The daily union., 1852-05-08

Senate oreporla illn favor OF these claims until the
year 1922 Thus or i@euy-seyen years IN the midst OF
men who knew all about the faclss and VINO Were ia.
niliar with the transactions from The commencement,
and who il The claims had merits would have been the
fe TO provide for The payment by the government, no
bill for their relief could be obtained from any com
In The House. not nnlil ls3s-some thny-six years
alter this matter had been presented 10 Congesswas
bill reported in favor OF these claims Surely these de-
maHds before with greater strength. and
commend themselves more 10 the judgment OF senators
than they did at earlier day, when would seem nat
their sce must have been more apparen and the les
hmony abundant. Surely they IN better repue
among than among our fathers who knew their origin
and as history Surely mas ADDED @ 70 s srs"ss o s
Justice and the number OF the Witnesses
A claim OF five millions OF doarsis not small affair,
is capable OF increasing The impetus OF ils progress
Il proceeds. acquiring strength from day TO day. and
from year TO year. and making friends upon every side
do not complain of the fact; but il must be appa-
.rea TO every man that there never has been cann
more carefully nursed more urgently pressed than
that now before u.s. Can any man number The agents
VINO advocate and who urgetl Can any one count the
several States 10 obtain resolutions bear upon the con-
sciences OF here and compel them TO cast their votes
in favor Of this claim My friend from Arkansas, Mr.
BoRLAsD,l believe, is now Under series of reson.
lions giving instructions on the subject His legislature
has instructed both for and against the claims but the last
Instructions in their favor Can any man read.tbe
number OF pamphlets and newspaper articles intended TO
control public sentiment on the subject who does not
how complete Is the Neutrality-suspicious. lncessan It's work.
nghow admirable its operation 10 secure the desired re-
There is an effectual urgency in this matter which is
not peculiar 10 these claims, but Is connected with all
large demands the public reasuryan urgency which
will press them forward with an impetus that small
claims can never acquire intend TO cast no imputa-
ton upon any here for casting his vote according TO
his own conscience and belief, nor upon anybody out
side of these walls for urging in a proper manner the
claims in which his friends or himself may be interested
Bul the exiraofdInary efforts made M to pass ths o we
cannot conceal from ourselves The influences 70 ils Pc
the past with the presenthe infancy and weakness Of
this claim with lis present maturity and strength II we
look back TO The time when for quarter OF century no
reported bill could be obtained favorable to these claims
we see them in. their infancy Then they needed the
fostering hand Of The careful nurse They received the
most unremilted, attention They were nurured, and
creased ygor and strength, They have increased in
power in proportion 10 the bestowed upon them and
the lapse Of lime until now they stand in our midst, not
the conqneror. When the first favorable action Of the
committees Of Congress Obtained upon these claims
much smaller amount was reported than at the present
lions OF dollars Now they demand i've. know i is
said that the interest 10 the present time, added TO that
amount, would swell the sum to that mentioned in the
bill before US But we have never yet, as far as know
in this department OF the government assumed the pay
ment OF interest any claim Of this character There
wasa time when the friends OF this bull were satisfied
with proposed grant of land for their indemnify Now
government bonds worth than specie, demanded
II CLAIM, for The discharge of which two millions Of
dollars 10 lands woul have been satisfactory has in SO
short time improved that five millions of dollars in
cash are reluctantly received no man can tell what next
may be demanded. y, .'7i". n H24A isss "a .ltt
There is another feature in this bill to which mus,
allule have already referred TO the report made by
Mr. Holmes, OF Maine, formerly member Of this body
presenting with great zeal and ability all the arguments
in favor Of these claims He ddnot report a till He
aud his committee not prepared TO go TO that extent
but they reported resolution calling upon the President
TO furnish information and the testimony this subject
of the claims OF the petitioners 20 ell talo 81
LET any thp unp ia
which presented IN this case and say whether he can
nd any evidence 10 sustain The facts alleged by any
Of the petitioners who declare ha, he has been sufferer
Is there evidence in any case OF the loss Of vessel
by the interference OF the French government with Amer
commecel Is there evidence that any OF these
claimants owned vessel Is there evidence that
any OF these petitioners bad any interest n the
cargo OF a vessel Are any OF them by the proof con-
nected with any deredations committed by France
the broad ocean, None al all. The matter is turned
over 10 a commission TO hear the proof and TO decide
on the claims. Mr. Holmes right when, although
standing friend OF these claims he demanded lirh
on this subject III this man or that man has claim
against the government lei him give proof OF his rights
10 Congress- and lei this tribunal decide the testimony
Mr.. BRADBURY. The senator will perceive, by ex.
aninng the documents, that Mr.. Holmes contemplated
not the appointment OF commissioner but that Congress
should act the claims separately and therefore
qurrd just the kind OF evidence which now propose
10 submit 10 the commissioners. - ..
Mr.. FELCH. Mr.. Holmes. believe. did not say
very definitely in that report what the committee did pro-
pose But they sought lght-testmony as TO iacts-so
II is for the very that another principle is adopted
by this bill that object. That committee right in
demanding that the merits OF each should be the
subject OF separate action Ii is rule of universal ap-
pcaton here The ndv vdual petitioner must show what
his rights are. and Congress then decides upon them
By this bill we assume that large class OF cases
merltoTIous and appropriate hive millions OF dollars from
the treasury and commit the matter 10 commissioners 10
determine how The sum shall be apporoned among the
claimants. In such what will be the eject The
door opened wide for 10 come IN and present
claim. We sometimes hear II said that we legislae to
avoid frauds and perufes II seems TO me that IN this
bill we are egslaling 10 invite and promote both. These
ancient transactions, and the testimony must now be
scattered and obscue The memory OF many explanatory
facts must be lot and rebulng proof must be beyond
reach yet all invited 10 So far as have
any proof in regard 10 French claims in detail,
prepossessed with the idea OF their merit The treaty
OF Paris OF 1891 provided Tor the payment OF some oil
these old claims and list OF all that presented TO
the commissioners having Their origin prior TO the FAITH
Senate in 1916. (Senate Docs, lst sess. 10Th Cong
One hundred and four claims presented and OF
them four only allowed The relectlons were prin
cipally for insufcIency of evidence The coneclufal
noe list OF claims annexed TO the convention oil 1903,
comprises l22 OF claim; OF these, 6s, more than
half, rejected by the American commissioners
OF claims OF the claims presented not entered the
coneetura note, 356 admitted, and 49, about
one-half rejected. III these specimens OF The
claims, they may certainly be regarded as confused
mass--a large proportion OF which mere 'preen-
SONS Shall WE depart from all rules previously ap
piled, and appropriate money by the millions for their
payment, and. instead oil judging ourselves OF their
merits the proofs the matter for distribution
by commissioners II, perchance, IN such general
scramble, honest claim should be paid, bundred
with merit will be likely to pass Agents. Insurance
companies a-sgnees, and purchasers at bankrupt sales