The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-26


examined myself but be goes on 10 say tina, upon
the principle upon which the lie insurance companies
make their calculations the probability was that the
erage length OF life OF those officers would be twenty
years beyond that Now, II you take twenty years as
the average duration OF their lives beyond that period,
and allow them hs-pay for life Tor that tms, will
amount 10 $4,000 10 each and then deduct $4,000.
the five years full pay which captain received nominaly
as his communication in lieu of haIf-pay for lfe and you
have ~ 400 yet 10 be allowed him; and that assume is
the average
According to the auditors letter. and the special acts,
il appears that two thousand three hundred and seventy
have received commutaon have been provided or oy
special acts Perhaps hall OF these more VIII De hoie
to make out their Ii fifteen hundred should DC
able 10 make their claims, the amount Will be
900. III two thousand should make out Their claims, ~
will be Sas0ooOO Those payments would be scattered
over period of come four or nve years. perhaps 90
that the appropriations meet the cases Tor wnch lhS
bill provides will amount TO million year ior three
The amount seems large. and SO is. This bill does
involve large OF money; but II any gentleman VIII
trouble himself 10 look into the appropriations which
have been made for the second war OF Independence
as il has been calledtbe war OF lSl2-he Will ma mat
we have given away IN money, IN anhaes, ~ pshs9ns
and in lands. four times that amount But sr the iacl
that il requires large OF money 10 DO Justice is no
reason why Justice should not be done Are we not CIV
ing away every day. and almost every hour larger sums
to people who have claims upon al ALI merely be-
cause they suppose they have done good to the
country But can any man measure the good when
the services OF the officers OF the revolution conferred
upon the country'
have now, Mr. President said all that think il ne
cessary TO say upon the merits Of the claims. come 10
the limitations imposed by the bill The first Limitation
is tina, the payments are TO be made without interest IL
question somewhat debated IN the committee, as
the chairman mr. WALKERl very well knows. whether
be paid with interest. think that al the last session OF
Congress report was made from the same committee
in the OF Mooers. IN which interest was allowed
But the committee of this session finally came to the
conclusion that these debts should be paid without IN
terest take that that conclusion is right The gen.
sra rule is that government does moi pay interest," ana
ahavu hat in
have occurred. this rule has been adhered 10.
have had occasion, since have been here at the
present session. to look after an appropriation which was
made years ago the State Of South Carolina, for
money paid for this government seventeen years ago IN
The Florida war The amount was allowed but without
interest, The claim of gentleman from my own State
last year. whose father hostage IN the possession
of the enemy and whose property was destroyed while
he thus hostage, was allowed by Congress, but
without interest.
On looking into the special acis of Congress, will be
found that from the organization of the government
down to 1885, interest was never allowed by the express
words OF any act It is true that IN the case Of Mrs
Hamilton, in 1914, the Attorney General II as his
opinion that although The act did notprovde for the pay
uent of interest," yet interest ought to be paid. was
padi and the department for few years afterwards.
before Congress- which were provided Tor, not exactly
with interest," but the officers were allowed to be put
upon the footing which they would have occupied II they
had their certifcaes-tha u.s. they were allowed
to fund them in the same way in which the certificates
at first funded, and TO receive out OF the treasury
able to ascertain whether any OF the certificates which
given to the revolutionary officers were actually
funded in their names. The best information which
can get the subject is that with very few, perhaps
no exceptions, they bought up by speculaors; and
when the present government established in 1889,
and the funding system was adopted they were funded
but The officers received no benefit from that
Another reason which Influenced The committee in re-
ecng the allowance OF interest was that these claims
had been heretofore provided for-generally &C
count of the fault OF the claimants themselves the govern
ant being always presumed TO be ready to do justice TO
its citizens The last consideration which influenced
them this head was the item OF expense. Some gen.
at the enormous amount OF which the passage Of
this bill will require TO be paid, We found that II you
TO include interest for seventy years these claims
instead Of amounting to three or four millions OF dollars
would be selled yond twenty Millions and therefore
the committee have not allowed interest
The second provision in the bill. to which beg leave
10 call attention. that payments shall be made TO neal
descendants only The reason for that will explain
II The bill provided that the amount should be paid 10 the
legal representatives, (anj every lawyer knows that the
legal representatives OF his executors admin
isaios the result would be that letters OF adminstra
lion would be taken out upon every one OF these two
thousand three hundred two thousand four hundred
cases the administrator would receive the money, and
the chances ten to one that 1t would never be got
out OF his hands The claim agents here would admin
lister upon the estates get the money their
and require those who afterwards to claim IT 10
prove that they were the heirs-aaw of the original
party entitled, which, in very many cases, they would not
be able TO do. THUS the government, would lose the
money and those whom II was intended to benefit would
not receive it, take it, therefore. that II would be
proper 10 pay il 10 the legal representatives.
Then would il be right 10 pay the money 10 the heirs
at.lawi Who are heirs law The hers-atlaw OF
every man are those upon whom the law casts The
cession They may be his children or they may be re-
mote collateral relations II you said " heirs at-aw,
eoaierals would take IT, Now, among the petitions
which lave examined, and upon which there is
port, was one case in which the claim made under
these circumstances Some man, whose name do no,
remember was appointed director OF the hospital Phil.
adelpha in November i776. In the January following.
for some reason, account OF public discomfort
or perhaps suspicion OF his fidelity. be was dis
missed, having served but three months Afterwards
upon investigation committee reported that charges
established against him and therefore Congress
resolution acquilting him from any charges
but he never employed after that petit on is now
presented By The grand children Of bis brother they
make out their clam in this way that II he had not
been dismissed from the service he would have been en-
titled 10 much pay, and, al The end OF the war, eithe
foil pay and this, with interest, would amount 10 tbs
very moderate OF $3.50 600. This is an illustration
OF the which viii arise II provide for hers-at
law.
In providing only for lnea descendants, il seemed Il
me that this should be satisfactory ihes
officers OF revolutionary army debt Of gratitude
The debt may readily be Transferred, and there
sons why should be transferred, TO their children, be
many Of their children poor and poor per
haps for hovery that their fathers spsnt 80 LONE
period IN the service OF their country.
The committee. therefore, 10 the conclusion tba
there was no propfiey IN paying ihe sum 10 executors
or administrators 10 heirs atlaw and as we owed M
debt OF gratitude 10 mans collateral relations, We
thought the provision ought he restricted 10 his Inca
descen degs
There Is another provision in The bill, which per
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