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disability than those enumerated prevents any claim from being barred, nor do any of the stated disabilities operate cumulatively.

The court has power to establish rules for its government, and for the regulation of practice therein, and may punish for contempt in the manner prescribed by the common law, may appoint commissioners, and exercise such powers as are necessary to carry into effect the powers granted to it by law. The judges and clerks of the court may administer oaths and affirmations, take acknowledgments of instruments in writing, and give certificates of the same. The court has power to appoint commissioners to take testimony to be used in the investigation of claims which come before it, to prescribe the fees which they shall receive for their services, and to issue commissions for the taking of such testimony, whether taken at the instance of the claimant or of the United States. The court has power to call upon any of the departments for any information or papers it may deem necessary, and has the use of all recorded and printed reports made by the committees of each House of Congress when deemed necessary in the prosecution of its business. But the head of any department may refuse and omit to comply with any call for information or papers, when in his opinion such compliance would be injurious to the public interest. When it appears to the court in any case that the facts set forth in the petition of the claimant do not furnish any ground for relief, it is not the duty of the court to authorise the taking of any testimony therein.

No claimant, nor any person from or through whom any such claimant derives his alleged title, claim, or right against the United States, nor any person interested therein, is a competent witness in the Court of

Claims in supporting the same, and no testimony given by such claimant or person is used unless, at the instance of the attorney or solicitor appearing in behalf of the United States, the court makes an order directing the claimant to appear, upon reasonable notice, before any commissioner of the court, and be examined on oath touching any or all matters pertaining to the claim. Such examination is reduced to writing by the commissioner, and returned to and filed in court, and may, at the discretion of the attorney or solicitor of the United States appearing in the case, be read and used as evidence on the trial thereof. Should a claimant fail to appear at this examination, or refuse to testify or answer fully as to all matters within his knowledge material to the issue, the court may, in its discretion, order that the cause be not brought forward for trial until he has fully complied with the order of the court in the premises. The testimony in cases pending in the Court of Claims is taken in the county where the witness resides, when this can be conveniently done. The court may issue subpoenas to require the attendance of witnesses in order to be examined before any person commissioned to take testimony therein, and these subpoenas have the same force as if issued from a district court, and compliance therewith is compelled under such rules and orders as the court establishes. The commissioner taking testimony administers an oath or affirmation to the witnesses.

When judgment is rendered against any claimant, the court may grant a new trial for any reason which, by the rules of common law or chancery in suits between individuals, would furnish sufficient ground for granting a new trial. An appeal to the Supreme Court is allowed on behalf of the United States from all judgments

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adverse to the United States, and on behalf of the plaintiff in any case where the amount in controversy exceeds $2500, or where his claim is forfeited to the United States by the judgment of the court; but all appeals must be taken within ninety days after the judgment is rendered, and are allowed under such regulations as the Supreme Court directs. court, at any time while any claim is pending before it, or on appeal from it, or within two years next after the final disposition of such claim, may, on motion on behalf of the United States, grant a new trial, and stay the payment of any judgment therein, upon such evidence, cumulative or otherwise, as satisfies the court that any fraud, wrong, or injustice in the premises has been done to the United States; but until an order is made staying the payment of a judgment, the same is payable and paid as provided by law. Final judgments by the Court of Claims, or on appeal by the Supreme Court, where in favour of the claimant, are paid out of any general appropriation made by law for the payment and satisfaction of private claims, on presentation to the Secretary of the Treasury of a copy of the judgment, certified by the clerk of the Court of Claims, and signed by the Chief-Justice, or in his absence by the presiding judge of that court. No interest is allowed on any claim up to the time of the rendition of judgment thereon by the Court of Claims, unless upon a contract expressly stipulating for the payment of interest. If the judgment appealed from be in favour of the claimant, and be affirmed by the Supreme Court, interest thereon at the rate of five per cent is allowed from the date of its presentation to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment, but no interest is allowed subsequent to the affirmance unless presented for payment to the Secre

tary of the Treasury. The payment, with any interest due, is a full discharge to the United States of all claims and demands touching any of the matters involved in the controversy, and a final judgment against the claimant on any claim for ever bars any further claim or demand against the United States arising out of the matters involved in the controversy.

