The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-30
CALIFORNIA CLAIMS.
The Controversy between Col. Benton, OF the
United States Senate and EX-GOy.
Mason. Of California,
INDEMNIFY CERTAIN CALIFORNIANS,
SUPPLIES TO COL. FREMONT
New YORK, Sept. T. 1919.
JAS. G. BENNETT, editor of the ~. Y Herald.
ON THE BILL L,

New YORK, Sept 7, 1910.
JAS. G. BENNETT, editor of the ~ Y Herald.
The original of the enclosed communication
was written on the day of its date, and sent,
with the accompanying papers, 10 the editors OF the
alta California. One of the gentlemen, Mr.. Gil
bert, whom saw short time afterwards In San
Francisco, promised me 10 publish them, Out the
smallness of their sheet, as l understood, and the
length of the documents, prevented their pubhca-
ton before ! left California. herewith hand the
copies to you and request that they may appear In
the Herald. am, respectfully,
Your obdt servt X. b. Mason
To the Editors of te Aia California.
GENTLEMEN:-Paul, the Apostle, concludes his
epistle 10 the Romans IN these words, "Written to
the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe,
servant of the Church." Mr.. Benton, borrowing
from Paul, concludes his to the Californlans with,
written at Washington City, and sent by Col.
Fremont"
The apostolic forms in which this epistle is
clothed, should exempt II from every root of bitter
ness, from all hatred and malice, and present its
benign author deeply imbued with that spirit OF
charity so eloquently commended by his great pre-
decessor,, "ihat charity, which snnflereth long
and is kind, which is not easily provoked,
which vaunleth not itself, is not pulled up,
doth not behave itself unseemy." But, unfor-
tunatey, Mr.. Benton loses his temper and, with
that, all his apostolic claims. He followed in the
footsteps of the holy apostle, no farther than send
his episte by the servant of his church. Upon this
epistle, which appeared IN your paper of the llth
instant, deem 1t proper to address you, with
.'the people Of California" may Judge between Mr..
Benton and myself Mr.. Benton says that the
100000 bill, for the payment of the California
claims, "was baked in the committee of the
House of Representatives, by lies against Colonel
Fremont, sent here by Colonel Mason and the
notorious Colonel Jonathan ID. 5 evenson. Seeing
that the bill was lost, less sum, of 100000, was
again passed by the Senate, TO meet the most ur-
gent, best ascertained claims; this was also lost in
the House of Representatives, through the effect
OF the same hes Mr.. Benton does not say that
The bills were defeated by lies, fabricated and
written by Colonel Stevenson and myself, but
every reader will readily perceive that he designed
TO create such an impression, and also especially
IN California; that they were forwarded with a
view TO inJure, If not TO defeat, the California
claims. That / may be correctly Judged In re-
fernce to what l have said concerning those
claims, 1t Is only necessary tor me TO publish an
extract from my very first official letter to the Ad-
Jutant General, after assuming the command in
this country, dated June 18Th, 1871; aud also an
extract from private one to the Secretary of War,
OF the 18th OF the same month, in both of which
urge IN strong language the immediate payment OF
the claims. Here are the extracts:-
[ExTRAcT]
HEADQUARTERS TENTH MILITARY DEPT,
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, June Is, lSi7.
sr. sNo'.A2 rh.rs :.
one subject that ! desire to bring to the serious
consideration of the Department and the Execu-
tive and that Is, the speedy payment of the various
claims in California against the United States,
created since the hosting OF our flag this
try. The claims are for horses and other property
taken, and supplies furnished for the OF the
troops that were at the time hastily collected, as
well as for the payment now due to the men them
selves, and the various other debts that were ne
cessarily contracted In carrying on operations.
The troops thus hastily got together, were dis
charged in April last, but from bad counsel or
some other cause, they refused TO be mustered
into the service under the volunteer acts of May
and June, 1916, and therefore could not be paid
by the army paymasters at all. The claimants,
natives and foreigners, are loud and clemorous,
and create great deal of dissatisfaction and bad
feeling IN the country towards our government;
they charge II with want of good faith and vio-
iation of promises, &c. A speedy payment OF
their CLAIMS will do more towards reconcillng the
Caifornians 10 the change of flags, and be worth
more TO the United States, than ten times the
money II would take TO pay the debts. Iwould
most earnestly recommend that some dslntercsted
citizen, who is in no way interested in those claims,
be appointed, with a secretary, to investigate and
adJudcaie upon all claims presented against the
United States. Those upon which he puts ia
vorabe endorsement, authorize the disbursing
ofiicers-who should be supplied with ample funds
to pay at once.
Many of these claims, perhaps great majority
OF them, are only evidenced by the receipt or GER
thcate given for The property taken, or the amount
claimed by persons not in the service of the United
States, but who were sent out by the authority OF
the land or naval commander at the time, TO collect
horses, saddles, &c, &c. and | believe all the
claims OF the officers and men OF the late California
battalion Of volunteers are evidenced by due bills,
given and signed by the pay and qulrtcr.master Of
that corps; and very great many claimants assert,
and believe truly, that their property was taken,
and no receipt or certificate gwen.
Treasury drafts, or drafts Of disburslng officers,
are here twenty per cent below par. Remove these
clams-pay them ofI-and the disbursiug s1icers
obtain money here for their drafts al par, aud
the people will become reconcIled and satisfied.
j am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed) Il. y. Mason.
Col LIST Drag. Cong.
Brig Gen: r. JONES, Adj. Gen. u. s. A, WASH
ington, ID. G.
tEXTRAcT.l
MoNIEREY. EALEoRNIA. Inne 10. Isl1