The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-01-25
sPEEoEI OF Mr.. BURGEs.


ille, ana Al eAcN oInCeT D0u agreed To re,
ceNe il as such, either in money or sure.
ties producing yearly interest Of PEI
cent ; yet because the money was not paid
nor the security yielding yearly interest oi
d per cent. ever given, the contract on the
part OF the United States has not ever been
performed. On the contrary, this boasted
act of justice cut Off from the claim Of ev.
cry living officer who had retained his
sommutation certificate, more than 81
400: and from the whole number, had they
| all been alive, and ali retained their certi-
J ficates more than 100000,
| 1t therefore cannat be said, that the FIVE
| years full pay was an equivalent; nor # II
! were, that these officers ever received IT.
! Accordingly the Committee Of this House,
TO whom this was referred in lSf9. report
ed that the half-pay for liih was stIii due
TO these men, deducting what they had re-
ceiyed under the funding system, as so
much received OF account. The same re.
port was made by another Committee of
| this House in 1919. A Select Committee
| at the last Session. TO whom was referred
the last pet ltlon of the survivors of those
| officers, did, in compliance with the prayer
of that petition, report that a definite sum
/
IN consequence OF this petition aud this re-
port, that the last Committee 70 whom tins
subject was referred felt themselves au
thorzed 10 consider the questions Of COM
mutation and funding, as closed and 10
compensate these men, BY giving back o.
them some portion Of the money saved %
the nation, by the several very pconomca'
negotiations herctotuEe made with them.
II, therefore, passing over all question
concerning the justice OF the communication
contract and the manner Of fulfilling it, ci
her by the certificates themselves or the
method o. funding them can il be sal
that we are not bound by high aud ln
1,Ssolublc obligation to give hack 20 them
-ome portion oi What they have lost, an.
the nation hlo saved ? Whatthcn sir, have
the nation saved let lis make no oc-
count Of the loss Of these mon by the sale
of their communication cCri,lrotpS both be-
,ausC the nation sagCd nothing directly by
mat loss aud because. If these men had
sold those certificates, they could sustain
40 loss by tine myINer OF funding them
SINCE this loss vas sustained by the pur-
chasers. But because the nation saved by
the ,anuCr OF fundiDg and the officer,
lost thereby an equal amount, or n much
greater amount by ha"ing sold thembciorc
IT, is but fair TO bring tins loss and SAVING
INTO the account. You have 50, been told
by The report from the Trtns ry Depart
ment, that by The manner Of funding taosc
cOmmutdtiOn certificates. each officer ON
an average lost, ~2i2" b. This sum the
nation saved and have now in tho COT
icrs Of their Treasury. Multiplied by the
number Gi these officers probably alive.
1his sum amounts TO more than this bill
proposes To give them. 1t is stated in the
report that OF these men there are pr0bu-
bly, 400 alive This Estimate was recciN-
ell from the Department of War. The
Select Committee had from calculations
on the probable conllnuance Of lifc pecu-
liar to the city Of London estimated the
number at 3i7 and the Committee on
Military pensions at 445. This last esti-
mate was made from the experience md
calculations Of the probable continuance
of human life in the rural parts of the Is
land of Great Britain, Since the present
session of Congress the chairman Of the
last mentioned committee has received re-
turns OF the number Of Surviving officers Of
the lines Of Rhode Island and South Caro-
lima. Considering one Of these States as
the most. and the other as tho least pro.
pltuous to human longevity, and making
a calculation on that principle, it found
that the number now alive rs 144. This
doubtless will be found the most probable
number ;ond, therefore, you have, sir, in
your Treas saved by the manner Of
funding the comlnutation certificates of
this number of men nov alive the full sum
of s ,077, ,294,96. This sum at least, Sir,
should, by the provisions Of the bill on
your table, have been distributed to these
men.
The bill reported BY the Select Com
mittee, provided for the distribution of
81 100000. This sum was, with great re-
luctance, reduced TO So0O,OO0 and this
was done at the earnest solicitation Of the
agent for those officers. This gallant gen.
uenan stated 10 the chairman of the com
mlttee, that the officers the line Of New
Jersey had, soon after the peace, establish
ed fund for the support of their widows,
and with spirit of chivalry worthy the
character of the officers Of the revolution
ary army, he insisted that those whom he
represented would be better satisfied, if
from the sum proposed to be distributed to
them, the S20O,0O0 were taken to make a
provisionsry fund for the widows Of their
deceased brothers in arms.
In addition to the loss and saving by
funding 1t has been demonstrated that those
men also lost and the country saved, by
the Communication. Those of them who had
been IN both periods Of the war after March
LIST. l77S. were entitled to receive their
depreciation. Did they receive tie mon.
~ for this; No They received the final
settlement certificate of John Pearce---
more than s2,4O0OO0 and that 43 years
ago.--This was then nearly $1,000 to each |
of those officers, and with simple interest, |