The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-18

the merchandise that had been subsequent 10 the
18th Of August The reply Of The officer vas IN thai case
| would not be expected. is s.t ksH 81.
He WAS urthsr informed ihs1 il would not be in the
power of the common council compel the citizens 70
ia getting up the sanken vessels The ohcs ans
that their sailors would then dot lie was sqassa 70
explain what intended by the term merchandise a.
used IN the fourth article he answered, thai u was IN
tended TO embrace that species of only which
was intended for expoIaon such tobacco Hour COTTON
The OF Alexandria being deieneeess with SOL
dicrs militia Of the United States sustain them,
Obliged TO submit and the council agreed 10 The
erms proposed under coercion Of the guns OF the fgate Of
the British navy pointed upon the town. They say m their
i statement; =
I'm hs execution of the lsrms imposed by the enemy
proper 70 state that the verbal made by the
officer 10 the mayor generally adhered -. No
chandise required be brought back 10 the town
assistance required Of offered by the citizens, in
getting up sunken vessels, The depredalons the
envy, with few exceptions, were conkned 70 flour, coon
and tobacco which they carried of OF the vessels
then the Town. Only vessel burnt; private
dwelling visited entered rude hostile
nor were the citizens personally exposed TO insult.
1.-THE oss sustained from the enemy, it believed, will
exceed the following Three ships, three bryce several
bay and craft the number of which has not been
cerained all of which carried away, and ship
burnt The quantity Of flour carried away, it is believed
exceed sixteen barrels abou,o thousand
hogsheads of tobacco and hundred and fifty bales Of
coon and Of wne sugar and other articles not more than
IS, 600 woiih.n s ~ e3aN
Such sir the conduct of the troops of Great BRITAIN
under the orders Of their officer before deencocss town.
under the very mouths Of his he threatened them
and their town with entire destucon unless they yielded
him all this very species of property which are
told destroyed solely consequences Of its occupa
and by the troops of the United Sntes for military
purposes ask you whether this which evidently
the result Of general syste and Of previous order. from
the commanding officer does not clearly show that the de-
rucon the borders of the Chesapeake was part Of set
tied of devastation the part of Great Britain
tray the usagss Of civilized of plumber
Of all CAPABLE That
principle which they acted, and almost tempted 10
say that defy any man 70 answer Or avoid the necessary
inference from the proceedings at Alexandria, that the de-
aucoD OF tobacco by the enemy irrespective Of any
occupation Of the warehouses in which was deposited by
he troops Of the United States and utterly IN defiance Of
the usages of war among civilized nations.
You hayen this cnse the fact that this power exer
csed principles utterly inconsistent with the allegation
Of belief these that the tobacco the
warehouse Maguders destroyed consequence Of
beng used for military purposes Sir was not in conse
quence of any such USE but consequence Of spirit
of Depreciation consequence or the fact that Great Britain
discarded all the usases of civilized warfare her attacks
upon the citizens Of this country during the of 1912
lfyou pass this bill this testimony, you ratify BY
your now, when the recollection has passed from the
memory of most men, though has not from mine, the
legality Of the conduct Of Great Britain in this widespread
system of devastation, though recognised by the
usages Of warfare am-Dg civilized and Christian people,
tanned.
Mr. President have taken much time the discussion
Of this question: but have still other paper to refer to
before closing my remarss wish show how danger
GUS the law originally passed, and now you
extend the principles of thai law, after the lapse Of forty
years from the when the injury was sustained, you
encounter the danger Of pa statements Of witnesses,
over whom the government has power Of cross EXAMINES
ton speak Of the testimony in this particular
but generally Of this class of cases. when say that you
extend the principle of the original law, as proposed in
eepon and fraud If these parties were INJURED hey had
full right to in and prove the facts upon which the
claim founded, in 1885, 1877 and 1915 when the
rencesswerc fresh in the recollection Of The community.
Then if the damages highly stated il the real
circumstances of the such to authorize
the allowance OF the claims there abundant means Of
rcbutng the claimants statements BY allowing this and
similar claims, you opening the door fraudulent
claims upon this government q large extent do not
speak of individual do connc the re-
mark the of the Chesapeake alone There
devastaons your northern frontier great if not
a greater extent, Than those the Chesapeake ~
There devasaton thoug of maor character,
upon the of the Delaware; and fact
along whole wherever the navy of Great Britain
was enabled land boats without rcpnlse Out
RACES person upon property followed the whole
of of her soldiers and her navy during that
war Who does recolect the ouirages at Hampon in
Virginia. end the hundred other which occurred during
the war; that gave the people of this country feeling
Great Britain which vii! take many very many
long years, with 10, little II Christian charity entirely to
4 eradicaes .ls.1 s.
Sir IN order TO show the dangers Of these copensaons
for alleged injuries war, viii advert to what occurred
under general laws for relief at early day The law
OF 1916, amended in 1917 expire by Inn
a,on April 1918. In january at that year the House
of Representatives adopted resolution directing the Com
mittee OF Claims inquire whether proper extend
its provisions for further time. The report of that
mttee will be found page $50 Of the volume Of "Cnms"
of the State Papers. will read portion Of IT, illustrating
the great difficulty and danger, under the stictest
guards OF carrying honestly laws providing copensn
ton for injuries happening though of recent
renee Tins report made the lh Of March, 1918.
Il The committee says
"In order TO determine the propriety Of continuing The
above rccited act Of extending s PROVISIONS they have
deemed il necessary notice Of the practices which
have grown up under the INV" 4r
This, too, should be remembered, when the test
mopy taken by commissioners appointed for the pur
pose whilst the had the of inquiry where
there suspect that the claim fraudulent
its amount exaggerated.
"They would invite the attention OF the House to
port Of the Secretary Of War; made the 10th Of Febr
lazy, in compliance with resolution directing him TO lay
before the House of the awarded the
different claimants by the commissioner, under the
the 9th of April 1885, the species Of property for which
they respectively awarded distinguishing what
have been paid and the which delay prevent th
payment OF the residue. Besides the document from tn
of claims the report embraces statemen
from the late Acting Secretary of War; (mnrked CO. will
documents marked and two, and statement from th
Third Auditor These papers develop the fact ho on tn
frontiers Of the State of New York. system OF fraud for
gerry and perhaps PERJURY has been operations which tn
committee believe has been Witnessed in this
try and which they would hope has been rarely equae
In any other lsU
sl "Wnh these facts before them, the commee think
may well be questioned whether, in a. national point O
vew it would have been better that the law OF April
1916 had never been passed 1t is the duty of good gov
eminent attend the morals OF the people affair
-.