The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-09
SENATE.
HEIRs or WILLIAM nelly.

On motion by MIR WALkER, the bill Is is9) "for
The relief of the widow OF William Rely deceased late
captain in The 4th Maryland regiment of the revolu
uonary army" read second time, and the Senate,
as in OF the whole, proceeded TO It's consdea
ration Ii proposes to pay 10 Barbara Reilly the widow
OF William Rely deceased. the OF 240o. together
with interest al the rate OF per cenum. from the
lst day OF November i7si, TO ihe ist day Of March,
1854 the principal being The amount OF the under
value Of the certificate which William Reilly, deceased
was paid his commulaon Of halt pay Tor lie.
Mr.. WALKER Since the bill was introduced the
widow OF this revolutionary soldier has died
aueatly will be necessary to strike out OF the bill the
word widow" and insert "heirs, and | now move TO
amend il in that manner.
The amendment was agreed to.
At The request OF Mr. BAYARn, the repor, o.! the
Committee On Rsx0ati0nasUs 1slainA yssa fssvU
which appears that William Rely tses entitled to com
mutation under the resolution OF March %, l7S3 com
matag his pay fors 10 FIVE years full pay, and thai,
he drew certificate OF comm uaiion for the sum OF
$4,000 under date OF November 1, 1884. The committee
nud this application 10 be precisely similar in its nature
ana msrs 10 the claim OF the heirs OF Benjamin Mooers
poaaened at early period OF this Congress for their
consideration, reported upon the 9Th of April last,
which report the committee, for breviiy adopt as app
cable to this and being fully satisfied ha, the de-
precst,on OF the commutaon certificates was equal TO
sevep-egh!hs Of their value, reported the ,n PHI
Mr.. BAYARD imove TO amend the Dill by striking
out tue words "ogether with interest from the Is day
Of November, l7s4 10 the Ist day OF Marth. 1892"
do not propose 10 make any remarks with reference
20 the allowance of interest. take It tor granted that
this bin cannot pass the House at the present session
therefore, will occupy the time OF the Senate now
with the objections have to the allowance OF interest
will simply ask the yeas and nays on my amendment
The interest is Tor period Of sixty seventy years
MIR. WALKER wish had it in my power to re-
neat 10 the Senate the speech which was ably and i'm
pessvey delivered few days since BY the honorable
senator from Massachusetts. MIR. DAvIsl He bad oc-
casion, the he then made 10 refer TO the CON-
pensalion OF the officers and soldiers OF the revolution
and be spoke of the debt Of gratitude which the country
owed to those who exposed their all in that memorable
contest II could make that speech, with the mpres.
siveness with which it was uttered by him, should
L., hana nj fha Mans WOuId n he
question under consideration in its proper light But
cannot do IT,
The plain case before US is his In order 10 keep
up and sustain the army OF the revolution the Congress
OF the United States had 10 pledge the soldiers OF that
army that in addition to The monthly allowance which
they had they should receive hall pay for lIle This
promise of half pay for life became much part
OF the contract for compensation on the part OF the
government, any other part OF The contract made
BY the government OF the Uni!ed States with Tegad TO
the compensation for services in the Is, there
foIe ase view of this SUBJECT to consider as mere
gratuily II was not |, one OF The most solemn
promises which the government OF ihe United States, or
rather the government OF The colonies al that te
made ihe first formation OF The government II was
then apprehended that the revolutionary army would be
dsbsnded not from any fault the part OF the soldiers
but, because in reality the ptancr which paid them
would not support them And further. The compensation
being so small and the money in which they were paid
being deprecia,ed. from various causes they were un
able even acquire credit upon the Irper which they
were paid. They were consequently embarrassed and
hundreds and thousands Of them. has been so often
remarked congress-, were ODlRcu 10 support iHtin
selves in great oessure, from their private fortunes,
and above all that they received Tor their services
Well sir. The closed; how sloousy, the world
knows Ii is useless Tor any man TO employ language TO
exioi the deeds performed during that period of
uy's history. The world knows ihem. and We are en-
joying the benefit secured BY the herosm and suHefnss
OF those who took part that memorable struggle.
But while men are living il seems that they al
ways selfish their treatment Of each other There was
clamo got up among the States at iha, time, that thus
was an o1ious system, and that placing many officers
the list that contrary 10
the fundamental principles which should control The &C.
ton OF this government That canor prevailed Some
thing must be done; these were not then dead they
had not passed away from the OF action but
still among the living. and came IN contact with their
fellow men and by this contact Iealouses were liable
10 be excited Congress then resolved u possible to de-
sroy the hapay sysiem and they passed resolution
by which they authorized the proposition 10 be made to
the officers Of the army OF the revolution that they should
ssrresder their bapay for lie. and take IN lieu OF
commua,ion OF full pay Tor FIVE years This proposition
was authorized be made upon the solemn promise OF
the existing government that the live years iull pay
Now it strange fact in the history Of this govern.
ment that resorng 10 this mode of changing the con-
ditions which The officers to be paid The ohcers
themselves were consulted their acceptance OF
the Communication certificates. The army was disbanded
and went home; and they being thus scattered over the
whole country, could not act IN conceri and could do
nothing but accept the commual,on They received the
certificates pledging so many dollars 10 value IN cash
But when they to ask for The money upon Them
when they came get their five years ul pay IN com
mutation for half pay for fethey found they could not
aet from the treasury one dollar. OF The vast
amount pledged by these certificates caused them TO de,
precae they sold at about QUO eighth OF
their nominal value fsr twelve and hall cents on the
dollar In this way the government redeemed It's solemn
promise which il had made to the revolutionary ofhcer
that he should receive half pay for ife-tha is they
paid him in certificates OF commu,aon for bali pay for
e purporng be full pay for i've years Those GER
t6caies upon which they promised dollar tor dol
lar turned out TO be worth only oneeghh OF their noml-
nal valas n thus the government discharged its
obligation The obligation this day is no less solemn
than il Was at that In point OF iaci, the me and the
done to the soldiers do but sancy the promise
and called upon TO say wheher we Will re-
deem IT, l wish to throw nothing around the snbec'
that does properly belong to H. believe 1t s due TO
ihose ofbcers lha should now redeem that solemn
pledge OF the government.
Bal Sit, it's commended that if we make good the de-
probation upon the commutaron certificates, should
do uothinR more; that should allow interest upon
the Su-n which would down TO the present
thatwe are now 10 them OF coldy and say, It is
trw1 vour eonmuiaon cefuhcaes thus valueless
bot after lapse H many years. though you have
been kept OF enioyment all this time, we say you
can only have the principal, and must go hence whor
The interest" Cannot view that, as business iransac
,ysioa between and az just Such criterion OF
lpeice would not be observed as rule oil scuon between
indy iduss and when we are wealthy, with an
uveowng treasury. and these old officers or Their de-
sc4ndana come forward and prove their case, shall we
with plenty OF means TO comply with our PROMISE turn
them away and cay will not do III This ~
ph question think there need be no discussion about
he matter II senator's willing to say that They
wM NOT redeem the promise up to it's fullest letter. up 10
equity and justice, lei them say soet the country say
20. For my part feel have done my duty IN regard TO
it, have reviewed the history OF the whole iransac-
the Mo0ers.1 which reference IL made