Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1850-05-29
Confessional. = Dn I eIeorapIl.
w ashinrton. Nav f3. 1850.

III the HOUSE. Yesterday. VI. btDDh>
gave history of The Galrhin claim in all
its ramitications. He opposed it as un-
Just. and said the se,t!caer' Of the in:cres,
was left as a legacy OF mischief 10 the
coming administration.
The report of the committee was read.
! The first part goes into IA minute history
Of the claim. and concludes with the fol.
lowing:
In the investigation of Crawford's rela-
ton and conduct in this matter. the com
mittee deemed it their duty TO request
Gov. Crawford to appear before tneul and
make such Il statement would make
them to understand his connection with
the claim and as he should think proper
on his part. lie did appear. aud
made 4 statement which he subsequently,
reduced 10 writing, and also al: al:>wered
the inquiries proposed by the committee
From his statement il appears that he be
came agent or counsel for the claim. bv a
power Of attorney executed by Milllge
tialphin. executor OF Thomas Galphin-
He was entitled To receive for his services.
without any other charge 10 his principal
one half of the whole clam. or such part
of it as should be realized \ supple
mental agreement by the parties. explain
atory of the foregoing, was subsequently,
entered into. 1t was stipulated that the
pecuniarv advances and professional ser
vices of Gov. Crawford should be a con
Sideration for onc-half OF the net profits of
the claim. and that all advances 10 or con-
.-ac.s made by him with other persons
concerning the claim should be deducted
from the claim.
Governor Crawford cndeayoreI to OBJ
tain payment Of the claim in tie treaty
with the Cherokee Indians in 1850 Fail
ing IN that. II was presented 10 the LrIs-
lature Of Georgia in 1897. and urged un-
til 1912 GOV. Crawford was /, member
of that body. avowed his interest in the
claim urged lis pavment, but declined t.
vote upon it. In May. 1913. he arrived
in this city, on his way 10 the Phladel-
phia Convention. remained one dav. and
on his return from Philadelphia he arrived
in the morning and departed in the even
ing for his residence in Georgia He did
not again visit this city until after the pas
sage Of the law
In February, 1919. he again came to
this city. In March he entered upon the
duties of Secretary of War. and from that
time he took no steps to prosecute the
claim until he was urged to do so bv his
principal As his interest was contingent
he did not think he could refuse it, argued
as desired.
About the middle of May, 1919. he dis
closed to the President the condition of
the claim and his relation to it. That he
had been prosecuting it since 1914. that It
had been allowed by Congress. was pend
ing before the Treasury Department. and
h, "a mt IN n III Il
state the character or amount ofthe claim,
the extent of his interest in it. the name
of claimant. or did he enter into anv Of
the details Of the claim. The President
replied that in his opinion none of the
pre- existing rights of Gov. Crawford had
been curtailcd by his acceptance of Of
flee. He employed Judge Bryan to pros
ecute the claim. and promised him S3 900
il il should be allowed and paid. He su-
pervised and aided in preparing Mr.. Bry-
ans argument, but denies that his inter
est in it was at any time before the paw
ment made known to any officer of the
Government who was charged with its ad-
Iustment.
On the 9Th of Nav. Gov Crawford adj
dressed communication to the commit
tee. informing it that he desired TO state
conversation with the President in March.
1880. In this statement it appears that
in the latter conversation the President
had the impression from the first CONVEX
sation that the claim was before Congress.
although as to this his memory was indis-
tinct-the matter having escaped his
memory. until the claim attracted public
notice. The President told Gov Craw-
ford that although he did net recoIlect to
have been told by him that the claim had
been allowed by Congress. and was pen
ding before the Treasury Department.
vet he did not see if ne had been so in
formed how he could have given anv 9TH
or opinion than he had. That being at
the head of the War Department, and
Agent Of Claimants, did not deprive him
of rights he may have had as such agent
or justified him in having examination or
decision Of Secretary
The President added. that in his opin-
ion the claim was Just one. and under
law of Congress it should have been paid +.
no matter who were the parties interested
Gov. Crawford alluded 10 the claim on
one occasion in conversation with the Al
tornev General. as one of which some Of
his Georgia friends were concerned-but
only to call him TO examine it at his leis-
ure. He alluded to it three or four times
in conversation with Mr. Meredith. before
its decision. but only to ask that it might
be decided
Messrs Johnson. Meredith and Whit
tlesey testify that Gov. Crawford did not
by any act or expression make known to
them his interest in the claim. nor were
they informed of it by any other person
while it was undecided. and there is no
evidence before the com m,tee to the con-
traFv.
Bundles Of papers relating TO the
claim were sent bv the Comptroller 10 the
Secretary of the Treasury. and by him TO
the Attorney General Among them was
the power of attorney already referred to.
another from Millidge Galphin to Gov.