Litchfield enquirer., 1850-02-28

from inc Committee of Claims, in loAci and two ia the House of Representatives. from the Committee or Foreign Ahairs- inc first by Mr. Russell. in lS22, \ the oiher by MT, Forsyth, in 1924; all of which were far from being positive in opposition to their justice. . The papers communicated by lne ,eoe dent in his message of the 1Oth May, IoHo. poured food of light on the snDlecl ane since then, every committee naVing 'ns matter in charge have been consiFatnea W come 10 the conclusion that these ciaimS are just and equitable.
 This commiiIee can only account ioF the unexamtIed delay which (in lace ok expositions of great cogency by some of tne most accomplished jurists aud slaeesm men that have occupied seats in this chamOefI has occurred, by the magnitude ot ang claims, and the large GraushI which thsFt allowance would make on the treasury oE the United States. IL would be difficult t0 find anywhere more striking inuslTaiioH oi .!he truth of the axiom, that delay IS denial of jns;:ce. ga
 As long ago as ti,S Huh of Febr6a1Ss l829, committee of this boey proposed, as an indemnity for these claims, two millions of dollars; and 10 make the SuffereI$ aTl equivalent, would pow require an apPrO- priaticn of four million Eye hundred ana twenty thousand doliars-lhe interest at six per cent, up to this date, being two million five hnndredsand twenty thousand dollars. Soon after, to wit !: on the 22d of February, lS3n, another committee of the Senate, at the head of which was the learns ed and accomplishea Edward Livingston, teing fully convinced ihat the snm above named was inadequate, recommended an indemnity of five millions of dolIars-the equivalent of which at this time would be eleven millions of dollars. Since then, the committees of the Senate have been inces> sanity reilerating the same measure of jus> .ice for these claimants ard the same re- mark may be made of the committees of inc House. .
 Al the second session of the twenty third Congress bill passed the Senate, apPro- priating five millions of dollars for the Pur' pose afore Lut il failed in the House for want of time, At the second session of the lwenly-eighth Congress, tue Senate, af- ter full discussion, ordered bill for a like sum to third reading, by vote of yeas 26, nays l5; which was not reached for want of time. And, aga Il, the Senals took up the subject a, the 6Isl session oi the twenty ninth Congress, and gave renewed expression Of their sense of justice of these claimsaby an appfopriaIion of lte same amount, iH which the House concuredi but the bill was defeated, as already stated, by reason of the dissent of the Executive. To make these claimants now an equiva- leni for the sum c1mpr sed in the bill of the twen,y-uinlh Congress, would require an appropriation of six million two hundred lhous nd dollars.
 The committee have gone into these de> tails 10 show the inju>tice of these tantali- z,ng propositions, aud 10 impress on the Senate the necessity of early action on the SRbject. To thus cone u>ion we ale fIriheE urged by the fact that neuIy all of the original claimants have heen compelled i0 submit to the iuexorahle law of our nature and their h irS, whose only pat'imOny, hy reason of the outrageS of France and the Injustice of their own government, is pcnu- " and want, are extending their inn loring hands to the Congress of the ? ssent day for relief.
 The committee do not deem il necessary to go into an exposition of the considera- ,icn oc fact, equity, and justice which con - s,iin,r, n their judgment. a solid basis fer this appeal; aud they would rei.r ,be Sen ate to the annexed report from the pen that emine nl juriscun>ult aud atssinan. Mir. Livingston, as constituting an ade-. quaie expression of heir sense oi the neE> ils of these clannz
 They have p epared a bih fnf the re'ief of the claimans, and respectful, rccom- mend it's passage.