Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-04
THE COMING SESSION OF CONGRESS.
FROM THE BALTIMORE AMERICAN.

FROM THE BALTIMORE AMERICAN
In Few days CONGRESS will meet We see no
cause why it should not have an unoommonlv nrac-
teal session 1t is to be expected that every fourth
annual assembage of our Representatives mu st be
agltated by angry debates, absorbing great deal
OF valuable time, and allowing leaders from all parts
of the country to express their opinions upon Ma
tlonal policy This is SO, because in the recess Of
Congress, a President is to be elected, and Il Is
right that the people should have the prominent
men and the prominent features of National
programme brought before them with the most
thorough analysis. But, after the election is over
and at the Immediately succeeding assemblage Of
Congress, there is no need of such ample debate
The Man and his Platform both before the nation
Nothing can alter the popular verdict as to the former
and nothing but voluntary dsobedience can modify the
latter.
We hope, therefore, that, after the important question
Of our relations with Spain and England shall have been
thoroughly discussed, Representatives will devote
their time exclusively to that large class of our oen e
Gems who come to them with demand for justice There
are home claims well foreign rights to be settled
Many Of them have fingered for years on the table, until
the principal has been doubled trebled by delay This
careessness of justice has bred up in Washington race
OF greedy attendants who stand ready it is said the
agents betwxt the beggared applicant and the hestang
speech,
rzed these agents with his usual vgor and we doubt
not that the reports of committees sitting win do
much to extermnate these combinations Of lobby in
fuences
Among the most prominent acts demanding attention
IS that which has been often passed by House
the other and has yetso often failed of settlement either
by want of time or Presidential vetowe mean the
giving compensation to claimants for FRENCH SpoLAross
ON AMERICAN COMMERCE. PRIOR to 1900 law for this
purpose passed by the Senate at its last session. and
now lies on the table of the lower House. In the regular
course it must soon be reached. Let be amongst the
earliest to announce its passage and present Ma
tona Representatives the sufferers thanks Who can
hesitate as to its justice? The facts are few and the
argument may be comprised in two lines Spoliatons
were committed by France our commerce. prior to-
1900; France admitted in negotiation that such inus-
ce had been done by her cruisers courts and made
the value of those spotonsto be assumed and settled
by the United States Goyernment-the money basis Of
treaty with our country This treaty released France
from responsibility, and threw it the United States
with full value received for the liability In other
words Union paid national debt with the claims of
its people, and hesitates reimburse the parties
upon whose credit it operated though for fifty years it
has enjoyed the beneficial results of the speculation
No Government in the world, presume has private
national debt SO long outstanding Let legislators
Diusn-and pay
Nor is this the only demand upon our treasury The
French spoliaon claimants may almost be regarded
as sort of national corporation long have their re-
quests been unheeded but there multitudes Of d
rdaat creditors for comparatively small sums due on
contract otherwise who have been prosecuting their
suits for years with equal pernacity and equal fruit
lessness They have not had the of making them
selves heard through the papers, and have confined their
appeals either to the committee or to members
coat button at street Multitudes have been
sent off with rebuff Of indifference Then they have
trusted their fate to the tender mercies of an agent
but this personages influence not to be had with
out present fee and contingent interest," II the
agent is able to wait the demand may be delayed him
dered mpeded, not pressed from session to session
and each assembage of Congress course exacts
new retainer" Thus between travelling expenses
boarding bills loss Of time loss Of sefrespect resort to
sratagem and habitual trckery, the Washington claim
ant soon becomes very poor creature in character as
well as purse Some have gone home to madhouses and
to reimburse themselves by the arts they learned at
the capital.
Now, it becomes those dgnifed gentlemen who sacri-
fee their lives to egsate for the nation at eight dollars
day. to put an end to this growing vice Pay your
debts, large and small, and when you congratulate
Franklin Pierce his accession to the Presidency ON
the 4th of March, 1863 hand him over clean balance
sheet