Melville Fuller

“ But it is argued that the statute is invalid because it 'does not define what act done or omitted to be done shall constitute a criminal offense,' and delegates the power 'to determine what acts shall be criminal' by leaving the stamps, marks, and brands to be defined by the commissioner.
We agree that the courts of the United States, in determining what constitutes an offense against the United States, must resort to the statutes of the United States, enacted in pursuance of the constitution. ”

“ Regulations prescribed by the president and by the heads of departments, under authority granted by congress, may be regulations prescribed by law, so as lawfully to support acts done under them and in accordance with them, and may thus have, in a proper sense, the force of law ”

“ Much stronger is the case at bar, for the tribunal was composed of officers of the government of the United States. It was created by the land department in pursuance of express authority from the acts of congress. This perjury was not merely a wrong against that tribunal or a violation of its rules or requirements; the tribunal and the contest only furnished the opportunity and the occasion for the crime, which was a crime defined in and denounced by the statute. ”