The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-03


On French spoatons delivered in the House Of Repre-
sentatives January 25 1855.
The House being in the Committee Of the Whole the
state OF the Union
Mr.. ORR said
Mr. CH,nMaS; There is difficulty In arriving at the ex
act state Of facts in this upon which TO predicate
rect conclusion The mis OF fifty long have shroud
ed them in obscurityveed them with uncertainty this
is especially true TO the facts relied upon 10 resist the
admissibilty OF this claim. No has been specially
interested in coIang and preserving them The facts TO
sussin the claims have been preserved with scrupulous
care The claimants and their hired agents have pertna-
couy pressed the consideration OF this claim upon Con-
gress for half century and not only has every fact been
preserved but every argument and consideration which
human ingenuity could invent has been pressed with
less pcftinacy Not one, but many editions Of every
port end speech in favor Of the Chains have annually been
repro4uccd No single member Of either house of Con-
gress, for many long years, has failed To- receive all
the speeches and documents made In behalf Of
the CAIN, and the result has been % form opinion
exclusively upon pare representations Thsss npp-
anees had their effect when first entered Con-
gress though remembered that Calhoun, McDuffe and
other leading statesmen Of my State had denied in
the strongest terms the validity Of these claims These
pdr representations appeared just that felt great
prise that the American Congress had for long period
obstnaIely denied common justice 10 the sufferers from
French spoauons II led to an examination of the history
and merits OF the claims and when ended felt that pre-
deeessors had norepudated their validity without abundant
To my surprise found that many of the supposed
facts in favor OF the claims had foundation in truth Ii
has been alleged by the claimants that Mr. Giles reported
in their favor brief history of congressional action
misrepresentation.
The 4memoria of sundry merchants and traders brought
this subject TO the consideration of the House. and select
committee OF which Mr. Giles the chairman, submit
ted their report the 22d April 1902 After stating the
facts very sucGncty, and without giving directly any
opinion he SUMS up the question in few brief words
Upon the whole view of the case, the committee submit
it to the House determine whether the OF the
United States be any respect bound to indemnify the
moria, and whether there be any ground for dscrimna
on between the Of losses sustained before the acts of
the 2Sth Nav 1885, the 7th Of July 1T9s and the 9th of
July l7as and of losses sustained after those periods
Can any fair just Interpretation of this paragraph
authorize the declaration that Mr. Giles reported avoaby
the cams2 This the language he uses and that
i now distorted into favorable opinion on the merits of
the claim.
In 1901 Mr.. Marion from select committee made IA
vorabe report without stating, however the grounds
fully and without committing himself the question
whether the poatious committed after July 179s
subject 10 Indemnity. Mr. Gess report acted in
the House, the vote il favor of paying the claims yeas
SO, nays "a.
These claims slumbered from 1907 and hear moth
ing OF them until March, 1878, when Mr. Roberts of the
Unate, from the Committee Of Claims made adverse
report which is thorough and lucid exposition Of the
whole question His report concludes with the following
recommendation which was adopted by the Senate:
Resored That the relief asked By the memorats and
petitioners ought NOT 10 be granted"
On the 3lst January 1924 Mr.. RUSSELL Of the House.
from the Committee Foreign Affairs, made adverse
report which agreed TO- On the cath OF March, 1924
Mr. Forsyth-and need not call tho attention of the
committee the high qualities Of head and heart that dis
ngushed this favorie OF Georgia. for his history
part of the records of this counry-made adverse
port concluding in the following emphatic language
'sThe satisfied that the French govern
men admitted the justice OF the claims of the petition
the United States used efort-even tselfto
the property Of American merchants from the awless
violence OF France that its efforts
discontinued until it obvious that there hope
of that this received from France
any equivalent for the claims OF Americans on France
Again:
m. lIy.-.
TONERS that France right and their govern
men wrong that France prepared to make just repa-
released from her obligations by the United States who
fatbless to their trust in the first instance, have been
gardless Of the obligations of justice since lasump
ons consistent with truth creditable patriot
ism Of those who make them'
On the sh of February 1927 Mr. Holmes, of the Senate
made from select committee the first elaborate favorable
report So long the memorials considered by the
standing committee Of either house long these reports
adverse, but then sent to select committee,
posed by universal parliamentary usage of the friends of
the measure to be considered we find it assumed and
maintained that this government had made itself response
BILE for the indemnity alleged TO be due by France
citizens but these claimants coming before the Senate
der the auspices OF favorable report failed to from
that body its favorable action Appended to Mr. Holiness
report is statement from the Department of State show
ing the names OF vessels their owners and in
the amount oil the spolations II appears tho number
file is four hundred and forty Oneh Of that
Der shows the probable amount of the loss to be S223
7o2 Assuming that they will bea correct average the
tire of the spoiation amounted to SlllTa5l0
OF these figures propose to make some use in the subse
quent part OF my argument select committee in the
Senate through Mr. Webster its chairman made vora-
Bile report in 1884 and the bill accompanying it, an
elaborate debate which drew on Messrs Calhoun, Bibb
Wright Benton and other distinguished in oppo
son passed the Senate by small majority for the first
time since their prosecution commenced, running through
period of tbrtywo years. Subsequently and prior to
1896 reports favorable and adverse submitted but
definitely acted upon. In 1876 bill passed both
houses Of Congress and when it went to President Polk
for his approval ii met from him prompt veto In his
veto message he says:
Ii is scarcely probable If the claim had been regarded
obligatory the government constituting equita
bic demand upon the treasury that those who
pos with the which give rise should
long since have done justice TO the claimants The
has often been in condition to enable the government do
without If these claims had been considered
just Mr.. Jefferson who fully coguizant of the early
dssensions between the of the United States
and France OF which the claims arose. In his annual
sage in lSs aveted the large sspas then in the
should lie unproduetye in the public vaults and these
claims though then before Congress recognised
paid Since that time the public debt Of the revolution and
the 1872 has been extinguished and several
od since the treasury has been possession Of large
pluses the demands upon ii. In 1886 the surplus
amounted to millions Of dollars and for proper
objects to which to apply IT, Il directed by Congress to
be deposited with the States"
These claims have been urged with unabaed zeal since
the veto and here to-day engaged in their consider
alton. Such sir Is brief outline Of their legislative his
tory sketched for the double purpose of exposing the mis-
representations Of interested friends and that the country
understand with what little favor they viewed
by predecessors for period Of two-andhtrty years
after their introduction into this hall caution gentle
TO look to the original documents for the facts do not
rely upon the loose statements though IN print Of the
friends Of these claims for the facts Your constituents
"a pof9