Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-12-25

Congress News.
FRlpAy. Decent


Mr.. Letcher. | ask TO be excused from
service OH the Committee OF CLAIMS. am
on another committee that occupies my
time to such an extent that il is impossible
for me to give attention. to the duties Of the
Committee Of Claims. | therefore hope
the House will excise the from further ser.
vice on that committee.
Many Members. No. mo
A Member. What other committee ore
you OH
Mr.. Letcher. The SPECIAL committee On
the Colt patent case.
Several Members. We cannot excuse
you.
Mr.. Letcher. 1t is utterly impossible
for me to attend I'd the duties OF both com
mittees, and think it only right. as there
are gentlemen in the House who are upon
no committees. that the Committee Of
Claims should be full. The special com.
mIttee on which am now engaged, meets
almost every day, and | must necessaril,
be absent from it, or from the Committee
of Claims. Under these circumstances, il
seems TO me that it would be unreasonable
for The House to decline TO excuse me, es-
peeialIy as there are eight or nine gentle.
men here who are upon no committees.
MIR. Haven. shall regret very much
TO loose the services of our friend from
Virginia on the Committee Of Claims, but
under the circumstances, think the House
had better excuse him.
Mr.. Edger,on. can only say that il
the opinion Of Tie Commitlee Of Claims
has any weight with the House, the gem
tleman will not be excused. As chairman
OF the committee, | should dislike very
much TO lose the gentleman. consider
him-and believe the committee do also
--one Of the most important members Of
:le committee.
lIr. Florence. We all know he is that.
Mr.. Leteher. However much shall
regret to part with the Committee OF
Claims, it is perfectly certain that we must
part or that ! must give up my position on
the special committee.
The question was then taken; ard Mr..
Letcher was excused from further service
on the Committee Of Claims.
GENERAL BARON DE KALB.
House bill for the relief OF the children
and heirs OF Major General Baron de Kalb,
coming up next in order, was read through
BY the Clerk
1t directs the payment of S9O,513 81,
including interest from the year 1919, to
the children and heirs OF Baron de Kalb,
in consideration OF the services Of the late
General de Kalb in the war of the Revo-
Iuiicn.
The report in favor of tie claim, which
was o: great length, was then read.
MIR. beteher. | believe the bill appro-
pirates some 500,
The Chairman. About that amount.
Mr.. Letcher. Ii may De all true, as the
gentleman believes, that this claim is a
proper one, aud one which the committee
will allow on full examination Of it.
have listened as attentively as mos' men,
beis Of this committee to the reading oil
the report ut the Clerks desk. aud after
listening with the utmost attention, l ac.
knowledge very frankly thut there are
points embraced in it that do not Under
stand from that cursory reading.
Here I'VE have statement OF accounts
for moneys advanced to the Baron de kalb
Tor disbursements We have statements Of
u
the sesen years half pay, and we have
various other things, making up the aggre'
gate of the bill, that it is utterly impossi'
BILE for the members of this House to I'M
derstand from a single reading at that desk
Now. sir, if the claim is right desire
that it should be paid but at the samt
time | desire to have AN opportunity &c
| ok into il more fully-more CAREFUL
tran have yet had the opportunity oil
doing. Its known to the House that du-
ring the present session we have had oc-
casion to repeal bill passed at the las'
session. That claim, at that time, was
represented as justly and honestly due as
this now is, and the House allowed it,
But it afterwards turned out differently.
1t appears from the report that this
claim has been running since the year
1S49. 1t appears, also, that there has been
at least one adverse report made upon it.
1t does seem TO me, therefore, that under
these circumstances, before we undertake
to pass it, involving as it does, sum
amounting to $50, 900, the members OF the
House should have an opportunity to look
into il. to examine it with more care than
it has been possible for us TO 40 thus FAR
1t may be that, upon that consideration
we shall be satisfied that the claim is a
just one; but submit that it requires fan
more consideration than we have yet
given it.
think the speech Of the gentleman
from New York must have satisfied thu
House or ought to have satisfied the House
that we had better look into this matter
before we undertake to pass the BILL
This bill, as il comes from the committee
proposes to appropriate S90,513 l6. The
gentleman from New York has Statistic.
himself, if he has not satisfied the House
that there is really but $72, 900 due. Now
lsir, if the committee have come to the con
elusion that S90,500 is due, and the gen
,leman from New York who has made
care full examination of the matter, has ar
rived at the conclusion that only $72,0Ol
10 due, does it not become US, before w