE. Four hundred acres of the Arlington Estate are set aside as a general experimental farm, where agriculture, animal industry and horticulture may be fostered, under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture.

Publications issued by Agricultural Departments of the states are admitted to the mails as second-class matter.

ALASKA.

A very voluminous act has passed organizing a complete civil government for this District. The territory ceded by Russia under the treaty of 1867 shall constitute a civil and judicial district, with the seat of government changed from Sitka to Juneau.

A civil code regulating the domestic relations, estates in land, in dower, by the curtesy, conveyances, wills, descent, the law merchant, municipal, public and private corporations, eminent domain, liens, mortgages, insurance, etc.; and a civil code of procedure, covering actions of every kind in the courts, form parts of the act, and with the criminal code heretofore framed, form a complete body of laws for the district.

The Executive and Judicial Departments are fully organized, but the legislative power is retained by the Congress. The President appoints a Governor, a Surveyor-General, who is ex-officio Secretary of the District, three District Judges, three District Attorneys and three Marshalls. The duties of these

These are all salaried

officials are clearly defined in the law. officers and fees collected by them are to be turned into the Treasury. Licenses for carrying on every conceivable business are to be issued by the District Courts and the license tax varies from taxidermists at ten dollars and peddlers twentyfive, to breweries five hundred, pawnbrokers three hundred dollars and railroads one hundred dollars per mile per annum.

The Secretary of the Interior is to make all needful rules and regulations for the education of children, without reference

to race.

The federal laws relating to mining claims is extended over the district and exploration and mining for precious metals may be had by citizens of the United States on land and shoal water, between low and mean high tide, and citizens may dredge and mine in waters below low tide under rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War.

This legislation is of great importance as showing the probable course that will be pursued by the Congress concerning other possessions that may have come to us either by purchase or conquest. The act certainly throws every safeguard about the lives and liberties of the inhabitants of the district and permits the "pursuit of happiness" under conditions more desirable in some respects than obtain in some of the sovereign states of the Republic.

APPEALS.-The amendments to sections 6 and 7 of the Act of March 3rd, 1891, so frequently urged by our Association, to confer upon Courts of Appeal "appellate jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal, or writ of error, from interlocutory orders, and decrees, appointing or refusing to appoint receivers, or vacating or refusing to vacate such an order or decree, or allowing or refusing to allow injunctions, notwithstanding an appeal in such cases upon final decree would, under the statutes, regulating such cases, go direct to the Supreme Court of the United States," and further to " provide an appeal not only where an injunction has been granted or continued but also where it has been refused or dissolved

and also where an application for the appointment of a receiver, or for the vacation of such appointment, shall be either granted or refused" have not yet been adopted by the Federal legislature.

An amendment has been made however to the seventh section of the Act of March 3rd, 1891, by which an appeal may be taken upon a hearing in a district or circuit court, or by a judge thereof in vacation, where an injunction shall be granted or continued, or a receiver appointed, by an interlocutory order or decree, in a cause in which an appeal from a final decree may be taken; the appeal from the interlocutory order to be taken within thirty days.

ARMY-The number of cadets at the Military Academy has been increased, permitting a greater output to that great school.

BILL OF EXCEPTIONS may be allowed when trial judge, by reason of death, sickness or other disability, is unable to settle the same, by his successor in office or by any other judge of the court in which the cause was tried when, upon satisfactory evidence, he is satisfied that he can pass upon the same.

COURTS.-New divisions of judicial districts have been made in the eastern and western districts of Tennessee, northern district of Georgia, northern district of Texas, northern and southern districts of California and the southern district of Iowa.

The State of New York is re-divided into four new districts and a District Judge was appointed for the newly-constituted western district.

Terms of court, as to time and place, are provided for in the western district of Virginia, in South Carolina, Texas, western district of Louisiana, southern district of Florida, western district of Wisconsin, eastern district of North Carolina, and in the Indian Territory.

CRIMES. An important extradition act, growing out of our peculiar relations with Cuba and the commission of grave offences there by those entrusted by the United States with

important duties, is that passed on June 6th, which provides that whenever any foreign country or territory is occupied by or is under the control of the United States, any person who shall violate the criminal laws in force therein, and has fled from justice to this country, shall be liable to arrest and detention by the authorities of the United States and on request of the military governor, or other chief executive officer in control of such foreign country, shall be surrendered for trial under the laws in force where the offence was committed. The proceeding prior to extradition must be had before a United States judge and probable cause of guilt must be established.

No person charged with political offenses shall be returned.

CUBA.

Vessels owned by Cubans are entitled in United States ports to the rights and privileges of the most favored nations.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

A Board of Charities of five persons is created to exercise supervision of all charitable and correctional institutions which are supported in whole or in part by congressional appropriation. They shall report to Congress through the District Commissioners.

GAME.-The Department of Agriculture is empowered to look after the preservation, distribution, introduction and restoration of game and other wild birds. No foreign wild animal or bird shall be imported, except under special permit from the Secretary, but natural history specimens for museums and certain cage birds may be brought in. The importation of the mongoose, flying foxes or fruit bats. English sparrows, the starling and like creatures, is prohibited and when brought to port shall be destroyed or returned. The interstate transportation of animals or birds, whose importation is prohibited, or which have been killed in violation of the game laws of any state or territory, is made unlawful with

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