Whenever a claim or matter is pending before any committee of the Senate or House of Representatives, or before either House of Congress, involving the investigation and determination of facts, the committee or House may cause the same, with the vouchers, papers, proofs, and documents pertaining thereto, to be transmitted to the Court of Claims, to be then proceeded in under such rules as the court may adopt. When the facts have been found, the court does not enter judgment thereon, but reports the same to the committee or to the House by which the case was transmitted for its guidance and action. When a claim or matter is pending in any of the executive departments which involves controverted questions of fact or law, the head of such department may transmit the same, with the vouchers, papers, proofs, and documents pertaining thereto, to the court, which reports its findings and opinions to the department, instead of entering judgment. The Attorney-General, or his assistants under his directions, appear for the defence and protection of the interests of the United States in all cases so transmitted, with the same power to interpose counter - claims, offsets, defences for fraud practised, or attempted to be practised by claimants, and other defences in like manner as he is required to defend the United States in the court. In the trial of these cases no person is excluded as a witness because he or

she is a party to or interested in the same. Reports of the Court of Claims to Congress, if not finally acted upon during the session at which they are

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reported, are continued from session to session, and from Congress to Congress, until they are finally acted

upon.

IMMIGRATION.

The subjects of China, Japan, and other oriental countries, known as coolies," are protected from citizens of the United States and foreigners coming into or residing within the United States who would engage in the "coolie trade. By the statute of May 6, 1882, on the preamble that "in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese labourers to this country endangers the good order of certain localities within the territory thereof," it is enacted : "That from and after the expiration of ninety days next after the passage of this Act, and until the expiration of ten years next after the passage of this Act, the coming of the Chinese labourers to the United States be, and the same is, hereby suspended; and during such suspension it shall not be lawful for any Chinese labourer to come, or having so come after the expiration of said ninety days, to remain in the United States." Every Chinese person other than a labourer entitled by the treaty between the United States and China, dated November 17, 1880, and by Isaid Act to come within the United States, has to be identified as so entitled by the Chinese Government, in each case by a certificate issued under the authority of that Government, which is primâ facie evidence of the fact set forth in it, and has to be produced to the collector of customs, or his deputy, of the port in the district in the United States at which the person named in it arrives. No Chinese person is permitted to enter the United States by

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land without producing to the proper officer of customs a similar certificate. Any Chinese person found unlawfully within the United States is caused to be removed to the country whence he came, by direction of the President of the United States, and at the cost of the United States, after being brought before some justice, judge, or commissioner of a court of the United States, and found to be one not lawfully entitled to be or remain in the United States. This Act does not apply to diplomatic and other officers of the Chinese Government travelling upon the business of that Government, whose credentials are taken as equivalent to the certificate otherwise necessary, and exempt them and their body and household servants from the provisions of this Act as to other Chinese persons. No state court or court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship. The words "Chinese labourers" include both skilled and unskilled labourers, and Chinese employed in mining.

Teams of animals, including their harness and tackle, and the vehicles or waggons actually owned by persons emigrating from foreign countries to the United States with their families, and in actual use for the purpose of such emigration, are admitted free of duty under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe. It is unlawful for aliens of the following classes to immigrate into the United States- namely, persons who are undergoing a sentence for conviction in their own country of felonious crimes other

than political, or growing out of or the result of such political offences, or whose sentence has been remitted on condition of their emigration, and women "imported for the purpose of prostitution." Every vessel arriving in the United States may be inspected under the direction of the collector of the port at which it arrives, if he has reason to believe such obnoxious persons are on board; and when such inspection is required, it is unlawful, without permission of the collector, for any alien to leave the vessel until the inspection has been had and the result certified. At no time thereafter shall any alien certified to by the inspecting officer as being of either of the classes whose immigration is forbidden, be allowed to land in the United States, except in obedience to a judicial process issued pursuant to law. Persons

feeling aggrieved by the inspecting officer's certificate, can apply for release or other remedy to any proper court or judge; and it is the duty of the collector to detain the vessel until a hearing and determination of the matter are had. Pending investigation, the vessel may be permitted to depart, provided the company, or its agents, give proper bond with security that the questionable immigrants shall, in case of an adverse decision, be again taken on board and returned whence they came. Meantime these immigrants are detained on shore.

