Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-06-21

full paper just started at Washington, we take
an account of the new Court
THE COURT or CLAIHs.-At the last session
of Congress an act was passed establishing a
Court for the investigation of claims against
the United States. II consists Of three Judges
who shall hear and determine all claims
founded upon any law of Congress, or upon any
regulation of an Executive Department upon
any contract, express orimphed with the Gov
eminent of the United States which may be
suggested to it by petition filed therein; and
also all claims which may be referred to said
Court by either House of Congress-" The
Government of the United States cannot be
sued at law in any Country, and individuals
having claims disalowed by the accounting
officers or snprovided for by law, must apply
to Congress for relief Such Claims have
increased from year to year until they now
number, it is said, forty thousand. An index
of those presented in the House OF Represen-
tative has been printed and makes three
large volumes the size of the Congressional
Globe The public interests require so much
of the time and attention of Congress, claim
never dies; il may be rejected by the Com
mittee to which it is referred for examination
and report during our Congress, yet the next
NAV order a REORGANIZATION, and so on-from
Session TO Session as often as the claim con-
tinues to be rejected. 1t is also to be obser-
we'd that the examination by committee OF
an er parte character, the only evidence sub
mtted being that of the claimant, while the
interests of the Government are not protec.
| ted bv any counter testimony.
/ This Court is designed To relieve Congress
and its Committees of the examination and
adjudication of private claims. 1t will be
open mt all times to the claimant, aud its de-
cision will be final in all cases, excepting in
such as shall be referred to the Court a sec
ond time by the special action of Congress-
The investigations will be as open to the
public as the proceedings of other courts, and
| the interests of the United States will be pro
tected by Solicitor appointed for that specia
purpose, whose duty the law defines TO be tC
prepare all cases on the part of the Govern
ment, for hearing before said Court, and t
argue the same when prepared; to cause ties
timony to be taken, when necessary to secure
the interests Of the United States; to prepar,
forms, file interrOgatoreS, and superintenC
the taking of testimony, in the manner pre-
scribed by said Court" The Court ascertain
the business of the claim and the amount due
but the sum awarded cannot be paid withou
a specific appropriation by Congress which
body will then have an opportunity for revis
ing the action of the Court.
The claims coming before this Court vii
be such as cannot he allowed or have bee
rejected by the Executive Departments, AM
those growing out of public treaties or the &C
ton of the agents of the Government, tina
have not been provided for by law before
hand. The accounting officers of the Treas
ury, with the Secretary of that Department
: are charged with the examination and settle
ment of claims against the Government, bu
I their action must be in strict conformity wit
/ express law. The new court can examin
into and determine all claims not provided f.
by law and its proceedings will therefore as
: simulate closely to those of equity and char
/ Gerry courts.
The court has authority to establish rul,
and regulations for its own government an
is required to make report to Congress frol
? time to time, of the material facts in til
cases upon which they have acted, and the
. opinion with the reasons sustaining it. Claim
are brought before the court through fu
written statement, giving its history and IL
grounds upon which it rests. COMMISSIONS
" will be appointed to take testimony for al
y against the claims presented. 1t has pow
: to issue subpenas for witnesses, and is a
= thonzed to call upon any Of the departments
It the government for information or pape
e deemed necessary in its investigations. Co
J. gress has, therefore, clothed the court wi
e ample powers to enable it TO get full unde
standing Of every case that may be present'
= for its deliberation.
e As now organized, it consists of thr
e, Judges, Solicitor, a clerk and an assista
J. clerk. No limitation is placed upon the
:; terms of Office, the intention of Congress b
e ing to make the court permanent esta
e liShment. Its long continuance, howevt
n will depend upon the degree of confden
n its decisions secure for it from the public
: 1t is now regarded universally with great
h vor, and gentlemen of the highest legal 4
V tanments in the country have announc,
Is themselves as regular practitioners in it, III
It Judges appointed by the President have Il
reputation of possessing high legal attai
o ments, and what is OF greater important
l. to be gentlemen OF unimpeachable no
d or and integrity. Their names are Jol
e J. Gilchrist, Of New Hampshire; Isaac B'ac
d ford, of Indiana; and George P. Scarburg,
Virginia, Montgomery Blair, Esq, of IL
e city, is the Solicitor for the United State
'e and Samuel II. Huntington, of ConnecticI
e the clerk.
y The court has been organized and its rul
d of practice adopted, which we present to &
e reader in another column. The clerk is nc
/ ready to docket cases for examination, Al
'e the court will resume its sessions on the II
of July. BY the first of October it is believ
g the argument of cases will be commenced.
1t
IMPORTANT FROM THE RIO GRANDE.-T
s, Corpus Christi Valley and advertiser of t
a ID says
Is The news from Mexico is important Al
Ill exciting 1t appears that orders from Sar
A Anna were received to arrest and shoot, wit
a out ceremony, some of the leading citizens
$, Montgomery and Lampasas among the
p, Santiago Vidoun, late Secretary of State
to New Leon, a man of great influence II
10 existencies of these private orders leaked O
IS, and Don Santiago Vidouri dispatched a co
- Nor to Lampasas with the news and VIII
lr Gen. Manchaca Santa Annals emissary, a
" rived, he was met by two hundred arm
iy citizens and forced to surrender.
His life was spared in consequence of t
r manly position he assumed, acknowledge
ID that his orders to shoot some six or eight
r, the leading citizens of Lampasas, and that h
I'd ne the ability the orders of his superiols won
is be implicitly obeyed. He did not ask
life, as his superors would not believe but
o. had sold the command. This gallant Ca
c tain, WHO'S we'll known to our informal
e, was alive at last accounts, and the probabi
ps ty is his manly bearing will save him.