The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-23

bad prepared an elaborate argument and sent Il 70 tho
Committee Foreign AHAirs upon which their rpuort
mainly predcated gentleman who was hniilar with
all these claims and In all their aspects gayp direct am
that categorical question What was the answer
Mr. White said sthey would not exceed $50 oo0p Yen
Mr. Speaker under the provisions OF that act With the re-
port of Mr. Everett, declaring tha, the net
exceed sal SEQ for all the claims Of 1912 and sl2 dec
larston Of Mr. White that the claims would not exceed
$4,000 there has been already distracted from the treas
ur{ by these claims the Of slea2soT 80
Mr. STANTON, of Tennessee. viii make suggestion
70 the gentleman Mr. White the delegate from Florida
Submitted an argument al that time the committee
which reported this bill In favor Of the sdmsson Of the
West Florida clams--olsms which express terms
excluded from IL and think the gentleman will And on
examination Of that debate that Nc White then speak
ing OF the West Florida and not OF the Eas Florida claims
Mr. ORR, Mr.. Speaker will read all thar said
the subject There is no misunderstanding IT, There
be none With reference TO what Mr. White Intended de-
eiaro upon the hoor OF this House None, sir He may
have been imposed he may have been deceived bur
charge here air IL the claims really and in good faith
amounted 10 upwards Of million Of dollars that tme
that faad MAS pcrpetrased the House in the passage
The debate which TO be found reported in the Com
gressional Globe Of Twentythrd Congress vols q
is as follows:
On motion q Mr. Wars the bin for the relief Of certain
inhabitants OF East Florida taken up and read.
"Mr. Mckay inquired what amount OF tho claims
provided for BY this bill
"Mr. WnrTr said they would not exceed $4,000
Mr. WILLIAMS called for the reading o report Of the
committee relative to these claims.
time the reading report would require Mr. w.
went into statement OF the occupation e BOD f!or BY rho
Z
AFTER 4 few remarks between Messrs Mckay and
WHTr, the bill was laid aside"
This quotation from the debate which
ed in the passage OF the act
| Mr.. CLfNGMAN | would like to know how much in
addition To what has already been allowed this bin appro
PIRATES told that IL appropriaes i4oo add-
uona II is well that the House should be advised this
| subject.
Mr. ORR. The information which have upon tha, sub
jeetI have not made the calculation myset-is that IL
this bill passes pay interest upon all these awards IL
will require 81 $50 600 in addition what has al
Mr. STANTON. l wish to correct the gentleman. The
| whole amount claimed under this bill for interest will
amount only to about 81 ,2s0,o0o.
| Mr. ORR. II the gentleman has made the calculation
do not call in question his result
/ Mr. STANTON have made the calculation, and the
result is what have stated. The amount stated by the
gentleman includes S244o0 for interest subsequent to the
DEGREES to which the gentleman has alluded That claim
is provided for in this bill If they included the
whole viii amount 10 Sl,556ooo as the gentleman has
stated
| Mr. ORR Well sir the aggregate amount Of the claims
included in this bill will reach nearly $l,5oo,ooo.
After the act of 1928, which passed by the who
made the treaty Of lss and which expounded by the
who made the treaty but $4,000 paid for these
claims during the first eleven years and at the time of the
supplemental legislation upon the subject stated that
they would exceed $4,000 But, sir that $4,000 has
already sweed than slo5oooo and this bill pro-
poses without further examination to increase il still fur
i ther by appropriating now another Slbo0o0o
Mr. Speaker it well that revisory power was
given the Secretary Of the Treasury these claims
regret exceedingly that he and bis did
4
II could examine all Of them il would be most apparent
that the provisions of the treaty providing for indemnity
Spanish subjects had been fully executed with prodga
beray and that these camants have already received
sums abundantly sufficient pay NIL losses damages and
| interest. Are under obligation to do than ths2
The treaty has already been Enthusiastically generously
! fulfilled.
Sir have copy of abstracts of of these claims
which awarded and paid at the Treasury Department
which win read to the House presently, and which will
show in my judgment the most monstroas cxaggeraton
il not fraud, allowed by this government Yes, sir
which were awarded aud every dollar paid BY he secre
ay OF the Treasury the perusa Of which ought to make
an honest blush.
Mr. Woodbury., in 1895, the first Secretary Of the
Treasury who refused to allow interest upon awards
Mr.. GIDDINGS II the gentleman will allow me- de-
sire to ask him question He has stated that Mr. Wood
bury disaowed interest upon the awards luid by him
Now, wish to ask If General Harrison and his Secretary
of the Treasury did not also dsallow II upon the awards
paid by them and whether General Taylor and his Sccre
ary Of the Treasury (Mr Ewng) did not make the
decision as Mr. Woodbury.
Mr. ORR That decision has not been reversed by a
single Secretary of the Treasury during single admins
raon 1885, the time Mr. Woodbury. made his dccis
1 ion, down TO the present time.
Now, sir, desire the House to how wise IL to
confer this discretionary power upon the Secretary OF the
Treasury revise these awards Sir, how they ad-
indicated Was counsel sent to represent the United
States Not all The whole Of these claims up
before the judges and before the Secretary Of the Treas
ury wholly upon Pore evidence. The showing
pdrte statement There nobody there 10 contest
| them Those who alleged that they had suffered aud
chose present their claims presented them, and they
audited and nothing was said or TO protect
the government from the most frauds being
| perpetrated
Now sir think the abstract to which have alluded
of the awards In of these casesw show how little
care caution taken in examining these claims and
how literally these sufferers have already been paid The
first claim shall refer TO is that Of Zepheniah kingsley
| and here IL IS
In the claim Of Zepbeniah Kingsley the principal ID stated
that for the loss OF crops twohrds the estimated appraisal
! is allowed.
This the principle Of previous decisions
| Date OF award, August -, ls43
| In this award seventeen thousand Ave hundred
pounds Of ginned and packed cotton allowed
at fifty cents pound yS,T5D
Twenty Eve thousand pounds of cotton in the seed,
| at fifteen cents per pound 1880
II, 500
ask The gentleman notice that the cotton for which
these amounts werekaimcd and paid for
that actually destroyed but for the crop he claims that
he prevented from raising.
Mr. PRESTON What IL the date Of that claim 7
Mr. ORR. 1t time in the year 1872 think.
| The precise date is not given
The claim 70 which shall ask the attention Of the
House Of John Fraser deceased for losses sustained Ia
East Floridaand by the way that does not sound Ike
Spanish name The treaty provided that no persons ex-
cept Spanish subjects should be entitled 70 the benefit OF
the provisions Of the spaations, which read 10 the
House at the opening of my remarks. Here Is the claim
lizard Of the srscatsrsg( JiH FRO
ser deccassd, for iosss East Foro an 1872 e@dsls
For the crops Of the Greenfield plantation for 1917 $40
For the crops OF the plantation for 1918. OF
damages for being prevented from planting that
year, say twothirds Of the value Of crops Of pre-