The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-13

point in a community which has sympathy with him
Unable TO compel the attendance of his witnesses and de-
pyed Of the aid and comfort extended 10 the white man
similarly situated he defends himself under great diSad
vantages There Is manifest injustice in this which
should be remedied ut once and would suggest the es
tablishment by Congress, of district court OF the Uni
ted States for this territory, to hold at least one term
annually for each Of the four tribes OF Cherokees Creeks
Choctaws, and Chickasaws Among these tribes there
educated wellread lawyers and the holding OF court
in theft country wond create in the minds OF the people
respect for the laws and give dignity to the adminsra
The Indians OF the Territories of Washington and Ore
gon still restiye and begerent This disposition on
their part evidently springs from disbelief In the strength
and ability OF this government to punish them for tres
passes committed upon settlements II IS the duty of
the government dsabuse their minds This can best
be done by peaceful means Let an appropriation be made
to defay tho expenses of delegation from each of the
large tribes in those distant Territories to Washington
and other eastern cities Let them know, by personal
observation our numbers, improvements, and es
innate strength They would readily conclude that
further hostility would be absurd and when they carried
the ssy Of our greatness and power to their people,
chanes Nrud come their minds, and might then
reasonably hope for the establishment by treaties, Of
good understanding and perpetual peace between us
Such appropriation would be- in my Judgment an act
of true economy }H sr8g-ff st sissy asa t.
During the past year large amount paid into the
treasury of the United States account of moneys be-
longing to certain Indian tribes. The several treaties u
der which this amount derived devolyed upon the
President the duty of causing it to be invested in some
safe and profitable stock to be held by the Secretary
of the Interior in trust for the respective tribes In pur
suance your directions these Indian trust funds
invested in State stocks which deemed safe and
profitable The amount Of bonds purchased 81 4Sl
476 03 costing 81, POI ,07T 49. g- 8ls ~
The investment having been made at a time of unu-
sual financial embarrassment enabled to make
profit of Sl90 1913 54 for the Indian tribes and at the
time to afford relief to extent to the business
community. @@-* &.'t n...--
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions presents
hat
the last year. The business OF the Office has been brought
up date nearly it is practicable and the large
clerical force required to despatch the heavy abors de-
volved upon it by the recent laws granting bounty land
has been reduced to conform to the present exgen
cies of the office. gaa T It#N.a }I sH. @}E8
For years past the practice has prevailed of pay
ing to the children and sometimes to the administrators
Of deceased revolutionary soldiers and their deceased
widows the amount of pension to which such soldiers
widows would have been entitled had they succeeded in
making good their claims during their lifetime but
to grandchildren, as such AT the last term of the su
preme Court 1t was decided in case involving the dis
rbuton Of certain pension moneys which had been paid
to administrator for the exclusive benefit of the child
of deceased widow OF revolutionary soldier, that
grandchildren per arpes stood in the relation to
such claims children and it subsequently,
tended that the effect of that decision not only to
affirm the legal correctness of the practice alluded to, but
TO enlarge it, to embrace class of claimants not
previously recognised by It,. g" f. i.ts .ss.u.s.
Seeing that large amount of money had already been
drawn from the treasury under the practice of the Office
and doubling whether the court had gone beyond the
question of distribution involved in the be-
fore it, and decided to the law which that practice
founded avaed myself of the first that arose
to elicit the views Of the Attorney General both to
the effect of the decision of the court and the legality of the
previous ruling of the Office He thoroughly Investigated
the whole subject and gave lucid and convincing
opinion the law of the in which he came to the
conclusion that soldiers widows who might have been
entitled to pensions in their lifetime, but died without
establishing their right receiving the same, left
tate in their claims which could be inherited either by
grandchildren children that arrears of pension,
which alone by the statute, Unbeatable, only
listed in where pension had been received,
and at the death of the pensoner, portion left
paid and that the Supreme Court in the decision refer
red to- had not passed upon that question In this opin
ion concurred and as there law for the pay
ment of pensions in such cases, and money could
be drawn the treasury without previous appropa-
| tion any payment ordered by me would have been
against law and would have amounted naked act of
legislation by executive officer. felt hesitation,
therefore, in ordering dscontnuance of the practice in
question: and all the coming within il will be inef
intely suspended unless Congress shall pass law giving
to children and grandchildren the pensions their de-
ceased ancestors would have received had the proper
! proof been made out during their lifetime. - i
pension is bounty given by government for
torious personal service and the first law granting pen
sons for revolutionary services confined the bounty to the
udgR soldiers But whether this restriction be correct
or not it is selfevident that the great induceent in all
pension laws is to relieve and compensate in his
proper person. the self sacrificing soldier who rked his
life wasted his energies, and neglected his private affairs
in the service OF his country The law has extended its
benecence from the soldier to his widow and there it has
stopped If Congress shall take one step further and
provide for children and grandchildren of the
services Of their ancestors the question arises why take
of the children and grandchildren of those whose
tune it to live till Congress had passed pension act
and not of those equally meritoous who died in the
service, who dragged out miserable existence uncared
for and unrecognised by the government?
The children and grandchildren and great-grandchil-
dren should be contented in the rich inheritance derived
from glorious ancestry in the liberties they enjoy and
in the institutions which give them protection Con-
has not been unndf of revolutionary heroes
1t has dealt out to them with sparing hand Up to
the 30h June 1857 under the pension laws of 1Ss 1928
and 1892 $43 oil $50 had been paid to revolutionary
sls 302 $50 had been paid to the widows of our revo-
lutionary soldiers making an aggregate in money of
sxtone million three hundred and fourteen thousand six
hundred and twenty dollars besides large donations of
land and disbursements of money, under other laws
account of revolutionary services.
The determinations pointed out by the Commissioner
OF Pensions existing between the invalid and hafpay
pensions for the army and the navy would seem to de-
mand revision and correction by Congress Some reor-
ganizon of the systems upon which those pensions are
granted is desirable not only because of the nadequacy
OF the lower rates to relieve the wants of those intended
TO be benefted but because of the manifest propriey of
making like provision for those of corresponding grades
in the two of the service who may become disabled
while in the faithful discharge Of duty
During the past year Al 4S3 warrants for bounty land
have been issued requiring to satisfy them five million
nine hundred and fftytwo thousand one hundred and
sixty of the public domain and the number issued
under all the acts Of Congress from the reyo-
lutionary TO the time SAT $50 recurring to