Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-31

Mr.. Reynolds, Of Tennessee, laid ON the |
able the following:
Resoircd. That the President of The United !
states be requested Ia communicate 10 tins |
iouse, whenever he deems il convenient,
what progress the Engineers have made ia
'arrying into effect the act of Congress of,hr
81 81 March, 1898. tptiil, d "An act 10 es-
absh a national armory on. the Western
Waters"
On motion of Mr.. Long, of n. c. II was
Resofred, That the Committee of WAYS and
Means be instructed To inquire into the expo
diency Of reducing tn, duty ON the inporta
ton Of salt
On motion Of Mr.. Conway, Of Arkansas. il
was Resoired, That the Colnittee ON Roads
aud Canals he instructed TO inquire into the
=. pedicncy Of ho,isins the President of the
United . ates TO cause military and post
Road To he opened from Little Rock tn
Cantopment Gibson, in the Territory OF
Arkansas.
Mr.. Thompson gave H0tice that, on Wsdnes.
DAY next he should move To discharge the
Committee Of the Whole from the considera-
ton of The report of the Committee n Mill
'ary Affairs on the Georgia Militia Claims.
with view tn lis recommitmrnt 10 The same
Committee, accompanied with instructions TO
report bill III favor of said claims.
Mr.. Gazlsy offered the following, which lies
one day by rule
Resoirfd. That the President OF the u nited
States he requested to inform This House what
terms were Uttered by applicants for the stuck
created Ivy the act of cath Of May last past,
and by whom such terms were offered.
NIAGARA SUFFERERS.
On motion of Mr.. Tracy. the House then
Went INTO committee of the whole, Mr. Camp
bell, 81 OHIO. In the chair on the bill further
10 amend the act authorizing the payment for
property Lost, captured, Or destroyed by the
enemy while IN the military service Of the
United States, and for other purposes"
MIR. Williams. Of North Caroliaa, rose in op-
postum to the bill. lie the applicants ON the
present occasion did not succeed, il would not
DE Tor the want Of the aid Of the gentleman
rom New York, (Mr Tracy,) who had -x-
"hh'td great vigilance and untring perseser-
ance ~ behalf uf the claimants. la the report
upon the subject. which the gentleman had
laid before that House, he had undertaken
10 PRESENT something like history uf the
legislation Of Congress, on this subject. which
though sufficiently minute 20 its d,t tails, was
very erroneous In lis conclusions The re-
port, MIR. w. said, set our with declarations
'hat me act 1T 1917 was intended To frierd the
provisions of The nc, of 1915. fifth. gentle
man mad attended little more minnttly to
nave arrived at this conclusion. That act was
iniend-d to restrain those provisions, instead
OF extending them. Mr.. w here reviewed
the history of the amendatory act. IN tn.
course of execution Of the act OF 1916, the
resident, concerning too wide construction
W u fiad been given ar meditaipd, suspended
III" exrcu 100 ftbe law, and, by his message of
Dtr.6 1916, recommended 10 Congress a
rev Is'on of the law. That message was re-.
terred to the Committee of Claims. vhu. nm
thr ION ut the same month, made a rppor,
c"hormn'ng the principle Of several of those
d"c'.'ons' and recommending change of the
provisions Of the law. so as to make their
,,'Pe'iii"n 'mPractic"b'-, which was according.
u"ne ny an arnendafory act 1! appeared,
'heieforr, 10 have been the object of The pro
sidrDi, and Of The Committee. TO restrai, ,,h.
commissioners in his decisions. Tie claims
~nch had boen passed, end the allowances
when were considered objectionable. were
nose To Mr.. Carroll and Mr.. Ringyoia those
"h'ch the Commissioner intended, To have AL
lowed. had the law not been changed. were
'nr very claims for which the bill now under
consideration proposed TO provide. II was
me apprehension the allowance of these yerr
CLAIMS that induced the President 10 suspend
tht execution Of the act, and Congress- IN
chaose us provisions. F,oiD the view which
,n" gentleman from New York, hAd taken. in
n ~, report. 1t would appear that Congress, in
'nr ac' oi 1918, Intended 10 provide for the
payment Tor those buildings which had been
occupied as barracks. Bat, MIR. w. said, the
""owhnce 10 Mr.. Carroll, was upon the ground
that his buildings had been occupied bv 1roous
ana so was that OF Mr.. Ringgnld and Vet these
we're the very allowances which Congress dis
appfoveo,and passed the act of 1917 TO pre, on,
tne recurrence OF. IL The intention of the ART
OF 1915 had been to allow such claims. ths.
commissioner did nothing wrong-made no
ih's'ake-andt there was no necessity ofpassinor
'ne subsequent act of 1917. That act proyided
'nat, on all claims over two hundred dollars
Inc Commissioned should be restrained fr,o,
giving any final reward and should onIv repor,
! IN facts, and his opinion, TO Congress. But.
F" '"e commissioned had made no impron.r
a''o"ances, why did the second ac, curiail his
powers? ''''''' us
IL was evident that, in making the allow.
ances he did, he had departed r,o,,, "" ";'.S,
construction of the act OF 1916. and Tho o.,
"i 1917 was passed to remedy the error RI,
whatever doubt there might n. ,e 4, IT,.
true meaning OF the law of'i6, should the hin
DOW reported by the gentleman pass. h..
"on'd, ny one fell swoop," Ito onofe tbe
gfn,'e mans own language as applied BIZ hin,
IT, the Treasury destroy them all Hire
Mr.. w. quoted the biIl) Now, put i, 10 The
candor OF the gentleman, whether, supposinp
house To have been occupied for dsy for
some mllifarynsr, at the opening If The war.
and to have been burnt by the enemy on the
last day of the war, government was bount
10 pay me loss No. surely. II was never
the intention Of Congress that an occupation
merely accidental and contingent should bring
mouse or building under the provisions Of
A ind q yu
the Occupation, in The case of CARROTS add
RlnggDld's builhinra NNna INF tnrnnnr.... ii