Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-19

Indemnify for depreciation of the treasury
notes-and the interest upon that dcprecia-
ton. Mr.. Il. contended that il was a case of
that sort which required ca equo et bono that
the United States, being 4 party which had
received Il benefit from the liberal and patrio-
tic loan of the petitioner, should refund, to an
amount equal To the loss which the latter had
sustained. The loan was made at a period
when the credit of the government was at
low ehb, and when many seemed disposed
rather TO retard, than To aid, the operations OF
the government At this critical hour the
petitioner came forward and opened his purse
to supply the eXgencies of his country. II
was Il transaction which, as between ndiyi-
duais,would not admit of even doubt, and he
hoped the government would eclitselfbound to
act according TO the same rule Of right that it
prescribed tn Others.
Mr.. WILLIAMS, of n. G, opposed the con-
curreace He entered at length into am exami.
nation of the various considerations which the
case presented. The committee, he observed,
had not deemed il necessary to examine the
testimony in the case, because they deemed
the principle to he Incorrect, admitting the
facts set forth TO be true, on which the claim
OF the petitioner was founded. He urged
with much force the necessity of establish
ing general and uniform rules in the admission
oil claims against the United States, which
We're established upon testimony not ordinari
iy IN the power of government to controvert
or examine; and thought the present did not
present case ofsuch pure, clear, and unaues-
uonable patriotism us could warrant "A devi-
alton from those rules which had been found
necessary to guard the Treasury from the i'm
position and cupdity of individuals.
Mr.. SMITH of Nd advocated the claim.
and enforced the reasons that had been offer
ed by the gentleman from New York, (Mr.
I'ra cy.) He thought the government. by
aging the principal, had affirmed the loan.
and the interest followed as unnecessary conse-
quence; so that Il rule that should authorize
the payment of the one, could not refuse the
discharge of the other. lie also thought the
patriotism of the petitioner in coming for
ward at sucha crisis, entitled him TO more
than an ordinary share of consideration.
MIR. TRACY replied; when
Mr.. HARDIN took the floor, and spoke for
ilaii AN hour IN opposition TO the claim He
| contcnded, that when the loan was made by
Camp, the faith of the government was not
pledged: he had no right to pledge il. Tie
gentleman from New York mir Tracv) few
days ago had commended that even the Sccreta-
ry OF war could not pledge the faith of thu.
government for the sum of 10000 dollars for
the Indian Department and would he now
say that John q. Camp, IA deputy quarter
| master, could pledge the national faith in a
| contract he might make with Eli Hart? No
the loan was made upon his own responsibility.
He, and he alone, was liable to account with
the petitioner and the United States was no
party whatever TO the contract with Eli Hart.
iiarts claim was upon Camp and when
| Camp should come forward to demand if
there was an outstanding balance, on the list
OF unsettled balances reported hy the Third
Auditor ofthe Treasury against this same John
u. Caihr, which would probably be found a
! very uncomfortable Offset Mr. Ii read from
the book containing the list of unsettled bal
ances, and also referred to the official state
mcnts of the value &C money at the time ofthe
repayment To Eli Hart, showing the extreme
lncorrectness of the representations and aiiida-
Wits that had been given in the case. He con-
sidered IT claim, In reality, by John G.. Camp,
In winch hart's name was made use of; and
commented upon the quality Ofthat putriotism
which now demanded not only AN interest
| upon the principal, and an indemnity for the
| depreciation-but, also, an interest ofseven per
cent. upon that depreciation He asoppose d
TO the allowance of interest in either case.
The government was always considered as
ready to pay the claims against it, and, if they
We're not presented when due, the claimant
must suffer the penalty ofhis own neglect
MI H. was equally opposed 10 the allowance
Ior depreciation of governmental currency
Ii such principle were admitted, it would
place before brokers and others an inducemeut
at all times to decry the value Of any paper
money which the exigencies of government
might compel it to emit
| Mir. LowNDEs, after expressing his senti-
inents at some length upon the subject, which
the position of the reporter did not enable him
to hear, moved that the report be recon- nit
cd TO the Committee of Claims, TO examine
| and report upon the facts in the case which
was agreed to.
And then the House adjourned
The memorial from New York, presented
by Mr.. Golden, on Monday, was adverse TO.
and not in favor, of the Bankrupt Law, as it
was inadvertently printed.
In presenting this memorial, Mr.. CoLpEN
said, that If was from l6i respectable mer-
chants and inhabitants ofthe first and second
wards of the city of New York: That it OBJ
lected To number of the provisions of the
bill on the table of the house, and expressed
the approximations of the memoIialists that
no law could be passed which would relieve
the debtor without exposing the creditor TO
frauds That, though he would not now ask
for the reading Ofthe memorial, he should, lest
he should not have done Justice to its con-
tents, claim that indulgence when the bill
should be under consideration in the COM
mttee of the whole
--.----uz-zrs--NsFszTs>- . : s, CON
PRESIDENTIAL NoMISATIoN.-It is with
surprise we read an article published in the
Georgian" IA respectable paper published
at Sayannatl concerning recent transaction at
Columbia, >. L. II is with regret we observe
the attempt to wound the feelings oran indivi-