The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-30

faction Of claims of American citizens for spoAtons
committed by the French prior to the thirty-hrst day
of July, 1901
The ball having been read,
Mr., MCDOWELL, OF Ohio, moved that il be
laid aside. IL contained, he thought, too many i'm.
Porant provisions TO be acted upon at this late PERI
cd Of the session.
Mr.. HAMLIN moved to amend the motion by
adding, "to be reported to the House"
The CHAIR decided the amendment TO be on, OF
order.
The question was taken on the motion of Mr..
McDowElL, 10y telers,) and the vote stood, ayes
50, noes TO-
So the motion was rejected &c.,. d.,
The clerk then read the first section Of the bill as
follows ~
BE enacted By s sHais and Ifoass Of Rsgr,ssaisss.
gAs DATED Sat.s 81 f-sea cOEsrsss ssss@blsd That
satisfaction shall be made hereinafter provided 70
Isns d the United State OF 70 their legal
as had valid claims 10 indemnity upon the French govern
nsa, arising oat Of illegal captures desentOns foreibls
seizures, Illegal and eonhscatons commit
ted ProT TO the ratification Of the convention bsw the
States and the French republic concluded the
thTeh day September thousand eight huRdred the
rsnnesons Of which exchanged the thirty day
Of July following PTedsd That the provisions Of this
bes in the between the United states and the
French rsPublic concluded the thisth day Of April
ons hundred and three and for the hquds
ton and payment whereof provision made in the said
eonventioni to such claims allowed and paid
iSssa the uns States and SPAN eoSsSs :. os ss
tysecond day ofFsbruay and
nineteen such claims as wsrs allowed in whole or
part under the provisions Of the treaty between the Uni
ted states and saDee concluded The fourth day Of JAY
thOusond eight hundred and thyone; .faS rsridd
also, That in all oftaassr or asssHmsn no claim.
ant shall be entitled 10 receive amonnt beyond the
alteration paid and interest thereon
MIR. GILES took the floor, and said he was re.
oioed for one that the committee had agreed finally
to take up and settle these long deferred caims He
rejoieed that proposition that had passed the other
branch Of Congress several times about to meet
with the action, snd he trusted the favorable action
Of this committee
Mr. DRoMGooLE inlerposed, and inquired il
there was an amendment pending, to which, reeeiv-
ING negative answer, he raised the point that dis
eusslon was not in order, but that they must pro-
coed 10 the second section Of the bill
Mr.. s. ADAMS Mr.. GUS yielding) moved to
strike out the FIRST section.
Mr.. GILES, resumIng the floor, remarked that he
prepared to discuss the bill; but its friends seem.
ed anxious that the discussion should proceed
this late stage Of the session, and he therefore viii
lingly yielded the floor.
Mr.. THURMAN said he was in hope that there
would be no attempt made TO press the bill through
certainly not 20 press Il through in the spirit
which seems to be manifested here this afternoon.
He heard some gentlemen talk about passing this
ball without discussion But without going into the
question whether these were mentorious Claims or
not, he wanted 10 ask every member Of this House
who came from State In which there are public
lands, whether he had reflected upon the effect o.
this bill il IL passed He undertook TO say that the
members from the new States had better vote four
dollars IN money 10 one single according the
provisions OF this bill. What was this bilI' TWAS
TO give hve million dollars IN public lands TO the
claimants, or i've millions acres IL the graduation
bill should pass and the lands be taken at one dol
lar per scre-to be held by nonresidents. Think OF
that said he) you who come from Ohio, Indiana H.
linos, and all the western States 600 900 acres
In sfAcfed frnun the hSsf lands 49,
held by men, not one single one Of whom will live
within your borders And IN what quantities How
many men are there WHO are interested in these
elaImss He knew It might be said that their name
Was legion; but II the truth was found out il would
appear that these claims were very few. In whose
hands were the majority Of these claims In the
hands Of insurance Offices, who were underwriters
for those who sustained the losses. The large bulk
was in the hands of few individuals Pass this
law, and you will have men-a single man. or in
eorporanon-holding one hundred thousand acres Of
land =
Mr.. J. R INGERsoLL, in,erposins. said he had
received many letters tins subject and the mos,
important series Of them he had received from ind-
viduals from Ohio He understood the gentleman TO
say that individuals in Ohio were not interested in
these claims.
Mr.. THURMAN. There may be single case.
but comparatively speaking there are none In the
Mr.. HOUSTON of Delaware said he had, with
IN few days, received letters from Ohio urging
these claims.
Mr. THURMAN repeated that there Nigh, be
individual cases.
Mr.. HARPER Mr. T sui yielding) was un-
Sersiood TO refer to = person in his town who vas
interested in this ball to the amount Of 500, 600
and he knew Of others largely interested.
Mr.. THURMAN was very glad TO receive this
statement He wanted 70 know Of gentlemen from
lndisna if their constituents wished the individual
from Ohio, Of whom his colleague Mr.. HARrfRl
had spoken, to 60 into Indiana and seiec; 10000
acres ofiapd
Mr.. c; B. SMITH said he had nuu1ber of con
ssituents in Indiana who would be CAD to have the
land themselves
NJ. THURMAN (resuminsl admitted tina, there
might be some Of these claims IN the new States
but they did not amour; TO one-hundred,h part Of
them. No; the bulk Of them he'd IN the eastern
cities by insurance oifces by corporations the IN
der~nters Of those who sustained those losses.
There might be some few remaining in the hands
Of their heirs, bat the great ofthem were held
hy corporations, and by few individuals. Aad
he undertook 10 say thai such system or such =
wrong as this usll would iHfct on tie western ooun-
try, was proposed to operate on any section
by any sotof Congress He happened TO live por-
tInn Of Ohlo--a great proportion Of the lands Of
which belonged iononresidenss-in the Virginia rn-
Iary district Of ohio-snd perfec, incuhus 1t Was
IL Of the most fertile portions of that eoun-
ny, AhAA NoStN SAs-Au sSAAastAeH " ~ 10 inc
square mile; and IL had not nov baf the population
Of the lands Immediately adjoining tin whz, were
called Congress lznds-whfch were Of far inferior
quality. And the reason that The lands in thai
dssrToi were held n lArse bodies by Donresidents
This eva ~as large enough under The rage for land
speculation which EXISTED q few yesrs ago, and ];
sui remained sufficiently great Bot pass this BILL
and you xIl have trIpled ADd qGAdrGpled this evil
for the new States He was AsiouIshed thsi any
gentleman from the NV Ssass should vote for Tins
bill however JUS, he might think these CLAIMS to be
lf they jas lei them vote 10 pay. they onghi
to he paid, in money. He would hike TO know hor
oonsssisnii with the character and dignity Of
the Unltsd StAtes. II she owed money to turn her
ere3uors OF with trade-~Ith land.
Bot far above, far ranscending TINS the interest OF
all the rev States requires and prsnporiy requires
that soeh wrong shAA be inflicted upon thest- u
~Hs monsirous, nonstrors 10 isls Of passing bil
OF thls kind.
But as TO the merits Of these claims; be denied
they were nerioTIo1s- tie would resz the case W
on argument be beard. not Ten minutes long,
from Of The senstors from South Carolina dgrIrg
tins Esry session. He undertook 10 say il was IN
w