The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-25

Judiciary IUmmlttet
forcihe conclusive the merits OF this claim that
deemed il utterly unnecessary for although my
sttuents are Interested in IT, and it relates transaction
In which my State Is historically interested 10 obtrude
myself as very seldom do, land OF this the House will
bear Witness lis atlenon Therefore, shall not
now undertake. 20 fully into the merits Of this claim IL
the gentleman from Tennessee has presented 1t with
which will carry conviction the mind OF the House
shall be unable 10 succeed any better
shall direct my remarks almost exclusively to reply
TO the gentleman from South Carolina. He has made an
argument which think will bear the test OF scrutiny
lie undertakes prove il unjust and improper claim
What arQumen did he adduce TO prove III lie nrst went
back TO the action OF the department under the law
1923, arrayed against the word 'ate In the Engsu
version Of the treaty which however, does not occur IN
the Spanish version.
Bu sir his remarks in reference 10 the of 1884 them
selves render harmless any force that might otherwise have
attached this point in the argument be made In bring
ing attention of the House the fact that the congress
the United States acting upon the responsibility which
controls that body, acting upon The same responsibility
which prompts the gentleman om South Carolina now 70
oppose this measure feeling trust all the conscientious
in regard the proper discharge OF duty winch he
feels say the Congress OF the United States under these
circumstances by It's solemn act recognised ana adopted
the that these claims within the meaning Of the
ninth article OF the treaty OF 1919.
Now sir OF what avail is il urge the objections OF
Secretaries of the Treasury prior 1884, when the OF
Congress stands upon your satutebook asserting
that intended provide for these claims under the
treaty OF 1897 They were intended to have been proT-
dcd for under the of 1929 and before the passage OF the
act OF 1884 of Florida who Spanish sub
iects when the injuries inflicted pressing their
claims for adjudication and settlement But the Secretary
OF the Treasury attaching importance TO the word lae
in the treaty, upon which my friend from South Caro-
lima has dwet but which, think, not intended
to exclude these claims, refused 70 allow and pay
them During this time there had been presented at the
treasury the United States by citizens of East Florida
claims amounting TO about $4,000 These all that
had then been considered and when Mr White the dele
gate from Florida stated TINT he did believe the whole
Of the claims arising under the act OF 1884 would
than $4,000, have doubt he stated
what his honest belief And the insinuation, the
made by the gentleman South caro-
lima against Mr.. White, falls to the ground when we re-
member the circumstances and the fact that these were all
the claims that Mt that time had been presented Tor adudl
cation under the act of 1923.
Mr. ORR If the gentleman will allow me, expressly
M any purpose to cast any reecnGn either upon
pose charging either Of them with the intention to com
init fraud upon Congress.
Mr. MAXWELL WELL sir the gentleman from South
Carolina charged that fraud had been committed upon
the House, and nmaed that it through the state
mens then made that perpetrated do not see how
he escapes from the position of having made that charge
but he has discamed any such intention have moth
ing further 10 say upon the subject
Now, sir, prick this bubble which the gentle
has Haunted before eyes TO frighen from our
proprety In order prove that this claim is fraud he
brings statements from the Treasury Department which he
has read the House setting forth certain allowances that
have been made which, his opinion not only wrong
but monsrous These claims, sir, allowed after hav
ing undergone the investigation of judicial officers of the
United States and after having undergone the scrutiny OF
the guardian of the funds of the United States in the
Treasury Department. and If there had been nything
about them agranty improper shock the of
propriey Of any honest manif there had been anything
that would induce fnir-minded come
the confident conclusion TO which the gentleman from
South Carolina seems to have comethat the claims
caught glimpse of it. But sir they did allow them
and have particle of evidence that they
any improperly in the allowance.
The gentleman reads that allowance has been made
for loss of crop the Greenfield plantation in 1872 of
S2000 and then undertakes to bring dscredt upon the
claim from assumption of the fact that the allowance
a n " he w mt
know nothing about that know nothing of the losses
sustained by any Of these claimants but do that the
fact whether large small amount Of property de-
stroyed in any particular cannot enter into the
troversy proof that fraud has been perpetrated There
is evidence to show that the cotton the crop for
which the claimant referred to received 900 would
have brought him that amount he had been allowed to
carry it TO market.
But the gentleman says that some Of this cotton is placed
at fifty cents per pound. WE'LL sir, he knows
body knows that the price of in 1872 and in 1873
bore proportion the price the article has
since the closed The Of 1912 occasoncd great
rise in the price OF cotton and informed that ordinary
cotton then brought from twenty-five to fifty cents But
when consider the different classes of cotton when
speak of that description Of cotton which only be pro-
ducd upon the islands along the shores of South Carolina
and Georgia, and upon the main land in Forida-he Sea
Island coton-you have, as the gentleman from South
Carolina himself must admit, sufficient explanation of
the prices indicated in the paper he has read Sea Island
cotton always brings three four times much the
ordinary classes that computing the ordinary classes of
cotton at any then borne the class raised mostly in
East Florida would bring certainly less than fifty
cents Hence neither the fact of the price per pound
the aggregate of the claim furnish any evil
dence that the claim itself the full al
lowed Just one.
But there other facts going show that this charge
OF hfty cents per pound much The Secretary
Of the Treasury finally adudicated upon the claims and
must have been that the price charged about
market price Of that day Sir any gentleman in this
hall presume for that Judge of Florida would
have permitted and that the Secretary of the Treasury
would have permitted, claim to be paid the state
ent Of which enough shock the moral sensibcs
OF an honest man. il has seemed to shock those of
friend from South Carolina? | think il is conclusion
which no gentleman who has respect for high officers of the
government could possibly arrive at
think the explanation have given so far as the crops
are concerned is sufficient And in reference to the allow
ance for crops which the party prevented from
King, and which is held up before the House as great
hugbea there is in the facts conclusive demonstration
that this portion of the claim properly allowed At the
Treasury Department Sir the army in 1912 and in 1919
went into Florida making its march the line
and returning not conhnng its stay to week and then
going hack not combining its injuries to day,
week, or month"; year. but extending through
should be most active to save and also most active Ia his
labor TO produce ask YOU sir if what has been said by
the gentleman from Tennessee is not in reference this
particular point Sufficient the objection made
by my friend from South Carolina If these claimants
having their plantations ready receive the seeds which
We're TO bring forth the products by which their fortunes
were to be made the products upon which they
1--we were prevented from sowing those seeds and ng
their soil by the operations Of the United States army
properly thereand the of the United States
has by It's subsequent admitted that il was improp
ery thereI ask IL there is induced by that fact as
much obligation the part of the United States To nav for
the damages sustained by that prevention as there tn