The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-02

drafts before they could realize any portion Of Their sal
airy and the delay and inconvenience to many contae
tors, creditors and employs Of Che government would
be still greater do not believe that Congress Intended
that the statute should be applied to any such
" 49, What was the evil for which the remedy was
desgnedY reference TO the terms OF those statutes
aud the practice Of agents in prosecuting claims before
Congress- indicate the evil and the object OF the remedy
Agents in the habit of getting general powers OF
attorney TO prosecute before Congress or the departments
uncertain and doubtful claims and to obtain and receive
the amount which might be allowed upon them and in
many instances assignments obtained OF large claims
for very small sums from persons not knowing their
tights In such cases unsuspecting persons were put
into the hands and power of sharp and cunning agents
and shrewd INSCRIPTIONS spocuato the claimant often
had no means Of protecting himself against the false
representations and receptions of agents and purchasers
and the agent might misrepesent the amount collected
Hence the requirement that the power of attorney draft
assignment transfer should refer 10 the statute under
which the claim is allowed and that the amount due
should be asoertaned and warrant issued for the same,
before any such power Of attorney, draft transfer
sgnment be legally made, 1t is obvious that this
Is required by the statute in order that the claimant may
fully understand the extent Of his rights and the amount
allowed TO him. before he legally assign transfer
the same authorize any other person to receive the
amount But such precauton is necessary in relation
To salary accounts accounts for services rendered. sup
plies furnished for any other form of debt about the
amount of which there has never been any dispute The
officer creditor in all such cases knows the precise
amount or very nearly the amount due him and
good arise but often very great Inconvenience and
evil from imposing him restrictions in relation TO the
time and mode Of transferring and assigning the same,
Of making powers OF attorney for the receipt thereof
Paragraphs l6 H. and IS of the circular relate to
certain payments to soldiers and sailors, and need
not be presented in this connexion
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
% 49, In making payment to a contractor for trans
porting the mail warrant is issued in his name. The
contractors collect of the postmasters or they draw or
ders the department. the department sends them
drafts according to the circumstances of the case Col
ections from posmasters generally by the carriers
authority given by the the department having
designated the offices from which collections to be
made.
20 Orders are drawn by mail contractors to pay for
expenses necessarily to be incurred in transporting the
mail and generally to obtain credit in advance. They
are lodged by the drawee assignee with the auditor
to DO paid when due if the department. shall then be in
debted to the contractor
We also pass over paragraphs %, %, and "a, and
come to the conclusion, which reads thus
%. My conclusion u.s. that ordinary debts and
counts against the government which have been legally
contracted and disputed not claims within the
meaning of those Statutes and that the statutes do not
apply to them, but apply to uncertain damages and
losses, extra allowances pensions, equitable demands,
claims for the correction of alleged errors, claims for
return repayment of duties items of account which
have been rejected disputed and such classes of
usually referred to the Committee Claims
and to committees other than the Committee Of Ways
and Means. ...-,s.. .-..-s /.
1t will be seen, then that the law does not forbid
the assignment of a debt the exact amount of which
has been ascertaned. II merely prohibits the trans
fer Of claims the amount of which has not been as
certained, and this it does for the protection Of the
claimants who, otherwise for nominal considera-
ton and in utter ignorance OF their legal rights,
would be liable to part with large interests to men
unprncipled enough to buy them on such terms.
If this be So we think the mail contractors
''rely on their certified amounts to aid them in
transporting the mails" for moneyed men, acW
not be obliged simply to take their honor as Sc
curiy for advances made on these certified amounts"
as they will for fair consideration become the ac
tual of specific debts of record against the
United States" which the government will be bound
to pay. ID Is a.r.. ..e .aa.a #a.
We trust, then, this correspondent will dismiss
his fears and once more allowhimselfto turn his at
ention to the noble enterprise in which he is already
understood to have been so successfully ,engagedrT
that of resusctatng the old wing party.
m8 aH