ASK FOR A REHEARING

President Roosevelt communicated to Attorney-General Bonaparte the protests that had been made against his decision, and their plea for a rehearing. On May 29, 1907, Attorney-General Bonaparte filed with the President his reasons for not re-opening the case in which he made the following statements:

"The President,

The White House.

SIR: In accordance with your instructions, I gave a hearing on Wednesday, May 15, to persons desiring to submit to the Department criticism or other comment on my opinion of April 10 last past, as to the construction of section 8 of the act approved June 30, 1906, and generally known as the Pure-Food Law. About thirty persons appeared on this occasion and a number of oral arguments were presented; some critical and some approbatory of the opinion in question. At the conclusion of this argument I announced my willingness to receive and consider any matters in writing which might be submitted to me touching its subject-matter, and, in response to several requests for a further hearing, stated that I would give these requests due consideration and announce later whether I saw any sufficient reason to comply with them. As heretofore stated to you verbally, I do not think any useful purpose would be served by another oral argument, and, with your approval, I have, therefore, announced that, in this respect, the matter must be considered closed. I received a large number of written communications from various persons commenting on the opinion in question, and I have carefully considered all of them. I find no reason to withdraw the said opinion, or to modify it in any respect, and I respectfully report that, in my judgment, this opinion correctly states the law on the subject to which it relates."

(Signed) Charles J. Bonaparte.

CHARLES JOSEPH BONAPARTE

Attorney-General, who wrote the answer to "What Is Whisky?"

while Roosevelt was President