A duty of 50 cents for each and every passenger not a citizen of the United States who comes by steam or sail vessel from a foreign port to any port within the United States is paid to the collector of customs within twenty-four hours after the entry of such vessel into her port of arrival by the master, owner, agent, or consignee of such vessel. Passengers coming by vessels employed exclusively in the trade be

tween the ports of the United States and the ports of the Dominion of Canada, or the ports of Mexico, and those coming into the United States by land carriage, are not subject to this duty. This duty is a lien on the vessels; and the money thus collected is paid into the United States Treasury, and constitutes what is called the Immigrant Fund, which is used under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury to defray the expenses of regulating immigration, and for the care of immigrants and the relief of such as are in distress.

The Secretary of the Treasury is charged with supervision over the business of immigration to the United States, and for that purpose has power to enter into contracts with such state, commission, board, or officers as may be designated for that purpose by the governor of any state, to take charge of the local affairs of immigration in the ports within such state, and to provide for the support and relief of such immigrants therein landing as may fall into distress or need of public aid under the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary. It is the duty of the state, commission, board, or officers to examine into the condition of passengers arriving at the ports within such state in any ship or vessel, and for that purpose all or any of such commissioners or officers or other persons appointed to go on board of and through any such ship or vessel, and to report in writing to the collector of the port any convict, lunatic, idiot, or any person unable to take care of himself or herself without becoming a public charge, whom they have found among the passengers, and who shall not be permitted to land. All foreign convicts, except those convicted of political offences, upon arrival are sent back to the nations to which they

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not inconsistent with law, as he deems best calculated to protect the United States, and immigrants into the United States, from fraud and loss, and for carrying out the immigration laws of the United States.

There is need for a National Bureau of Immigration and Naturalisation, in which shall be kept a register recording the names and full particulars of every immigrant, and also a register of every immigrant naturalised under the laws of the United States, and which shall refer to the entries in the other register.

EXTRADITION.

Whenever there is a treaty or convention for extradition between the Government of the United States and any foreign Government, any justice of the Supreme Court, circuit judge, district judge, commissioner authorised so to do by any of the courts of the United States, or judge of a court of record of general jurisdiction of any state may, upon complaint made under oath charging any person found within the limits of any state, district, or territory with having committed within the jurisdiction of any such foreign Government any of the crimes provided for by such treaty or convention, issue his warrant for the apprehension of the person so charged, that he may be brought before him to the end that the evidence of criminality be heard and considered. If on such hearing he deems the evidence sufficient to sustain the charge under the provisions of the proper treaty or convention, he certifies the same, together with a copy of all the testimony taken before him to the Secretary of State, that a warrant may issue upon the requisition of the proper authorities of such foreign Government for the surrender of such

person, according to the stipulations of the treaty or convention; and he issues his warrant for the commitment of the person so charged to the proper jail, there to remain until such surrender be made. In every case of complaint, and of a hearing upon the return of the warrant of arrest, any depositions, warrants, or other papers offered in evidence are admitted and received for the purpose of such hearing if they are properly and legally authenticated so as to entitle them to be received as evidence of the criminality of the person so apprehended by the tribunals of the foreign country from which the accused party has escaped; and copies of any such depositions, warrants, or other papers are, if authenticated according to the law of such foreign country, in like manner received as evidence. The certificate of the principal diplomatic or consular officer of the United States resident in such foreign country is proof that any such deposition, warrant, or other paper, or copy thereof, is authenticated in the manner required. It is lawful for the Secretary of State, under his hand and seal of office, to order the person so commit

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