The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-10-02

acres. lieutenant coonels 5000 TO majors asss
acres, TO captains 900 acres 10 subaerns 2666 acres
10 non commissioned officers 200 acres, and to pIvates
100 acres, with addition Of one-sxth mores u they
conunned IN service Tor period OF six years 10 pay
noy, Afterwards ' csdsS 10 he State OF q KeniacEy
s72SOOo acres and TO satisfy any deficiency that might
occu she re- eyed in her deed OF eession Of the North
between the Little Miami and Scota rivers for bouues
% Der troops q lhe continental line In l792, Virginia
had thus set apart within the limits Of thai State Ior The
payment o these bountes The quantity OF land siyen
up % hen.aeky a. ,nai ume amounted to about eight mil
was exhausted Virginia applied Congress- for means
to supply the deficiency still remaining and Congress- has
amount Of 10000 acres and am not sure that there
may not have been an additional grant since to the
amount stalled in this estimate Inot. however makes
the whole quantity that has been set apart by the State
OF Virginia and BY the United Sates from which these
bonntes might have been satisfied, 14,s92,s40
The quantity actually taken up in the State OF kentucky
for warrants granted to troops Of the State line 10. in
round numbers 100000 OF acres and for those granted
10 troops Of the continental line ~, 900 acres In Ohio
there have been appropriated for the payment Of the
bounty to the Virginia troops Of the continental line
3495 900 Add this 100000 for the land
scrip issued prior the year lS42, and il makes the
whole amount that has been disposed OF for these boun
ties offered by the State Of Virginia to her troops Of the
revolutionary war 6,e79ooo acres. By the act Of Con-
70 locate such Of those warrants had not then been
already located. This act contained proviso that
he sn The TO- S
i should not be issued unless satisfactory evidence
furnished TO the Secretary Of the Treasury that the SER
vices had been rendered. That clause, however. was
repealed by The act Of March 3, 1899 The State Of Vr-
gina. hy her local officers ntrusted with heperiorm-
ance OF this Duty has gone on from that time TO the
present issuing these warrants upon evidence OF
very loose character, and entirely different from
that which specifically provided for in her act
to s he ae Il b committee which
gave TO this matter most thorough examination about
the year 1912, OF which believe the Hon Hland Hall
Of Vermont was cbairman thai there had then been is
sued warrants TO much larger amount than that to which
the persons to whom they were ghifuy due could by
animation Of the army rolls that there could not have
been more than four hundred and twenty officers in the
State OF Virginia who were entitled to this bounty;
whereas warrants had been actually allowed al that time
to the number OF one thousand and thirty There has been
system OF operations going on in the State OF Virginia,
nation, for series Of years, through the agency Of nd
vduals who engaged in las speculation, by which, in
my judgment, the most enormous frauds have been per-
warrants to very large amount have been obtained in
Virginia upon very slight evidence, and in pursuance OF
the then existing laws they were recognised a. being
obligatory upon the government OF the Uued Staes and
were exchanged in pursuance of The acts TO which have
alluded, for United States land scrip Sir, believe
warrants still outstanding. which have been granted
after the abundant opportunities given by the United
States for their pesenaiion they ought no longer 10 Be
regarded as obligatory on this government The govern
ment OF the United States have, from time 10 tme the
statutes OF limitation EXPIRED extended them until we
have arrived al period Of nearly seventy years
from the time these services were rendered and iii quite
time my Judgment, that should stop the recogni
ZION OF these warrants which have thus been issued TO
such enormous extent The committee were willing
that provision should be made for any warnts that had
been issued prior to the year 1872, when the eight mil
hons OF acres lying IN Kentucky were abandoned e tnat
of and probably little opportunity for, the comms-
sion of frauds but since that lime the transactions have
been such TO induce the Committee OF Claims TO 10
commend that Congress should make further provision
for those that have been subsequently, issued rs
Mr. UNDERWOOD MIR President, rise for the
Mr. MAsosl 10 withdraw his amendment, because i 10
very manifest from the remarks OF the gentleman before
me [Mr BALDwsl who has just iaken his seat. that II
this amendment should be adopted here and sent to the
House OF Representatives 1t will in all probability excite
discussion in that body, and thus njuriousy aect the
bill Il was the subject OF considerable discussion befoe
the committee which my friend refers. That commit
tee divided in opinion respecting it. The majority.
stated the other day, were opposed to the proposition,
jec Now, il we amend the bill by adopting this propo
siton, OF which am in favor and goes 10 the House.
there will be IN a probability discussion excited ey t
there possible chance to deliberate upon the sub
jec the consequence may be that the House will reject
all the amendments made by the Senate. and
send the bill back 10 us in its original form and
the question then will be whether We shall insist
on all the arendments or only part OF them And
that it may not be the policy OF some Nom.
bers OF this body produce this very result II may be
their policy TO load down the bill with amendments, the
hope hat tne house Will REJECT tnem en- mdSss ana mn
the bill will come back 10 us ia the form in which u
originally passed the House This course may be pur.
sued legislative expedient but il 1t is hope II will
not prevail am sincere in voting for the amendments
we have already made and think the House will be
struck with the propety OF them as soon as their char
acier and objects are known; but very certain that
this ndment offered by my friend from Virginia Mr.
MAsosl should 90 to the House, il will produce an a.
most instantaneous opposition But hope for the sake
OF saving the other amendments and preventing the con-
sequences to which have alluded that this amendment
may be Withdrawn New, would say to the senator
from Virginia that the bill this subject already report
ed at this session. and which will lie over to the next
session, occupies pretty prominent place upon the cal
endar and propose to bring up as soon as we meet
two months hence, at the earliest opportunity after
wards This will give time TO enter fully into the dis
cusson OF the question and he whole matter can be ds
posed OF deliberately, which cannot be done At the pres
ent time think, therefore, that we had better ressa
this amendment unless the policy be 10 so load down e
bill with amendments that the House may reject them ah
and send back bill which will be Just as odious -
when il first reached think that II my ineno psf-
siss in offering this amendment II VIII so lncumoe. ne
bill as 10 produce the results that have predicted
10 me that the best policy will be to withdraw this
amendment now and let the bill have alluded to b
brough no at an early period OF the next session. when
there VIII be time 10 consider this subject in all is boar
mrs and dispose OF in deliberate manner hops this
course will be taken II il is not, shall feel myself con-
strained 10 vote against the amendment, although H.
yored Il The other day. when thought there pros
meet of having attached to the bill without producing
ihe consequences which now fear will result from s
adoption. f .ferg won Y s9fasoF
MIR. MASON. Mr.. President. there is a very wise