North Carolina standard., 1851-02-22


the laws and the facts involved in any claim Would
such statement, thus digesed and prepared, be
infinitely more reliable than any report of any
mlttee you can scare here, who, amidst frankng
documents. answering letters, visiting the Depart
ments attending the committee room in the morning.
and this House all day-who, overcome by fatigue,
throw themselves into chair and write hasty re-
port by the light of candle in their bedroom
nope, Sir, that have proper respect for the Amerl-
can Congress-for the committees who are raised
amongst the members-but it would be uncanoid In
me to say that should respect equally the reports
emanatIng from these sources If all the commlees
to whom claims are referred were as dlgent IN as,
certalnng facts and sitting their merits as my ieno
from Tennessee, and would bring the experience OF
lawyer we'll as the diligence of Representative
to bear upon them should have much higher respect
tor this House as court OF cialms' Dut. uhiorlu
nately, many of have no such quaIihcations and
attribute the horor with which he regards private
claim, the discoveries which ne has made In many
utterly fraudulent and unfounded-the more difficult
of detection because altogether pGre in statement
as well as evidence; the result of criminal practices
which have grown up under our present system, be-
ca use so easily perpertrated. He discovers corrup-
ton here, and fears its increase BY the adoption OF
any proposed remedy. The right of objection heads
off and delays many claims but the evil is that the
good and the fraudulent share the same destiny. 1t
is impossible to discriminate in the time allotted Tor
the examination 1t may be prudent to bear the
evils that have rather than fly to others which we
know not of " but it is not true that is wise TO submit
too known evil, and reject all remedies, however they
may commend themselves to our judgments or our
feelings.
The system now in use ought to be changed, be-
cause the delays consequent upon its workings amount
to denial of Justice. 1t should be remembered, sir
that it is equally denial of justice to decide wrong
! or not to decide at all Every case has two sides,
and it is the less of those in which the
Government is party and the claimant the other.
just and patriotic statesman is sensitive concern
ing the redemption of the credit of his Government
the payment of all just demands upon it, and the
ooDfi itch nd he uonld he
were the obligation his own. He scorns to screen
himself under the divided responsibility of numbers
and feels individually accountable if he has failed to
endeaVor to do his duty is this particular. Indeed
there is something indescrbaby undignfed in the
act of great Government Withholding a trial of
the claim of an humble citizen, who asks merely for
investigation, hearing. But there is something
that scarcely be too strongly denounced in ope-
ming the door for petition and closing Immediately
upon the the statement, referring
it TO committee, reporting in his favor, exciting
pectaton, and then refusing to hear and determine it,
Sir, have often sympathized with those suffering
under that sickness of the heart which comes from
hope deferred. have seen in your galleries on pri-
vate claim day, the widow clad in mourning, whose
young and gallant husband, shrouded in the seaweed,
sleeps In his ocean grave asking, what has never yet
been refused, only years pay of that husband for
herself and her children well as for the widows
and orphans of the crew who perished with him in
the service of his country. saw her sad face illu
minated by ray of hope as her claim was reached
ers soicitude for the education of her sonsgrattude
to Government not insensbe to her claims. The
called, the report read, but the overwhelming
words % object,'' dashed all her hopes, and lied
her with despair Another years delay, another shaft
lodged In the heart already stricken and wounded and
all because gentlemen have no time to examine all
the claims. Look now, sir, at the muated soldiers
about your door this cay. See the claims of soldiers
widows, made by the fatal field the stroke of
disease contracted in the SERVICE the poor mechanic,
farmer or manufacturer, whose claims upon the Gov
eminent obstructed by some technicality which
prevents the Departments from allowing them-cldIns
which sustained by the broadest equity, if the
United States could be sued like an individua but
which excluded from settlement, because court
of equity softens the hard requiston of law These
are persons who throw themselves on Congress
petitioners where. in many cases, If the contracts
with individuals, they would be recognized
claimants, who lantalized with expectations,
tured with delayed hopes, and worn down with des-
pair who often either abandon their claims, or
transfer the larger portion of the recoveries agents,
always sufficiently importunate and numerous.
But, sir, the gentleman from Tennessee Mr.. Thom-
as1 anticipates the alarming increase of fraud
forgery, perjury amt cPrruPtIon upon the establish
of this tribunal for the adjustment of claims.
He refers the warning voice of history, speak
ing through report of the late Lewis Williams of
North Carolina, in reference to the commission for
adjusting the claims, arising out of the of 1912.
He says that the inequtes of that commission accu-
muated with such fearful rapidity, and to such an
extent, that they burst upon the country like avail
anche, creating and dismay-that Congress re-
eaIed the law, and closed the have exam
ned that report and the grave charges made against
the parties 10 claims before the commission. None
however, are made against the officer himself Sir,
if all of our to be subjected such an
ordea--an er pare examination and report COngress
if all the frauds and perjures committed in our best
could be in array before the public eye the
gentleman in his horror at this display of inequity
would close all the tribunals and absorb the judicial
functions of the Government in the two Houses of
Congress- But is he that he would increase the
security or amend the matter by such transfer
Congress, by committee, wrote the history of the
commission of caims arising out of the war of 1912.
But who is to write the history of the denquencies
OF Congress. have read fable, in which contest
between lion and man is described. The fable is
illustrated by picture, which represents the man on
the top of the covering and vanquished lion. The
moral goes say, lions do not write else the
lion would be on top and the man at the bottom -
Who shall disclose the secrets of prison house
Of the present Congress may not speak, otherwise
than most respectfuly-they all honorable men
but there nav have been American Congress here
tofOre, and such may succeed US, who could not be
induced to understand how a few hundred dollars
Justly due to an humble claimant. might carry COM
fort and Joy to a comfortless and Joy less home-who
would, week after week, refuse the days which the
rules devote to private cams to the poor anxious per-
sons who have for years mourned over the laws de-
lay, but could suspend the rules proper occasion
for some great scheme, when brokers and bankers,
and agents and adventures, from Cape Cod to Cape
May, could make out strong case, backed by pow
erfuL and convincing arguments make large appro-
priatons for great projects, all for the advancement
of civilization the mission of philanthropy, and the
good of the human l am not concerned for the
interest of the soaring eagle the solitary condor
foI all birds of prey solitary their habits They
dtyh md have cd oh .bo