The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-07-16

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severaliy. for information, and then delivered to
the Attorney for the Terrritory. - =,
ID. Public sessions Of the Commissioners will
be held at l.eavenworth. Lawrence, Osawato-
mic. Tecnmseh, and Fort Scott. land perhaps in
other localities where the interests of the Terri
tory or the convenience of parties may requlrel
at times hereafter to be designated.
ii. The Commissioners desire as early informa-
lion rs possible Of all claims intended TO be pre-
seated. such information, giving the names and
residences 81 applicants and their witnesses may
be communicated By letter to the Central Clerk,
or either Of the "Reminiscences, IN ddrdnes Of tie
ming 81 Me petition. This is necessary in order
,nat me bca.d may be prepared as early as pracs
the business to be disposed Of.
is. All petitions and application will be sub
mitted TO the Attorney on the part Of the Terri
examinations; and upon his suggestion parties
will be required TO produce before the Board. in
PUBLIC session, such witnesses as he or either Of
Their. Parties will be duly notified of the time
and place, when opposing testimony TO any Of
their claims will be produced and heard.
10. As general rule the personal attendance
Of witnesses, whose testimony may accompany
petitions. will be required b. the board at n pub
lie session, for public examination or cross
examination, in relation 10 the facts set forth
In such petitions.
IL Subpenas will be issued, on application Of
parties, to compel the attendance of Witnesses
claimants pa, ing officers fees for serving.
ls. A final hearing may be had upon any petit
ton. at any publ session, where the claimant
may be in attendance with his witnesses-pro-
yided such petition shall have been filed ten days
before such hearing is demanded; but such ten
days may be viewed By the Territorial Attorney
or either two of the Commissioners.
~ Awards will be madeas soon as practicable
after final hearing.
be held at the johnson House in Lawrence, ON
the hrst Monday Of March next and continue
from day to day as long as business may present
or render advisable.
81. When petitions or accompanying afidavits
are sworn to before Justice Of the Peace, the
County Clerks certificate and seal should be
attached.
The Act above mentioned is broad in its
provisions, and designed TO benefit, without dis
tinctiOn Of par y, all bona fde citizens Of the
Territory who sustained losses within the period
specified. All such are requested to come for
ward as soon as possible and present Just and
honest statements of their losses and unite their
efforts in accomplishing the object in view, BY
enabling the undersigned to present complete.
full, fair and impartial statement of the losses
and damages that have been entailed upon the
questions devolved BY Congress upon them for
settlement,
dated Leayenworth City. X. T., Feb. 81. 1859.
HESk $, I ISSAHs: conmr' of Claims.
Accordingly, sessions have been held
in all the counties where the number Of
claimants warranted /; and by advertise
ments from time to time, and personal
exertions, every possible facility has been
afforded to the sufferers to present their
claims and produce their testimony, with
as little trouble and expense to them as
possible.
Since the date mentioned, February
81, 1850 we have received petitions and
taken testimony in 463 cases. Awards
have been made to All claimants, amount
ing to S4l2.97S03. Eighteen claims
stand suspended for want of proof. Two
cases have been withdrawn, and &c claims
have been wholly rejected as inadmissi-
BILE. The total amount of suspended
claims is $25, 972 %, probably two thirds
of which will be properly established.
Amount of crops destroyed, $37, $40,
81; number of buildings burned and de-
stroyed, 70; horses taken or destroyed,
1858; cattle taken or destroyed, 533.-
Amount of property owned by Pro-sla-
very men, SIT, 1883; property owned
by Free State men $335, 1904. Proper
ty taken or destroyed by Pro-slavery
men. $316,718,63. Property taken or de-
stroyed by Free State men, S94, 529, 40
For particulars of names of claimants,
amounts awarded, and the principal items
of said claims, we respectfully refer to the
Tabular Statement hereto annexed, as a
part of our Report, aud marked "a" OF
the 357 claims audited by the former
Commissioner, 1876 have been presented
to us for adjustment, and the action there
on will be found in the said statement
Doubtless nearly all the remainder are
abandoned by the parties, or were origi.
nally presented by persons who have
since removed from the Territory. We
know, however, that there are quite 6
number of just and meritorious claims
which either are not submitted, or, &C.
cording to the rules by which we have
been governed, could not be admitted
under the present law. We think $50,
600, in addition to the awards made, will
be sufficient, with close inspection, to dis.
charge all such demands, that would
probably be presented by actual citizens
of Kansas.
1t is hardly necessary for us to alludt
to the extent aud character of our labors
The result is before you, and to the testi
mony taken in support of the claims W,
earnestly invite your attention. Til,
cases are all ready for your inspection
In all cases we have required the fulles
aud most satisfactory evidence that could
be obtained, and have made no award
unless we believed it warranted by the
proof and the language. spirit and intent
Of the Act of Feb. Z, 1859, under which
we were acting
We will not enlarge upon the character
and bearing of the testimony on file
J Many historical facts and incidents, Al
we'll as details, which were for lon.
time regarded as party or individual Sc
crets, are developed and distinctly pu
upon the record. The future historian
will find in the testimony taken, reliabl,
statements by the actors or eye-witnesse
, of many interesting and important events
which have heretofore assumed more o
less prominence in the public mind, ant
the particulars of which have been Incl
dentally and necessarily drawn out in tn,
!. progress of our investigations. Withou
assuming to direct, advise or control tn,
language or character Of any of the reve
lations thus made, We have permitted
witnesses to tell their stories in their owl
way, on either side; and, irrespective o
the complimentary" terms in which
some of the petitions speak of the respec
tive parties in 1856, we have regarded
their ebullitions of feeling as the natura
result Of the wrongs suffered, the murden
committed, the driving off from thei
claims of defenceless women and children
the sacking of towns, the burning o
dwellings, the destruction of crops, tn,
plundering of households, the stealing O
horses and cattle, and other unlawful acts
and not attempted to check their expires
sions; for men of both parties, and thei
families, had the same complaints tc
make against those whom they believed