Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-20
Wasbinqtaa gentinsl.
PRIVATE CLAIMS.

on private claims. In Senate, Monday, De
cember 18th, 1854.
On motion by Mr.. BRODHEAD, the Senate
proceeded to the consideration of the bill to
establish a board of commissioners for the ex
animation and adjustment Of private claims;
and Mr.. b. addressed the Senate as follows:
In the few remarks propose to make in ex-
PLANTATION of this bill, / will certainly not weary
the Senate with useless detail 1t proposes TO
remedy an evil which has been crying one Tor
the last twenty or twenty-five years. have
carefully considered the subject, and have ex-
amined all the bills which have heretofore been
submitted in either branch of Congress, and
the measure now under consideration is the
result Of my labors. 1t has received the sane
ton of the Committee of Claims, to which il
was referred, and of several of the most expe-
rlenced gentlemen connected with the govern
ment, in and out of Congress; and the primary
consideration is, not whether this or that OBJ
lection can be made to it, but whether it is not
the best and least Objectionable which can be
devised. | am quite certain, and feel justified
In asserting, that if it does not do great good,
1t is free from constitutional objection, and will
do no harm. 1t is certainly proper as an ex-
pertinent. In preparing it, have endeayored
to omit all provisions which have heretofore
been seriously objected to.
1t may be said that it does not go far
enough-that it will not entirely remedy the
evil; but, If we attempt to do anything more,
we may interfere with the right of petition, the
machinery may be too complex, members may
not take time to understand its provisions, or
fear that it will not work well in practice, and
hence will break down, as its predecessors have
done. 1t may be said. too, that it has wrong
name-that boards of commissioners have be-
come unpopular. But the proposed board is
differently organized from the one which passed
upon claims against Mexico under the treaty
of l84S. The proceedings Of that board were,
in measure, private; its decisions were final
and conclusive, and money paid upon them.
Its opinions we're not published, and~the gov
eminent was not represented. Not so with the
board contemplated by this bill. It's proceed
ings will be public, both sides will be heard
lawyers of high character will appear before it.
its decisions will not be final, and its opinions
aud decisions will be published and placed be
fore both houses of Congress.
The proceedings before the board will be, as
in courts law or equity in some measure adj
versary, and upon disputed questions Of fact
testimony will be taken upon notice to both
sides. ALI lawyers know how difficult it is to
make correct decisions upon &c parte state
ments and evidence The members Of the
board will have no enemy in the rear" no
elections coming on, no documents to send
home, no Buncombe speeches to make. They
will have the same motives for correct action
that judicial tribunal would have. They will
feel the responsibility of their positions. Mem
bers Of Congress do not. They are seldom, if
ever, called to an account at home for their &C
ton upon private bills.
Nolo as 10 the eril complained of. But few
facts need be stated, because they are decisive,
11lna fhn alot,.-1
interposition.
Population doubles in this country every
twenty-three or twenty.four years. The bust
ness before Congress, and especially that Of a
private character, increases in the same ratio
Twenty-Five years ago Congress appropriated
between thirteen and fifteen millions Of dollars
t. carry on the government. Now we appro-
pirate over sixty millions Two days Of every
week. one-third Of the time, to say nothing Of
the time spent by committees, are set apart for
the consideration Of private bills and reports,
and yet not much more than half are acted on,
and the people complain that our sessions are
too long. Want of time leads to improper leg
islation, and often TO great injustice. Those
who have honest claimsare postponed for years.
Justice is cheated by long delay, and yet man
who retains money belonging to the govern
ment is treated as felon and prosecuted in
the criminal courts. The pressure of business
Of a private character prevents Us from consid
ering great questions In way becoming
statesmen representing this great people and
this extended empire. Our time is too val
liable to be occupied in discussing the mer-
its or dement's of a private bill. Ere
quently we dispute about the facts OF the case
presented in an er Pdrte way, the truth OF
which could be better ascertained by tribn
nal differently constituted. Besides, we are
never done with private claims, and their
agents OF attorneys and private claims are
either passed or pressed into the appropriation
bills on the last nights of our sessions, con.
trary to the rules Of the Senate, and in a way
injurious TO the character Of Congress. In
l63S-more than sixteen years ago-the
House Of Representatives passed resolution
with proviso, declaring that "the private
business far exceeded what could reasonably
be attended to" and instructed the Committee
of Claims 20 take the subject into considera.
ton. That committee did so; and Mr. Whit
tlesey, their chairman, who, before and since
has rendered such good service to the country,
and won so high a character for unyielding In
tegrity, made a report, and submitted bill, to
which / shall have occasion TO allude before
take my seat. In l64S, the subject was again
Investigated by Mr.. Rockwell, then a member
OF the House Of Representatives from the
State Of Counectcut-a gentleman we all
know and admire for his many good qualities
Of head and heart. He also made a report
from the Committee Of Claims, strongly urging
the establishment Of board Of claims. In
these two reports win be found the statistics
of private claims--showing their increase and
the necessity Of establishing some tribunal TO
10 relieve members of Congress from labor I'M
becoming their positions and unsatisfactory TO
honest claimants. But / need not enlarge
upon this point The facts that have stated,
II seems TO me, are conclusive, and the expe
renee and observation Of members will sug-
gest many more. The present system is ad
mitted to be alike unjust 10 claimants and the
government The most difficult task remains;
for il is much easier TO point 10 the defects of
system than TO devise remedies TO demosh
building than to erect a convenient substitute.
Three forms Of relief have been suggested,
viz:
First. To enlarge the powers Of the account.