Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-08

clainis; but subsUuu nj reflection had
changed that opinion. and the more he
considered II the more he was convinced
J lha, The former law was unwise. II the
| government was 10 pay the soldier for
his horse, the soldier ought To refund
| what he had received o! the government
TO pay for The use and risk of III, horse
at least, the gpvernm nj ought To pa,
| only The balance, after deductiug HE
amount already gwen 10 hun. Mr..
M'Coy repeated that this law was impoI
lie. He was willing to alter the slanulus
| laws OF the country, and max, the allow
| ance fifty or even SIXTY cents per day for
the use o! the horses of voiunte RS or
militia, NJ 1t was thought proper; but he
would not consent 10 leglslaie IN This
way, flrs' TO pay a fair consideration Tor
| the risk and use of the horse, and then
his whole value. II would be better, he
| said, To pay the full price of he horse III
the first instance, than to be sublec, To
,uch claims.
Mr.. REID, of Georgia, entered al some
| length into a view of the circumstances
out OF which these claims grew, TO sliew
| hal they were Just and equitable. His
distance from the reporter did NOT allow
| The advantage OF hearing his remarks
but he was understood 10 agree tha, The
| conduct OF the commanding general had
| nothing To 90 III settling tins question;
and thai these claims were entitled 10 the
same liberaIity as those which had been
heretofore provided tor. Though in IA
YOUR of The bill, he was not IN favour of
Tie proposed amendment; because those
| cases of loss which arose from forced
| marches, &c. we're of Il nature incidepi
Ia the state OF war, the risk OF which was
contemplated and provided tor i'm the
original contract between the government
aud the soldier
MIR. JOHNSON, OF Visgiaia, rose TO re
move iroHI his previous remarks any mis-
constructions. He had not couiended for
Decentralization, or advanced The opinion
that II would have been right for these
VI lunteers TO demand OF the com mand,ug
general bis authority Tor calling them oui,
alter they had got mo The field. Blu,
these men were not soldiers; they were
citizens OF Tennessee voluntarily taking
| lie iIeid, anu as such had a perfect right
| before they entered the service, TO de-
laand OF the General by what authority
| lie called on them In this WAY. Ii WAS
urged, as an argument IN favour of The
payment OF these claims, that II would
serve as an Involvement TO men 10 volun.
teer hereafter, aRd stimulate their ardor.
but the gallant spirits of this nation. Mr..
j. said, would never, on any proper occa
sion, feel their ardor damped because lie
payment OF these claims on the public
purse were refused. The example of a
military ofhcer acting without authority
raising an army without the Conseni of
The naiIon--thls was the kind of ardor
which lie wished 10 damp. MIR. J. sail
he would go as far as any man in paying
4 - III.
whole property of the nation TO preserve
IT'S faith; but he would never consent TO
Tax this people for the purpose Of paving
a debt contracted by violating the laws
of the land.
| 4 motion was made for the committee
10 rise, but was ncgaiived, by vote OF
| IS 10 54.
| TIE question on the amendment pro.
posed by MIR Jones, was also lost, with
| out division.
Mr.. RHEA, Of Tennessee, then pro-
posed an amendment, the object of which
was 10 embrace cases arising out of the
| lBte Creek war, and which have not been
heretofore settled.
| This motion, also, was nega,ived.
| The committee then rose ahd reported
/ the bill.
| MIR. SToRRs moved 10 postpone II in.
definitely.
Mr.. CoBB. of Georgia, opposed the
| posipOnement, on the ground that there
were cases OF losses arising under the
Seminole war, which ough, 10 be pro-
vided for, even though others were not.
| He referred 10 the cases of Wagons i'm
| pressed INTO the service, 10 transport ;hr
| baggage and provisions of the Georgia
attachments Of militia. Having. pro.
ceeded into the interior Of the country,
The roads became SO impossible that they
could not return, and were compelled TO
abandon and lose their property He
hoped the gentleman would Withdraw his
| motion, in order 10 ry this provision. al
| least, of The bill.
| MIR. STORRs declined withdrawing his
motion. HIS object was TO reject the bill
| Already The Iaw of 1916 was brought nD
as precedent. IT il was bad prece.
dent, as he believed il 10 be, the rejection
OF This bill would serve to- abolish it,
| With respect 10 precedPuis, lie went on
10 say, motives might actuate one Con-
| gress IN passing a law, which would not
| operate on another Congress. He did
not mean 10 alludc now 10 The motives
| which Induced the passage Of the ACT
wbic had been referred 10: but he asked
| gentlemen 10 look over the list of war
! rants issued under that law. They would
there find that hundreds of thousands Of
dollars had been paid for lost horses aud
| equipments, &c.--and, VI The act had moi
fortunately expired, he had no doubt the
government would have had 10 pay away
as much more. The bill bow before tie
house, moreover, applied not only TO
cases Of horses lost or dying during the
war, but TO cases arising OW Of it; aud the
dill VAS Ia continue ia force for Two years
from IT'S passage-so that, for any horse
used 10 the Seminole war, dying at any