Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-04-06


before MISREPRESENTATION. MIR. Lowrie stated
the grounds of the bill Mcssrs. Chandler, j.
;. johnson, of Lon. and III. Johnson of Lou.
made some remarks upon the subject. The "a
mendnicnt was agreed to--and tho bill, as amen
dcd, was passed to be cngrosscd and read the
third time.
On motion of Mr.. Talbot, it was ordered that
the hour at which the Senate shallhcrcaftermect
shall be eleven O'clock, until otherwise order
cd.
The Senate then adjourned till eleven o'clock
lto-uorrw.
FRIDAY, April ,, 1924
Mr.. Lloyd, of Massachusetts, from the Commit
tee OH Naval affairs made an unfavorablc report
| OH the petition of Thomas Johnson formers,
Purscr in the Navy of the United States, praying
for the appropriation of the proceeds of certain
prises taken by the u. States squadron in the
Mediterranean, in the year 1915. The report
was read.
On motion of Mr.. Elliott, the message of the
President, in extinction of the Indian title to
lands in the state of Georgia, with the docu-
ments accompanying it was referred TO the COM
mttce on indian affairs, aud ordered TO be prin-
ted for of the Senate.
Mr.. Van Buren,, f,m the committee on the
Judiciary, to whom was referred the petition of A.
Is. Matson of Pennsylvania, praying to be re-
leased from prison, reported a bill on that sub
| ject.
| The bill G supplementary to the several acts
providing for accrtaning alsi adjusting the scvc-
raj titles and claims to land in The st. He!ana
and Jackson Court House Lands Districts, y
was read the third time, Passed, and sent to The
other House for concurrence.
/ On the third reading oftic bill {" providing
Tor the settlement of certain pecuniary claims
against the United States,n Mr.. Noble moved
lyr,Ittp tn tla
Idiciary, with instructions TO consider the cxpe-
diency OF extending the provisions of Tire bill to
all claims not exceeding $4,000. Mr.. N. sup
ported his motion by some remarks in favor OF
rccommitnent.
Mr.. Talbot also, advocated the racommitment,
on the ground that that part of the bill which Ii
inits its existence TO three years, ought to be
stricken out. He thought the operation of the
act ought not 90 be limited, as it would ALWAYS
be IN the power of Congress to repeal the law, ii
found to be inadequate to the purposes for which
1t was enacted. He proceeded to support the
passage of some act to take the cognizance of
| these claims from Congress, as a body totally
unfit for such duty; but he was opposed to the
Limitation of the act, to specified time.
Mr.. Holmes, of Maine, spolse'in favor of re-
tanning the present limitations Of the bill.
| Mr.. Johnson, of Kentucky, remarked upon
the general course Ofclains against the govern i.
Incnt, and stated his views of the manner of act
ing upon those claims. He was in favor of cx
tending the amount of the claims TO come under
tins act; but he thought the limitation of the act
! to three years, ought TO be retained as it was
! to be considered IN the light of an experiment.
| Mr.. Van Burcn was well aware that the pre-
sent mode of settling private claims against the
government, was extremely obiectionablc that
| Congress was not body calculated for full
| and fair investigation Of such claims; and ano-
1 OH to ,,f,,, a..
here, is, that the decision upon them is never f.
nal. But yet, he was opposed to the principle
contained in the present bill, aud therefore could
not vote for it. He believed great Injustice
would result to the United States. He would
| be content to establish Board of Commission
ers, to sit at the City of ashington, for the pur-
pose of deciding upon these claims-or he would
be willing to establish new Department for
this object, or to vest the decision i'm one of the
present Departments. Either of these plans,
ne thought, would DC productive of good con e.
qucnces. But the present bill wo,iId subject
| the United States 10 be implicated in thirty or
| forty different Circuit District Courts in va
rious parts of the country, and involve great ex-
pcnse and trouble. All the claims against the
government, from its establishment to the present
day, would be called up. All these claims had
arisen from circumstances e1nanatinr from
transactions in this city. The evidence respect
ing them was all here. If there were many
claims of this kind TO arise the departments OF
the government would find themselves continu-
ally engaged in defending cases in the Courts
of the different states. Certified copies of M
! pers must be taken as evidence in these cases.
and those copies must be prepared at the de-
partmcnts. The United States will not stand
as good chance 70 get justice done to it, as the
Indiydual-the government will scarcely ever
get its rights. The Courts & Tures will aIyya *
be biased in favor OF the individual arains! fhe
government.
| MIR. V. .. thought the bill would be proInc-
tive of great Inconvenience and difficulty. Tb;
mode of deciding claims, nc believed was with
ont precedent in any country. No government
had ever consented to place itself upon such =
footing. Mr.. V. 3. alluded 20 tie gct4,9n of
right in England, in order to show that it was
not analogous to the provisions of this bill II
would be better he thought. TO provide that thc
United States should always be implicated. in
these, cases, III the Supreme Cont, at Wash
ngton-beCausc there the departments COZ. Ia
have amcyc upon the interests Of the govern
mcnt. But he had strong objections to spread
them over the whole country. Obsolete claims.
which have long since been decided against
and the decision acquiesced in, would arai n
be brought UP. Believing that these bad effect,