The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-24
COURT or CLAIns. a

COURT o. CLANMS. "
A paragraph ID going ths rounds 81 the psess,
. one ssset that Judge Greenwood, ofsArkansas,
. Demscvsfis member q Congress, "has bill
pssparsd end ready to be introducsd into Con
grss., s6oIshing the 0bsyt cf Ozsims, and re-
tr.nsssrving an the business to the several CON-
miitess Of Congress"
Judge Greenwood, we would suppose, Is too
sensible man % make any such propagation, or Il
otherwise, Congress win hardly entertain IL Sc
rionsly for moment Nevertheless, II IL De true,
thss ID b che policy Of this administration to rspS
diats all eiaims upon the government, and to deny
jussice 70 the people, such movement as is at
rsibated 70 Judge Greenwood would be perfectly
appropriate. st so $3.50
Years and years were spent by honest and fair
minded members Of Congress, of all parties, in
procuring the passage Of law, creating the pre-
cent Judicial tribunal, In which all citizens having
,laims, good or bad, against the government,
arising under the laws Of Congress, the regula'
tons Of the Departments, or any contrac, express
or implied, with the Government, could have such
claims speedily and impartially examined into and
decided. Judges Of eminent abilities, experience,
and Independence Of character, were selected 70
discharge the srduous duties required Of them
under the act Of Congress Of February, 1858, Gre
ating this court, and yet now, forsooth, when the
court has had an organized existence Of but two
years, and the salutary and benefcent purposes
Of lie creation afe but beginning TO be expe-
rienced, there are mon found who III is said) are
rash enough 70 attempt the repeal and overthrow
Of the system.
There IL not man, IN or out Of Congress, who
has had any experience or observation OF the
course Of proceedings upon private claims, which
was witnessed for twenty years prior to the cstab-
lishment Of this court who would, II governed by
sense Of justice or right desire TO throw back
into Congress that mass Of claims which never
was and never could be properly investigated and
decided by Congressional committees.
With d few solitary exceptions, in the past
twenty years, no private claims have ever been
allowed By Congress unless individual members
made such claims respectively the special object
Of their attention and when thus pressed, It il
obvious that the influence Of the member has had
far greater weight In the adjustment of the claim,
than any intrinsic merit in the claim itself .ii
lis Il possible that in this enlightened age, and
with the experience Of the past twenty or thirty
years before US, one pan can be found who would
advocate return to the former mode of Congress.
sional action upon private ciaimsY The natural
and Inevitable tendency Of the former system was
to corrupt members OF Congress, and to such an
extent did corruption actually prevail, that the
honest portion Of Congress found Il necessary 70
pass n law forbidding members OF Congress re-
ceiving pay for the prosecution Of claims
With twenty thousand private claims pending
before Congress, can Il be expected that any
member Of Congress would 20 far interest nlmsei
In pressing through the o'aim Oh OF ., US 70 M
sure its allowance, srtess suen member hau SONS
mofivs Tor exeruon rnas mouse m'sn. oe m''ey
or IL might DC tne eAPec'eu d'd anu ''p"s"e
OF some Constituent In . 'usure canvass ~
either case the MEMBER ~ou'd lose Asn' Oh 'n'
merits OF the clam' ana press !" ah allowance
10 ,Ur inc sAAe ..e eAp..'su ea' ~ n".', =,
.u.' ~ -. 49,. - "a -, - :. !,
pa,u : : e'y1s s.s' -. - ..s,.. "a ~,
su m 80 ' - - &c - h.s -
80 - 80 :. - = ~. a....s-.
VIZ. 4. A. o.. - rr.,-.. -h.novo.
" 49, !. - ,,,~an o.. ~ 90.
pln.p'o I. --....;s,s ,.,~,,,,. IL,
.o -. g. :. = -, - 49, ~ ~.
~. -. ,s.u..nS 80. ~. ). a;.no..,
- ~ - !, -o,,,a -. g.. :, -,
:. ~ -. -. a,.r...a :, :, Concrass a.,
-. - nc - 49, n,;rh, =. .uovsd ,nd AZ
-. LIE ,.;..,.d .honrh den.nd;no rrsc;.elv .,
- 800 ,,;uo;n,a, -
D., III ;Ilr..-.,. A.. .dv.rt. "a. ~ tho ,rssen
-, - ~. g Cou,, 90 CI.im. ovor ,h,, !
c. a,o..,on., .c,;on ~ ,.tber ~ non. action,
oeiN 0"s 70 =. ay A'an WI ~
o.er'o .no 49, n -,
VIC" " ~o 'opaaD " "A o' 'f0
''e so'o'nnene
na' We ''n0e'.y nops sue p'opo','on $780,
WI oe p'eeeneu' ~. '"a "n .no'' w." % NAV
III onere's " rspsu'A'o -, o,.'a., up0n "v so'
'AreA~ 70 'e'' " soy '-'' '1e "a
Inc result o. TINS apemP', We uus. ana peheve
wiz De- tnat congress WIN proceea 70 perfect 'n
ex'snng system oy ordering tue judgments rer
dered ana the opinions gwen Dy TINS COURT 10
Iohoweo ana respected py inc deParmeh1'
law snouid DC enacted d'recl"g inc Secretar!
the treasury 70 pay all Judgments rendered .
TINS court Tor money Que q claimant OF, oon