Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-08

various sections Of the bill detail the manner in which the
facts shall be collected and the interests of the United states
guarded in most csutious and jealous manner The
district attorneys required to take testimony their rsrec-
tive DISTRICTS and the testimony, when prepared shall be de-.
cea by the board Of accounts who make report
of all the facts together with decision upon the case to
Congress II tbs report be favorable they report BILL
committee Of the House would report under similar
cumstsnces. The would then before Congress-
and wosd be presented with the merits exposed by the
board. had been deemed prudent by the Committee the
Judiciary avoid the Objectionable FEATURES charged
| against The Senate bill. zH
As this experiment in regard TO the establishment
of policy il thought best not TO invest the bu-
nal with any extraordinary powers Hence it would act
permanent committee ,Ae House, charged with the especial
duty of examining particularly into Claims, and seeing that
all facts connected with them fairly laid before the
House Thehief recommendation of this substitute that
il could do possible harm any thing preudsia to the
country but would enable the Congress Of the Uned States
| 30 act upon private claims unSersandiDgIy.
Mr.. DANIEL, from the Committee Of Claims, offered
| Substitute for that Of Mr. MEAoE.
The CHAIRMAN said that the substitutes would be re-
ced but wouldhot be acted until the original bill should
1 be perfected.
M NELSON then addressed The committee. He thought
very unfortunate that bib Of this kind had
ceve the sanction Of Congress Every member must feel
deeply the Importance Of establishing mode Of settling
claims different fronTshat which existed. Itwas
able and natural suspect that many Of the claims presented
to Congress just and equitable while many others weie
fraudulent and unou3ed in equity He then referred TO the
great number of claims presented Congress- the few that
acted on, and the little disposition manifested to transact
business private bin day strong nducement for Cen
gress 70 pass this bill. Hss
Mr. fMOMA remarked that during the last session. they
npon heal five bleeding wounds. He hoped
lh 9 healed and that the country would prosper
saing wounds Ia Tho Tressuy tho arioan. os
year. and the bill under consideration proposed
Wpnnds He apprehende2 that the friends of
"a pqgo under apprehension Of plethora in that
~ some time to come. They could get clear Of
@1et resorting 10 this mode. He invited the calm
nf tha sf tho
merits q the various propositions before them. Their
minds had been very properly directed to the consider
alton Of this subject from the fact that immense number
claims pending before Congress- many which
granted, but still greater number not acted upon The gen.
teman from New York had placed his adopting this
measure upon the fact that the present system legislation did
not seem efficient for the end for which intended He
would ask that gentleman he did know that these claims,
although unpaid, died They were immortal, and
seemed to get better every day they ed He then spoke in
opposition to the passage Of the BILL and thought that neither
the bill nor Of the propositions pending could afford
edy for the complaints He clearly os opinion that they
should all be rejected and any should be adopted ought
to be the one proposed by gentleman from North Carolina,
Mr DASIEL which he would for only in the de-
cision of the board was not to be final.
Mr. VENABLE remarked that all which had been said by
the gentlemen who preceded him about corruption fraud and
perjury If board of claims should be established applied
any court which Congress might create and il would even
be as applicable to the House to the board proposed TO be
established by the bill under consideration He had
members rise and object to bills because they too lazy
read the reports and then after examining the reports and
becoming convinced of the justice of the cla desire with
draw their objection, which very seldom allowed Mere
y because they had the time look into the claim they
would object and have them pass the Dead which
never rued by breeze He regarded denial of JUS
ce great crime could be perpetraed If thing
more than another caused broken heart and brought the
osts Of age the brow the delay grant the small
pance asked in justice Of Congress by the widow and the
orphan. If any thing had caused him to blush and feel
ashamed for the four during which he had been
harof Tho
of business. There just enough attention to claims to-
produce hope, and enough by derng it, make the heart
sick He desired to give bearing the claims brought boz
fore Congress- and thus allow them to be understood He
believed that committee could investigate claims well
the tribunal proposed by the BILL and be would rather take
three commissioners appointed by the Executive by and with
the advice and consent Of the Senate than three
members or tneoue, because the latter were engaged
In the business OF their suens attendance the
committees and consequently could devote the
and assiduity learned in the law, whose sole Efforts
would be directed TO this particular business.
Mr. BURT did think that any debate could change the
opinions of members the subject under consideration He
knew gentlemen had made up their rns either for against
such form OF adadcang the demands against the Govern
ment provided in the bill. de, therefore, submitted
the committee whether the only question that really ine
rested them would be the details the measure and they
would be by the amendments He moved that the
committee rise for the purpose Of offering resoaiion to
limit the debate this subject.
The motion agreed to, aad the committee having
risen sN. ...n
Mr. BURT offered the usual resolution close the debate
this subject tomorrow at O'clock which agreed
to and the House, after ordering the printing Of Mr. MEADEs
substitute, again went into committee.
Mr. MCLEAN, of Kentucky, then spoke in favor of the
bill He said that at the last session Of Congress he op
posed to the BILL but after he had obtained little expe
rence member of the Committee of Claims, his mind
took change upon this question. The consideration
he had given the subject well further observation of the
proceedings of the House and Of its committees had convinced
him Of the absolute necessity for establishing commission Of
To chad hot
long familiar with the proceedings Of the Committee
of Claims the geneman from Tennessee, (Mr THoMAs
should make the assertion that this body compe
tent Judicial body upon claims than any other that could be
ganzed that Government interests better protected by
Congress than they woad be by commission of claims.
upon this point that he differed with the gentleman be-
he did not believe that the interests Of the Government
those of private Individuals protected by this
Of settling claims The object of this Government do
justice to all her citizens its object was, ought to be- to
take Of the public treasury, and permit ad
pecuaion to be committed upon it. The experience of the
House and the legislation Of the country for the last twenty
years had proved that honest claim had chance
than claim founded in justice, but upon fraud. The
Of this that the honest poor man. the conscious
of the propety Of his claim, to Congress- with
Of the methods adopted by those whose claims audu
lent The result that the claim would e acted at
ALL while that Of the rich man. fraudulent though might be
would be passed without deay account of the subtle in
uences brought to bear Mr. Mel then proceeded to speak
in favor Of the BILL but before concluding gave way
Mr.. MEACHAM, who moved that the committee rise /;
which being agreed to, e
The committee and reported progress and the House
adjourned.