The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-03

The very diversified transactions of the government of
the United States arising out of the receipt and expendi-
ture annually OF more than thirty millions of dollars
necessarily lead TO claims upon the
which involve the construction OF treaties and the dec-
slo& OF numerous questions of international and NUM-
opal law. These questions between the citizen and the
government are now referred by the practice of Congress
to the decision OF the two houses of Congress- who act
in judicial capacity for their determination The aver
age number OF claims annually presented to Congress is
about fifteen hundred varying in amount from less than
one hundred dollars to millions of dollars.
The evils of this system have long been felt and are
now universally acknowledged.
The Committee of Claims OF the House OF Representa-
tives, through their chairman, Mr. Rockwell of Con-
nectcut at the last session of Congress presented
port on this subject accompanied by bill providing for
board OF commissioners for the adjudication of these
claims The report presents variety of facts showing
the evils OF the present system both towards the claim
ants and the government, which are of a most striking
character .s.a
Claimants have serious and just ground of complaint
not only that from the nature of the tribunal it is very
difficult TO give deliberate and careful consideration
these CLAIMS but that the large majority of them
be considered at ALL During the last years the num-
Der OF private claims presented to the House of Repre-
senatives by petition, bill, resolution, 1888; OF
which STAT were not reported upon by any committee,
and but ,2l2 finally passed by both houses The
number decided against by either house, when avorably
reported upon by committees, is very small but
by far the largest number never reached on
the calendar The result is, that there claims now
on the calendar in the House of Representatives which
have been for fifteen twenty years uniformly reported
upon favoraby by committees, and receiving the favor
bic action OF house, have received the action of
both houses and still remain undIsposed Of If, by good
fortune, after series of years. claim is finally reached
and allowed, the government refuse the allowance of in
eres on the principle that they always able and ready
to pay their debts, and the omission have arisen from
the negligence OF the claimant.
Nor is the system less injurious to the government
Onethrd of the time of the House of Representatives is
consumed in the consideration of these claims and very
often the expense OF the days session is many times
more than the whole amount involved in all the claims
passed upon during the day devoted to them The DAYS
and nights of the members are consumed in the nvesl
CATION OF these claims in committee, instead of being de-
voted to their appropriate public duties. The testimony
in these always taken parte and the result is
that many unfounded claims allowed which would
have been rejected if the evidence against them
had been properly presented.
We have not attentively examined the bill now under
consideration by Congress- and cannot say whether il
affords the best remedy for these garing defects of the
present system but certain is, that system can be
that the present for all parties If the plan pro-
posed is Objectionable in any of its details or principles
it should be modihed bgt the time has surely arrived
when something efectual should be done. During the
last twenty years many plans have been proposed similar
in many respects 10 the now under dicussion which
have failed from difference of opinion as to the
details. In the mean time the number of claims has in
creased with the growth of the country, and the variety
and extent of its pecuniary transactions.
1t is we think, on every account to be desired that
Congress may, without longer delay, provide some rem
edy either upon the plan OF the proposed bill or other
wse for the manifest disadvantages of the present sys
TEN. We may again refer to the subject