Mr. Uhl to Mavroyeni Bey.
Department of State, March 20, 1894.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your note of the 16th instant, in further relation to the reported organizations of Armenians in New York City for military drill, which formed the subject of your previous note of January 16 last.
[Page 728]In my reply of February 19 to that first note I intimated the distinction between infringement of municipal or police regulations under the State laws and any question of violation of the neutrality statutes of the United States, With respect to the former, I stated that a copy of your note would be sent to the governor of New York for proper consideration. As regards the latter, I suggested that, should the consular representative of Turkey in New York City have knowledge of any expedition being set on foot there as indicated, it might be advisable for him to consult with the United States attorney for the district with regard to the proper mode of procedure.
You now communicate to me a copy of a letter you have received from Mr. J. C. Hancock, attorney-general of the State of New York, to whom it appears you wrote in this relation on the 9th instant.
As before indicated, the construction and enforcement of the statutes of the several States is a subject peculiarly within the jurisdiction of the State courts, and the Federal courts take cognizance of complaints properly supported in cases of asserted violations of the acts of Congress upon proceedings instituted under the direction of United States district attorney of the district in which the offense is alleged to have been committed.
Accept, etc.,
Acting Secretary.