Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-14
IN SENATE, MAY 10, 1913.


Mr.. BENTON rose aud said The amendment reported
by The committee proceeds upon the principle that the claims
in California heretofore asceraned and allowed by the officers
under whom they Originated shall be forthwith paid and
those not asceaned shall not be paid un examined and al
lowed by the same officers. Mr. Fremont and his staff o-
allowed those which asceaned the officers,
by the amendmen allow the remainder before they
be paid This is the principle Of the amendment. 1t ap
points nobody TO do any thing II only names the persons
Without whose examination and allowance the adusted
claims shall not be paid They officers of the battalion
under whom the claims originated and settled far
that has been done aud whose legal capacity pass upon the
claims revived and continued If the Government chooses
10 have the claims examined before they are paid or chooses
to save the parties from coming from California TO Washing
ton TO sllclt payment Individually from Congress. That
they arc the proper persons to allow or reject these claims
and the only who do il with justice 10 the United
States and TO the claimants manifested from the deposons
where heir knowledge Of the whole subject is fully shown
Capt. Hensey commissiy and quartermaster Major
Reang was paymase Both cognizan Of the claims
in doing the which originated them the other in
ting them as lar as he could The deposition oil Capt Hens
ley "a gentleman Of character and intelligence with whom
the committee became well acquainted establishes this fact
and shows that he and Major Reading, from their respective
positions in the battalion, best acquainted with tie
Claims and called by their offices to make estimate
Their amount before he Jeff California Al page 81 OF the do
cunent Of dpositons he teses thus, in ques-
ton from the committee
commssar and quartermaster and therefore
intimately acquainted with the supplies obtained by the troops
and with The general expenses OF the whole conquest OF Ca
orna from the beginning under the flag OF independence in
the north to the suppression Of the surecton at Los An
geies in the south YOU form opinion OF the whole
which the just claims upon the United States would
TO. win you state that amount !
sAnswer Previous leaving the city of Angels Major
Reading acting pqynaser, and myself, made estimate
OF the that country From the best information
which could obtain, made the total hun.
dred thousand dollars Major Reading operating the
north with Col Fremont, and self with Gem. Stockton
the south"
From this Of Captain Hensley to the committees
! tba g
the very Of their places in the battalion, it is clear that
he and Major Reading the proper persons TO be associated
with Mr. Fremont in allowing rejecting these claims
They know every Transaction and cannot be deceived.
They know every claim aud cannot be imposed upon.
They know the true from the false n every instance, both Of
and TRANSACTIONS. They do justice, and that upon
their knowledge. Their characters concerned
in rejecting false accounts and preventing their and
Iom being MADE the means OF imposition upon the Uni
ted States
A, pages 35 al &c of the document Capt Hensey shows
that all supplies and DEAR and the eaer because
necessarily obtained without money, there being fur
nished ny the United States. He says
Ater the city Angels taken by the United States
forces Captain Gc5pi. left in command, and acted
assistant qusrcnae- to TIE troops stationed there. After
the inurrecon broke out, in September, 1885, provisions
aud supplies Of al kinds could Only be obtained the
exsvaant prices the whole surrounding country being the
hands OF the enemy"
And hn uiyp, antrmcnt nrcps fuIIy snsinin n