North Carolina standard., 1851-02-22

II that such is the corruption of the whole
try-such the yenay and depraviy of learning, tai
ent requirement, the first, highest, and best all
our broad land, that board of claims, nominated by
the President and confirmed by the Senate, cannot
be found, whose honesty, integrity, and learning can
be received security for the discharge of their du-
ties In the premises Has the whole experiment so
thoroughly failed and is this failure announced on
the floor of the American Congress Is the power
safer here! Do we profess to be above the average
of our constituents In those qualities which make
man honorable and unimpeachabe Or are we so
superior to the rest of mankind, >, that any commit
tee which be scared in this House, is superior
in all the qualities necessary for chancellor to any
three that the President may select with refer
ence to this very object, or whom the Senate may
confirm after their merits have been canvassed! Ii
the decay of mortas is such that this board cannot
be found amongst the material presented in our whole
population, how will our bench be filed when the
present honest and unapproachable incumbents shall
die! Sir, this is grave question, if the gentleman
apprehends the corruption in the board ITSELF and
ressts the measure on that account.
But, sir. if he is apprehensive that witnesses may
swear falsely and parties act corrupty In that COURT
let me ask him IT the inducements are not much
greater and the chance of detection much less here
than before any other tribunal In the details of
business before this House all know that detection
is impossible. All the papers, dispositions, and re-
cords parte and nothing willingly placed In
the proof which would defeat the claim. We all
know that papers Withdrawn by leave OF the
House; the evidence improved; all that was In the
recovery
the most fraudulent pretences are passed, because
parties and their agents are skifu and lmPortnnate
| Now, sir, can any gentleman gravely suppose that
such things could occur when able and sound men
directed the investigation wher the attorney OF the
United States superntended the taking of the tes-
mony, where all the safeguards of the law pre-
served, to keep back and check fraud and crime
No, sir; such supposition would be impossible L
desire to transfer this part of business to those
whose time and whose talents exclusively devo-
ted to the work-who responsible to US and to
the country for the manner in which 1t is done.
desire to command high talents, high integrity, high
character and elevated feelings, and willing to
pay them for this important duty. The most costly
and unserviceable articles in which men ever dealt
those whose advertised cheapness constitutes their
chief recommendation. cheap judge, doctor, me-
chanc, politician, will out to be either pet
| titogger, quack, botch, or demagogue-a bad
purchase any price-a material which, like coun-
terfet money, only increases the poverty of the pos
in proportion to the quantity of his possessions
Sir, am content to adopt the bill with some mod
ifcations, the amendment of my colleague, Mr.
Daniel, authorizing the Investigation In the courts
and retaining the power over the appropriations here
[ wish to remove from Congress a class of claims
and claimants which we have no time to anaiyse, nor
opportunity to accord Justice Our protracted ses-
sons consumed, in great measure In preparing
business which is never declded-placIng cases on
the calendar which never heard-the close OF one
Congress leaving all the reports and business to be
again referred, again reported on and again objected
to, and laid over. These nterminable sessions, ex-
pensve, tedious, and undesirable, in great meas
attributable to the jurisdiction of private claims
Let US, sir, place it where, whilst we do not part
with the control of the result, shall at least have
fair and just showing of the where the lights
which guide to determination are true, and not
false. rejoice, sir, that have not lost confidence
in the integrity of the courts, or those individuals to
whom must look to compose those tribunals
Should the day when the ermine shall cease to
be the emblem of spotless purity-when the integrity
of the judges and the authority of the courts shall no
longer be venera.ed respected, may retain the
forms, but shall have lost the substance OF ber-
ty. 1t should be remembered that Incompetence is
often as mischievous as corruption; that weakness
and ignorance have often exceeded in msch ief over
criminal purposes; that whilst tribunal which is al
ways accessible to adjust the complaints and settle
the demands of the people, is blessing which, like
the sun, sheds light both the high and the low,
refreshing and enlivenng all within the reach of its
rays,-nothing degrades public morals, more
eectually robs justice of its power, than courts in
competent to their duties, either from defective organ
ganizaon, the want of time ability to meet the
public demands. Fraud force becomes the arbiter
in the conflict of interest. The dominion OF might
and chcanery is completes the weak fall before the
strong, the poor before the rich, until revolution
despotism closes the drama.
In vain shall gentlemen say that decision against
the claimant by the court, board will prevent
his coming before Congress again. Sir, the costs
and trouble of the nvestigation-the responsibility
of the trbunal-above all, the full and fair trial he
has had, will render it so improbable that Congress
will entertain his petition that the evil Will be OF
small amount. With such cases as may come, Con-
gress will doubtless deal promptly.
I am constrained, sir, to abjure the present mode
of adjusting claims-frst, because it is the most
pensive secondly, the tardy thirdly, the
unsatisfactory; fourthly, because most productive of
crime and corroption-crime committed with impun-
ty and corruption which cannot be reached by pun
ishment. Again, this House is incompetent because
occupied by other duties, which absorb all the time
of those who compose it. The consequence of all
which is, that it is the worst arrangement for the ad
ustment of claims that the wit of man could devise,
la promise of a remedy in form, but denial in
substance-the offer of bread TO the starving, but
with cruel ingenuity placing it in sight, but utterly
beyond the reach of the sufferer. Our calendar may
well be called the death-house of claims, like the
Morgue in Paris, where bodies of suicides ex-
posed and duly described and registered. Friends
may and take them away, but that is all that is
left for their pious performance. We invite pri-
claim days, the claimants to to the feast
but the obector, like Sanchos doctor, snatches away
the 7iands which had excited the appetite and prom
ised to assuage 1t.
Sir, / have never objected to claim because had
not examined it, did not understand it. / never
thought the poor claimant responsible, either for my
want of diligence or perception. have, in the alb
sence of other evidence usually been guided by the
report of the committee who had the subject in
charge. / should be much better satisfd with the
case made after jury had ascertained the facts,
and the court laid down the law. should deem it
a safe guide. Add to this the assurance that our
House of Congress would experience such relief In
relation to these aforesaid clams-the opportunities
of agents and parties, the Of etterwriters
and their appreciation not less undesirable, together
with all the category of unmentioned and unmention-
able appliances which sometimes observed. All
this stream of evils and annoyances would disappear