The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-09
CITY OF WASHINGTON SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY g. 1853

~'A " ~ "a - y ~ - AAAN ~ n Az Il
Tor the payment of sufferers by the French spoalons
II Is we'll understood that the principle OF thai debt
amounted 10 between and hceo millions OF dollars,
and YET those of US who have believed II ,us and wise
10 pay the debt and recognise the reasonabeness and
proprety OF paying H. have not Insisted on that amoo
pat have been content to appropriate hye millions OF dol
lars SO far from proposing TO pay interest ioriy or hiy
years. with the whole principal we propose 10 pay Only
third or half OF the principal And this principle has
been settled and ackno wledged from The time when the
question first seriously Of reimbursing the sufferers
by French spoliaiioiIs nj all
Again ii we adopt the principle contained in THE bill
we ought to be equal and just bui confess that see no
good gtounds Tor paying interest sixty or seventy years
On this individual clan and paying neither interest
principle others just like it, If agree to pay IN
terest here, general bill Should be framed which should
provide for the payment OF The principal 10 all such
Eases and establish uniformly the time for which interest
will be owed II is with regret that fel compelled
10 oppose this bill am willing to vote literally for
The payment OF all claims against the treasury when they
are properly established but find myself Obliged TO vote
against the passage OF this bill in its present shape.
subscribe however, to the views presented by the sena-
iof from Delaware, and am willing, in view OF heroic
merits and heroic sacrifices, should indemnify the of
fces of ihe revolution for their losses desire TO
turn my thanks 10 the honorable senator from Delaware
for the anDern which he has presented this subjec 10
u.s. 80 as 10 enable me TO give my vote lnteglby and
safely.
Mf. UNDERWOOD II VIC could have a general bill,
Mr. President, embracing the object which shall pre-
with great deal of pleasure; but for the reasons already
assigned BY the gentleman IRON New York. [ Mr. SEW.
ARD,l and the gentleman from Delaware Mr.. DAYARD
cannot vote for The interest as proposed IN tins bill
The injustice done to the officers OF The revelation was
this They promised half pay during lie, and alter
the erminatioh OF hewar The inability 10 pay on the part
of the government such that it could NOT comply
with these promises Such being the c.se the officers OF
the revolution compelled TO accep, these commuta-
lion certificates OF five years full pay IN lieu OF the aii
pay which was pros,ised for life Many of the officers
did not wish to take these certificates OF five years full
pay in lien Of the half pay promised them for life, but they
were compelled 10 do il or get nolhing They derived
some advantage however in this They had the whole
OF five years full pay in hand aud they had the interest
upon the FIVE years full pay from the time they obtained
the certificates until they were finally discharged They
or their assignees had them.
That was benefit 10 them. but here was lcss which
they had to sustain Some of these officers lived ioty
ffy and even sixty years. believe after the termination
OF the war, if you had allowed them their half pay 1t
would have amounted to three. four, or five times as
much according 10 the length OF time they lived after ihe
close OF the the commutaon certificates Tor i've
yeats full pay amounted to- The loss which they suS-
tanned was IN proportion 10 the length OF their lives after
laon of Congress- compelling them, II were, TO take
| these i've years certificates OF full pay
Ia the year 1899 Congress became very sensible Of that
injustice and they gave all the officers then living their hal
pay tor life from that period up 10 the time OF theiI
death But they left the peri iod prior TO 1882 unpoyided
for, allowing compensation from The close oil The wa
10 that date for the losses these officers sustained
Now, sir, all we can dos and in my opinion, all tina
ought TO do is TO provide by general bill that those
officers who drew their communication certificates for nvt
Years full pay shall be allowed, after deductlng IN:
amount of the certificates. their half pay for life iha
their widows shall be allowed The half pay OF Their hus
bands up to the time when they died. deducung the hvt
years full pay Ii they lived sufficiently long to leave
balance after paying these communication certificates, pay
that balance TO them out OF the treasury they did no
live long eDough-ns was the case IN some Instances
some OF them having died shortly alter the war ina
the ie~ years full pay up TO the time of their dealt
would not equal the amount OF commutaon-their tam
lilies BY this early death gained something out OF The gov
ernDen; and OF course it is not expected that any com
pensalon should be allowed BuV where they lived lonl
enough Tor the half pay to amount 10 more Than The hv'
years fuii pay IN that case 1t is their families loss
4 Now, am willing to vote Tor any general bill which
shall allow then half payfor life. according 10 the prom
se OF the revolutionary Congress- deducung from tina
half pay for life the five years full pay which they hav
received Ii after the deduction is made there Is bal
ance, think il ought 10 be paid and shall vote TO
paying il with the utmost cheeriulness.
Sir, these difficulties have grown out OF the poverty
the government and the inability the part OF Congress
al the commencement OF The government 10 make pro
vision in all these cases We have not the information
before that will enable us to act dscreey uPor
that subject, and TO legsate with full knowledge oil ht
facts In order to enable to do IL, we should have
the whole number of officers, the amount OF those GER
ca,es you nave granted for hive years full pay and
we had the whole number OF those certificates and the
amounts for which they were granted we know that I
would amount TO many mons-how many millions, ]
do not know. In the absence OF this knowledge you
cannot tell what effect principle, such as would De es
absbed by the passage OF this bill, will have upon the
many millions OF dollars for which these certificates were
granted Perhaps the chairman oil The committee who
reported this bill may be prepared TO inform us now wha
the total amount OF those certificates Tor hve years u
pay was ] do not remember. IL must have been many
millions OF dollars. IT, then, we are now easlaung upon
the basis that there depreciation OF one-eahth, ac
cordng the genlemans speech, we set the precedent
If this bill passes, tina, one-eghth OF the whole amour
of the aggregate certificates shal be paid with interest
Ii is therefore, manifest that this is very imporlan
subject is very large subject and we do not know
the extent OF unless ascertain the amount tor whici
these certificates granted. In this state oil things,
seems to me- have already said, that general bii
allowing bali pay for life, deducing the communication
will do justice to everybody Such general bull hope
will be framed and brought before Congress
Mr.. WALKER II the Senate will agree TO vo'
down the proposition OF the senator from Delaware Mr.
BAYARpl TO strike out the interest aosether will lher
make this proposition There is period in our hnanca
history up which 10 known that we were unable 10 pa
our debts This bill allows interest from 1854 TO 1852.
will propose strike ont 1852 and insert 1882, the Sen
ate will vote down the amendment OF the senator from Del
aware We all know that prior TO ls32this country con'
not pay her debts II may be and has been contende,
that the government ought not to be bound Tor inefes
since that period, because since that time The government
has been able pay ITS debts My proposition will theI
make twenty years deduction upon the interest That
the differences OF opinion upon this subject For my owf
part, would be gratifying to my feelings and 10 my sen =
OF justice 10 the interest paid Tor the entire period
for many OF these there were no persons cOmpe
tent TO present the to Congress as II should be
There were grandchildren great grandchildren, pet
haps, who lived in poverty and ignorance; But after
WHILE il seems that lady OF great amab'y and nelli
gence and presented this case 10 Congress
Cong then gave relief 10 her the child OF revo
koh al tha