The daily union., 1854-12-29
FRENCH SPOLIATIONS.


MEssRs EDlroRs: | observe article in your paperG
yesterdays date under the signature Of Gcnesee which
il seems to demands correction at my hands, The
writer says
II beg to state that the late Silas Wright after bis
election the Senate of the United States fully invesga
ted the validity of those claims and made an able report
and speech against their allowance and payment by the
government. So conclusive and satisfactory was the
speech of Mr. Wright the Senate and to the whole
try that the claimants did not venture to again
the matter until several years afterwards and not believe
until Mr.. Wright had left the Senate apprehend that
the dsinterested opinion Of this distinguished and honest
statesman to the validity of those claims
and of the solemn obligation of government to pay
them will command quite much respect from the people
large and from their representatives in Congress- as the
opinion Of New York, whoever he may be-
This statement is made, according to the writer few
Of the people large have had opportunity Of
ing the grounds of those claims and the members Of
Congress may hitherto have had time to make such
examination
In reply have to say that Geneseen would do well
to pay some little attention to the facts of the before
he appears again public teacher utterly deny that
the speech of Mr.. Wright able it undoubtedly was
had any such effect he alleges He says that the speech
was conclusive and satisfactory" that the claimants
did again in the matter until several
years afterwards and not believe until Mr. Wright had
left the Senate Now, far from this being true the
prosecution of the claims resumed the session
after the delivery of Mr. Wrights speechvz at the third
session of the 27th Congresswhen Mr. Archer from the
Committee Foreign Relations, in the Senate and Mr.
Gushing in the House. the present Attorney GeneralI
made favorable reports these claims The subject
again resumed the rstsession Of the 2sth Congress- when
Mr. Archer made similar report in the Senate and Mr.
c. j. Ingersoll in the House 1t resumed also in the
Senate at the second session of the 2Sth Congress when
Mr. Archer again reported in favor of the claims resumed
again the first session of the 29h Congress- when Mr. j. NJ
Clayton in the Senate and Mr.. Truman Smith in the
ipc nf fln c1o
the Senate the second session of the 29h Congress- when
Mr. Morehead, in the Senate reported in favor of the
claims resumed in the House at the first Session of the 3
Congress when Mr. Smith reported in favor of the claims
resumed in both houses at the first session of the
3st Congress, when Mr. Smith in the Senate, and
gentleman not recoected in the House. reported for the
claims. Do 32d Congress; do 33d Congress What then,
becomes of the satensnt of Genesee that the speech
Mr. Wright had such astonishing effect to drive these
claimants out of Congress- and TO suspend the prosecution
of their claims for several years2 have had charge Of
bills for the allowance of these claims both in the House
and Senate and had the good fortune carry in the
former body, in 1876, which unfortunately then
thought, and still think vetoed by the late President
Mr. Polk. have devoted much of my time for the las,
eight ten years. investigation of the subject and
the passage of the bills for the relief of these parties and
have found the speech fNr Wright any very serou:
obstacle in my path cherish for the memory of that dis
tnguished gentleman sentiments of profound respect but
the truth is his speech much characterized by
fnement subety and special pleading than by the broad
generous and truly satesmanlike views which ordinarily
marked his efforts in the Senate,
Let your correspondent take notice that every COMMITTEES
of the Senate whether standing select and every
miee of the House. whom this subject has been referred
during the last twenty years have asserted the validity
these claims There have teen seventeen favorable reports
in the Senate and thirteen in the House Bills Of ree
have passed the Senate six times and the House
of Representatives ohce The majority in the Senate was
in the first instance small 1t has become quite large
and the conviction in and of Congress has been rapidly
gaining ground that these claims should trust they
WILL be speedily paid. apprehend, to conclude in the
words of your correspondent that the disinteresed
opinion of such distinguished and honest statesmen as
Webster Livingston, Clayton, Choae, Holmes Chambers
Archer Morehead Cushing and Edward Everett, in favor
of the validity of these claims, and of the solemn obiga
ton of government to pay them viii command quite ~
much respect from the people at large and from their rep
resentaves in Congress the opinion of Genesee who
be may be- The great Importance of the subject to
many parties in this city, and elsewhere in the Empire State
who have in my Judgment been deeply wronged by ire
infamous than that committed by some Of the States othe
Unon will trust, justify me in asking for this commun
cation place in your columns.
TRUMAN SMITH
NEW YORK Cry, Dec. 26, 1854
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