The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-08-20
From the United Magazine aud Democratic Review
The G~I.Aln s.oYsrnmena

Since the advent of the present administration TO
power the public mind has been repeatedly startled oy
the announcement OF immense sums OF money having
been distracted from The public treasury by members oil
the government through the medium OF claims, good OF
bad Claims have been preferred, admitted, and paid,
which have no foundation whatever aud others, Ike tie
Gaiphn claim, after struggling against repeated rejection
through three-ourths OF century, paid not IN
justice To the claimant his heirs, but enrich his at
torney, who member OF the government literally
paying himself out oil the funds with which he nrus
ed This appears moi TO have been isolated case but TO
be part OF system IL was well understood al Washng-
ton that all claims the government required 90
through certain channel, which is thing bat ap
one The claimant had the choice OF getting nothing, or
small per centage OF just claim. Thus there is no
chance for man honestly 10 obtain what is Justly due
him from the government
This system is well illustrated in The circumstances of
the Gardiner claim which briefly thus Dr. George
A. Gardiner owned silver mine IN San Luis. Mexico,
and operated from 1874 10 1916. when on the approach
OF the United States army he was Obliged TO leave under
an order OF the Mexican government expellmg Amen,
cans and as he was thus obliged 10 abandon his property
he claimed damages, and was awarded $i2S by the
commissioners oil CLAIMS or this amount. however, Gar
diner got about SS0.00O the remaining $30UOOU beng
seized by the Secretary Of the Treasury, AIR Corwn,
Mr. CoTcoan, the government broker, Major La'ley, Mr.
Curtis formerly collector OF New York, aud Others, for
Their passing the clam. DR.. Gardiner lett Tor
Europe, and Mr.. Port formerly claimant through M.
Puu5sin, The French ambassador tor tobacco damages,
forward aud says that Dr. Gardiner asserted
TO him that the whole claim was forgery, and got
through by hard swearing and that he was determined TO
expose it, because he was squeezed so hard" by the
Secretary and his accomplices THIS brought
TO the notice OF the government by Mr.. Curtis, who
clted an investigation, the result of which has been that
The grand jury have found true bills for perjury against
DR.. Gardiner who is now in Europe, and against his
brother, Carlos Gardiner The latter rested, and
was on July IS admitted TO bail. The investigation be-
tore the grand jury OF course in and the force
OF the evidence on which il acled has therefore
tanspred We have heard many complaints against the
late Mexican board, and of the wronguness OF many OF
The awards made by Il but as We have authority to
send Tor persons and papers, we must wait for further
developments before we can venture to give currency 10
tle statements which have reached Congress will
doubtless sf the action of the board and ii 1.-THE of
what we have heard be satisfactorily proved the Gaphn
case will be forgotten.
As far the administration of public justice goes ii
is OF very little difference whether the clam fraud.
uen not. Ii the mans claim just, certainly he
entitled TO than twenty cent o' the
The board OF claims have published of defence,
which they assert that the proofs adduced full and
complete, and that persons the face Of those proofs,
would have refused 10 pass The claims and yet, the
face OF this account, we have the fact that this claimant
with such clear proofs OF his rights could only obtain
$4,000 out OF I2S $50 awarded $3.50 900 went to per-
who had no other claim upon the money that
their consent necessary to lis abstraction from the
treasury The clearer the board show the claims of Dr.
Gardiner to have been proved the do they condemn
the government officers who feeccd him If Gardiner
and his accompIces were guilty OF fraud they pun
shabe Tor that but il they before the authorities
with claim apparently honest and OF the business OF
which those persons could have had suspicious IS
otherwise, bouEd TO believe they would have
coun'enanced 1t at all On what basis could these of
cers OF the government rest claim for four fhs of
amount justly due Gardiner for losses sustained in Mex
leo 2 Whether GARDENERS claim just unjust there
s equally little honesty in the in which the
awarded amount divided, and public Justice req ures
that the whole process should be investigated.
II follows that the whole system OF claims upon the
government Is rotten that entire reformation is
requisite, giving the individual the right 10 the gov
ernmen and bring has claims regularly before the court
as is the with many of the States under the
new constitutions.