Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-12-16

ing to the petitioner was se,zed ny
the French, at Hamburg, in the year
1907; that the capture was without
ground, and that the property, with
out any trial, or civil process what
ever, was appropriated to the purpo-.
scs of the French government that
the claim is one of a nature the mast
manifest: and praying the assistance
of the government to obtain its al
lowance which petition was refer
red to the Committee on Foreign Re
lations.
Mr.. Barton submitted the follow.
ing resolution, which was read, anu
laid over for consideration
Resolved, That the Committee on
Claims be instructed to inquire into
the expediehcy Of allowing the claim
of Samuel Gilbert, of the state OF
Missouri, for property taken from
him by the Sac Indians, in 1885, al
| ter they had notice of the treaty of
peace with Great Britain, but before
the treaty was concluded with those
Indians in 1916, by the second arti-
Gle of which they were bound to re-
store that property (; but were after
wards released by the United States
from that obligation.
The resolution offered yesterday,
by Mr.. Barbour, instructins the
Committee on Military Affairs to i'll
quire into the propriety OF allowing
certain claims of the state Of Virg'-
mia, for moneys advanced on account
of the general government. during
the late war, was again read for con-
sideration. A letter from the Co.
vernon of Virginia, in relation to the
claim, was also read.
Mr.. Smith understood the resoIu.
ton to have reference, more partiGu-
| larly, 10 a claim for interest on mo-
neys advanced during the war. by
the state Of Virginia. He said he
should have no objection to the reso-
luton, provided it were made a se-
aeral one, to reach all claims Of
like nature. The state of Maryland,
and many corporations and individu-
ais, hold claims of similar kind,
and the principle upon which this
motion was preaicated, Mr.. Smith
thought. should extend to them all,
Mr.. Barbour said, the case of the
state of Virginia. concerning which
the resolution proposed an inquiry.
was one of a peculiar nature. Altho'
it was a general principle of the go
vrrnment not to allow interest on
claims for services during the war.
yet this case he thought different
from most others. Although the 60.
| vernment of the United States had
been repeatedly called upon to fur.
nish the money expended in the state
Of Virginia, yet such was the state of
the public Treasury at that timc,
that The means were not provided
Tie state was compelled to depend
entirely upon her own resources +;
the taxes upon tho people were very
oppressive, but they were cheerfully
borne. These taxes were not sufli-
cicnt 10 meet the necessary eXpendi.
turss. The state was compelled to
borrow money, and to pay interest
for i, this was done for the benefit
of the government. and the interes.
thus paid, certainly oush, to be re-
imbursed. There could be no doubt
| that government was bound in time
OF war, to make ad. ances, Of the
funds required for the defence of the
country if the government was not
,dle to make such advances, and they
were made by the state in which
such advances became necessary,
common justice requires. that. when
the government becomes able. not
only the principal, but the inter
est. also, should oe reimbursed. He
had now presented this case. as he
had hcen instructed. on the part of
the state of Virginia, aud did not see
the propriety of a copartnery with a
ny other claim, whether of a similar
nature or not. lie wished his own
claim decided on its own merits O.
Their cases, when brought forward,
| might be referred to the same com
| mitl,e, and, if alike in their nature, a
general dill might be made to meet
them all; but Mr.. b. said, he did
not wish tn associate his claim with
any other; he hoped. there fore, that
hiscase would be presented to the COM
mittee by itself,