Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-08-05

when it became his special duty to examine this class
OF claims. On looking into the papers presented for
communication, he found almost all the cases were ior
services performed i'll the Virginia line of the army,
though he could discover no reason why an equal
proportion Of claims ought not to conc fion other
States. Hofound also, he said, that principal part
of the evidence in each case consisted OF q certificate
from Virginia, showing that the heirs of the officer
had been allowed the land bounty from that State for
service OF during the war; or for SIX, OF seven or
eight years or more. He was not satisfied with thai
evidence to prove claim which amounted 10 several
thousand dollars and sought for record evidence TO
test its validity. He examined the Washington Pa
pors and copied with his hand all the lists of Off
GERS OF the Virginia line which they contained, and
procured cope, from the Pension office OF the lists
which that could supply In this way he had formed |
the book Of rolls of which he had the other day gwen
description to the House. The subject of the VIZ
gna bounics hay wing been REFERRED TO the coml'tec
Of the last Congtcss he had procured list Of all the
officers bountics which had been allowed by Virginia
up TO January 1880 and having tested the allowances
made since 1850 several hundred i'll number, by the
rolls, he had never beona to find one which the
rolls established as good claim. 1lohad, by diicc-
ton of the committee OF the last Congress made re.
port against these claims, with which the House were
| or might be acquainted.
My duties on the committee said Mr.. II. since the
| making of that report, have made mo acquainted
with many new facts relating to these bounty land
claims. Tho labor which have petformedls indeed
of an humble and ungracious character However
useful II may be- and hopoit has not been entirely
useless. can expect reward for it from my con-
sttuonts, for they can know nothing Of II. II has
also brought me into unpleasant intercourse, not TO
say collision, with the numerous claimants and Their
friends whose claims have felt my duty to oppoce,
and it has now drawn upon me n somewhat per-
sonal attack in this Ito But shall still contn
lie to perform the duties of my station us well as
NAV, however ungrac.Ols and unpleasant II may he.
For the performance OF wha believed to be my
| duty in regard these bounty land cllims-a duty
imposed on me in some decree, by the Ifousc--the
| gentleman from Albcmafe tNf. Glme) has thought
~ nj
proving among the t0mbs oitle Virginia revolution
airy dead seeking to expose therremnns to the pub
lie gNse. Sir it II is not who have ght todlsturb
the rest of the quiet dead No sir, II IS the gen
tleman himself who has violated the suncuty Of the
| tomb. 1t is the claimants and spectators Who en-
couragcd by hls course Of action, have gone into the
grave yards OF Virginia, rakcl from the toinbs the
bones OF their ancestors, ana brought them here 10
barter away for money and land. They have done
| more Like the vendors ofrolics in the day Of the
crusados, they have sold the bones of the Saraccn
declaring them TO be bones of saln's They have
ined from the tomb the ghosts Of men who knew
nothing of military service, and, having clothed them
in revolutionary Uniform, have sworn them TO he rev
olutlonary officers. They hnve mayshad their army
OF ghosts around this hail. and IN imitation Of the
mscry loyails described by Patrick Henry as going
INTO court crying beef beef beef they have talaht
these ghasty spcctrcs TO make th, hall rng with
Their sordd screams of pay, pay Communication pay
half paw bounty land, bounty land What | have
donc sir, is 10 trn upon ts host of imaginary n,
strip from them Their stolcr apparel, and bid them
Is. ,b ons .'', ,,';, II, E tho ,,ro.so o,
feel INJURED by the extraordinary remarks, Of some
gentleman from AbeMaie take This .arj I, DECISION
say that suShis not the iar, that on ne contrary
an evidence oimy charity, it !. my intention, bl1re
close my remarks. to Offer an apology to the House
for hrs violation OF Their rules IN ang me, and 10
Nsl, the House tounts wih me in extending to HIM
be- leave TO- tle IN the ram or"moRs was pn
sung ,ng oiuel day when was cut oil by the eXpr-
When the hour expired had commenced giving
Nominated y Vroa rog are q " mn on M r,o 1g nd
aea'rs this government. There nre three classes OF
crnor Of Virginia, on whchth there has been pai Since
sov IN !anq FTP ~ i 5<}ooo tanay cIain5 i,'c
been pad 3l,256iG} and communication claims, which
nnoun,inr rroaby TO obon s5oo noo
are all for scrvicesofN Virginia troops, and the pay
thus amounted to over So ZOO 0Go 9'''' '''O navy
Mr. HALL then gave an account Of the
manner in which these claims had been
hunted up and manufactured by spectators
the business of prosecuting them constitu-
ting professional trade nNirgin'a the spec
uls,ur generally receiving more than malt o
tho money obtained from the United States
r,, ;,,l;o;,r,, Cam
ZIG reioi'cu 10 "iePo''oi ''o J'"'N'. ~
nIittce of the last Congress-, on claim 0
, 80.
ono Joseph ramsey vi WHOM ana ''s "ec"l
1 , eur, nj hn,unnn -O0O and 5000 Dollars
which had been flauducntly Obtained iron
,r:J e. Ilr ~ l,J l,o,, ro
''o C'litcu STATES '"' nan p">' '"" "N''
covered hack. This rcport Mr.. HALL said
.
contained variety Oh cNldchcc, cohSis'i'
,r,,,, AZ ,bo n,;vato corrcsnnnIcnco n
p"'"y Vi ''o
the agents OF the claimants, showing D.
= c.l., .,;.,. ,,,o o,o;,,s ,,,r
What i'duuuich' 'i"'"'oe wv N''' wa
ro, nm and also exhibiting the artlul cOntrl
n -
- vanccs, and management by winch the spec
: ,I,,,rs so,cl, 9, ;nnu,nco tho 7 oc;sl,,uro ,
u'"'o'S eo"s"' W '"i'oo"'' wv A1N
: virginia and tie action of Congress in iavC
# :
OF these claims. among theso cidilii Jou
" hers he named one TUow0s GreeD. of Ricl
al ~
Is,,,, hax. In