New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-08
The Closing Scenes of the Commission on
Mexican Claims.


The 10th of April being the limit OF time
when the labors of the Commission must Ice
brought TO a close, an increased anxiety might
have been observed a day or two previous on
the coun,enances of those who for many months
had been IN daily attendance at the veStlDule of
the tribunal which was TO decide upon the fate
of their respective claims. For the information
Of those who have no personal knowledge OF the
locality where this celebrated Board for two
wears held It's session, 1t may bc necessary TO
say tina, the locus an guo was building IN the
vicinity of the Treasury Department, one apart
ment OF the first floor being the depository of
the papers connected with the claims pending
before the Board, another adjoining IT being
used as sort OF lounge for parties and agents
attending upon the Board, where the Deputy
Clerk was usually to he found and occasionally
the Western member of the Board, who had a
p,ncham Tor discussing cases under the genial
influence of a cigar This luxury, however, II
should be observed, Was not limited exclusively
TO the recepion.room lust mentioned, as the
Commissioners m full Board, IN their audience
chamber, on the second floor, no, unircquently
aided their Investigations with the narcotic stln-
uanr property, mOstcned with beverage that
had a more Nl,ilyng effect upon the intellectual
power.
On Monday, the lih, 1t having been an
nounccd that the Commissioners construed the
law as terminating the powers OF the Board on
Tuesday night, an unusual attendance was TO be
seen nj an early hour IN the tuhgmous apart
ment above mentioned. There the member of the
Board who was IN the habit OF curing his ideas with
the fumes OF tobacco was also 10 be IN rather a
languld condition, attributable no doubt, to the la
bors Of the preceding day. Let no one have the
false sensibillty TO be shocked with the announce
ment that the Board laborcd on the SabbdtA-works
Of aec,ss,sy II is understood by the best commenta
tors On the Scriptures, are allowable AMI surely
none can be supposed OF greater necessity. SINCE the
Commissioners, as is commonly reported, even With
the and of then Sabbath labors unable 10 decide
undersiandmgy upon half the before them.
IL viii no, be nvidious 10 add. that their labors
the occasion referred 10 We're continued TO late
hour, IN that respect indicating laudable zeal for
the full discharge Of their duties IL IL true that the
exhaustion consequent upon such unrcmliiing toll
demanded reparatlon hy boUnttul minis,ratlon 10
their physical wants, which was the office VI sub
Deputy, who occupied the building and II Was, per
haps, not dlsproporoNate II the supper should have
occupied the whole Of SUNDAY night which, how
ever, am no, prepared Ia admit was the case.
This al all events i sufficient 10 account for the
unertness OF the member aforesaid Another member
occupied his accustomed sea, m the audience room
of the Board belng the sole representative OF The
Commissioners there al the particular time referred
20. This member II may be proper to mention Is en-
titled Ia the credit oi having been almost ALWAYS IN
attendance, which was highly honorable. vet IN JUS
nee TO the Others suggested that his share IN
the labor OF the Board Was some hat less than theirs II
the report be true that he for rejecting al TIE
CLAIMS whcha IN Texas constituting as was sup
posed the great OF the cases that came within
the Jursdtion ofihe Board This was 10 he seen hike
The play of Hamlet, the part Of Hamlet beng omit
TED but On the whole II may have been found con-
Nenlent for privately remarked by one otthe Com
miSSioners any of these CLAIMS should De atinliied
~ would let IN such a rabble or IN other words, II
the whoie should be excluded II would save 50 mach
time which could DC usefully devoted 10 the few re-
manning cases besides that u would make handsome
thng ior those 10 whom would thus be eft the excu
sive cement OF tne i1nd The remark aforesaid was
OF course not intended to be rcpeatei and wish II
To be regarded by all who read this article As strictly
confidential
To one NO, too deeply interested IN the decisions
an occasion was afforded for some curious ohsery,,-
tons. Enter Mr.. Il, has some private conyersai,on
with the members of the Board whose ideas as hcorr
mentioned had been hung up 10 dry YOU have ic.
ridedmy case against me-" Motto my knowledge
answers theC ommsionerlha have no, read the paYerS
Blu, the Clerk beng appealed 70, the decision Is found
whereuron the y rcmanded up stairs toy further
consideration II there should be time. Mr. z OF New
York looks aeeu, HIM with an ur OF maryrdom, ne has