The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-21

will ind that In April 1885, there estimate Of the
public debt The debt due the army was put down at
upwards of the communication to oicers under
che resolution Of March, l7s3 was put down at
the amount due the soldiers under the resolution of l7T8
was put down at $500 O0o and In this way the estimate
Of the public debt WAS made up.
the senator desires accomplish his object he should
put the amendment in different form for according to
the history Of the times - understand, the eighty dollars
not paid in continental money, bat In what were
called inal-settlement certi6cats.
Mr. TOOMBS The senator from South Carolina does
not understand my amendment He is mistaken in part,
lars in both wayssoms got oan-ofhce certificates and
Others did not My amendment Is to make good the de-
probation Of the currency in which they were paid.
tihcates not currency. While am up will say on
that subject that II has occurred to me throughout that
there was prop' in Rsyng this debt s Mssn S
had been promised put the footing Of the officers
who had served the end Of the war; and the survivors
in and received their full pay for life as well as the
officers.
may add that suppose the Congress of 1888 knew
how many there Of them. All who know anything
Of the history Of those times are aware that the number
who had enlisted and served to the end of the
very small In sections OF the country there was
not In other sections they had been enlisted to serve
during the war and those who did not die in the
time did to the end Of the How many of them
were there Tho estimate of the pay 100000 The
by eighty we have little upwards of 5000. The number
who will have to be paid under this amendment will be
only few than six thousand. you pay them all,
and they received as my understanding is they did re-
eeve fnssettement certificates upon which they realized
oneeighh you win have to pay seveneghths Of 100000
remember to have seen in the newspapers the other day
that the government had contracted to buy lot in the
city Of New York for $45O000 to build post Office and
the which it will be required to pay these soldiers
will not be more than has been given for that lot have
objection therefore insert it, if the gentleman will
put it in such form a will accomplish the object
Mr.. TOOMBS wish to correct the senator from South
Carolina in what seems to me to be great discrepancy In
this matter. and which of his having. with
his usual care looked throughiL At the end of the
It's true few Of the were remaining; for the SOL
after the provisional treaty Of peace signed in
1882 and the various reductions that took place in the
winter Of l7sls2 after the battle Of Yorktown, and Com
gre agreed to let them off and they went home to make
provision for their families When they were discharged
the government paid them in continental money and moth
ing else The senator cannot find that they paid
fnaettlement certificates at the winding up When they
settled with the officers under the Communication act is
true that but few Of tho soldiers then in service The
amount Of their reward being small great many went
off Congress allowed the after the actual close
of hostites. Every one who was paid got nothing but
continental money and the senator cannot show the
statntebook of the United States provision giving any
thing else, until the final settlement which when the
war was over Then hey gave the nalssement cert
money have looked into the whole history of the trans
action, and know this TO be SO.
Mr.. SEWARD. 1t is not my intention to detain the
Senate with any debate the subject further than put
myself right the record in regard to the vote shall
give on this proposition This is distinct proposition
make provision for the children and other descendants of
the soldiers of the revolutionary In voting for it.
should ostensiby stand upon record doing what would
appear to be an act Of justice and act Of generosity
and, possibly vote against it is liable to be construed
into refusal to perform act SO meritorious that
am going to vote against this amendment on different
This BILL sent here from the House of Representatives
brought before the government single and distinct case
which, according to my Judgment appealed to the justice
of the country was Of opinion with the honorable sena-
from Kentucky. IMr who addressed
Senate early In the debate that amendment whatever
the bill would leopard its passage in the House of Repre-
the case in resisting all amendments shall for that
reason now irrespective of the merits of the distinct propo
ston contained in this amendment vote against it for the
purpose OF retaining the bill possible in the shape
in which it came from the House. because think that it is
necessary to secure the passage Of bill towards this OBJ
ect am quite satisfied that il the friends of this
shall adopt the amendment proposed by the honorable
senator from Georgia. it will not bring the support Of
the bill one single vote in the Senate House Of Repre-
sentaves presume 1t is not unfair to infer from the
remarks Of the honorable senator who proposes the amend
ment and Of those who concurred with him in this debate
that even # we adopt that amendment we shall not have
their vote In favor of the bill ITSELF Mr. TooMBs You
right And inasmuch as consider the passage of the
bill extremely critical without any amendment, and
added to it shall content myself with voting on the prn
cpe have named and il that shall be thought wrong
have the sanction Of high authority upon this precise
The provision that made in 1888 by the resolutions
for communication discussed at that time with great
heat and great temper and it objected then, il
B objected that provision for the officer ought not
be made because the resolutions made no sufficient
satisfactory provision for the sodierhe very class
whom the honorable senator from Georgia brings before
the attention Of the Senate General Washington alluded
to that objection to the provision made for the officers in
these words
Rewards, in proportion to the aid which the public de-
rves from them, unquesonsbly due to all its
In some lines the soldiers have perhaps generally had
ample compensation for their services by the large bounte
which have been paid to them, their officers win receive
in tho proposed communication In others, IT, besides the
nations OF lands of of clothing and
of wages, take into estimate the bounes many Of the
soldiers have received and the gratuy Of years full
pay which promised to ALL possibly their situation,
eligible than that Of the officers Should further reward
however, be judged equitable, will venture to assert
will enjoy greater satisfaction than myself"
Bat neither the adoption rejection this proposition
or the ofcsr win in any manner affect much less mill,
offered five years full pay"
take precisely the same ground now If the hon
orabs senator, any Others think further provision
should be made for soldiers of the army of the revolu
on and should bring it before Congress- shall receive
liberal consideration from as from any other per-
connected with the but their doing
their failure to do affect at all the justice OF this
particular measure and in human transactions must
necessarily general rule do thing at time, and
the more we accumulate the less likely are to do any
thing shall be content this occasion to vote for this
BILL leaving the other subject for further consideration un-
der other and more propitious circumstances.
Mr.. CLAY. The senator from New York did not read
far enough He stopped at the words fu pay" The sem
tence in full Is thus:
But neither the adoption nor rejection Of this PROPOSE
will in any Affect much less initiate against the
act of Congress BY which they obtained five full
pay ia lieu OF the haEpay for life which had before been