Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-05-19
Thirty Sixth Congress.
April Sd, 1860.
IN THE SEN ATE.

April Sd, 1860.
 IN THE SENATE.
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, presented the petition of James A. Martin and others, asking the restoration of deficiences of land granted to the railroad from Memphis to Little Rock which was referred to the com mittee on public lands.
 PAPERS REFERRED.
 On motion of Mir. JOHNSON, of Ar kansas, 1t was
 Ordered, That the documents relating to the claim ot the legal representatives ofJoh Domeison. Stephen Heard, and others, on the files of the Senate, be referred to the committee on public lands.
 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, from the committee on public lands, to whom was referred the memorial of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the city of Pensacola, Florida, praying that the title of the United States to certain lots in that city may be released to the city, reported adversely thereon.
 HOMESTEAD BILL.
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, submitted an amendment, which he gave notice of his intention to propose, to the bill (S. No to grant to any person who is the head of family, and citizen of the United States, homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land out of the public domain, upon condition of occupancy and cultivation of the same for the period therein specified.
 hr of I now to postpone all prior orders, and take up the homestead bill.
 Mir. YULEE. Allow me, before that motion is voted upon, to ask the Senate to take up a bill which have been requested to appeal to the Senate to dispose of. It is a House bill for the relief of the legal rep resentatives of Robert H. Morris, of New York. It is Q private bill, which will probably elicit no debate at all
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee. If it will take no time, 1 give way for that pur- pose.
 Mr. YULEE. I move to take up the bill.
 The motion was agreed to; and the Senate, as in committee of the whole, pro- ceeded to consider the bill H. R. No 242 for the relief of the legal representatives o1 Robert H. Morris, late post master of the city of New York
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. I think there is principle involved in this bill that l have heard denied very constantly by the committee on the post office and post roads, unless I am mistaken Il reads:
 That the Auditor of the treasury for the pos office department be authorized and directed to re adjust and audit the account of Robert II. Morris late postmaster of the city of New York, iron May 2G, ls45, to June 30, ls46, and to allow il said account all sums of money paid out by saiC Morris for defI1ying the expenses of said office within said period, including the amount paid oI account of the city dispatch office.
 Of course it must embrace those expenses hitherto rejected for want of any law tC authorize them. It goes on:
 Procided, That. in the opinion of the postmaste general, snch expenses were properly lncurred an, were necessary for the business of said office.
 l know that there have been before thi committee, in two instances, applications for relief from my own State for parties who have performed the postal service there, who stand in the same attitude They only asked the privilege of being al lowed to show that the service, over an( above what were the terms, nature, anC character of their contract, was performed not only by the authority, but with the ap proval, of the post office agent. Not only was the service done with his authority but they are able to show that it was neces sary and that the mails could not trave without it. There is no authority of law to make any allowance to them. It | within the knowledge of all the people Q the State that those parties did suffer Their claim IS rejected by the post ofic' committee, and has been so for thee years It still stands here There IS bill lyins on the table that declined to have refer red to the committee on the post office anC post roads, and asked that it might Ii there, to see whether or not 1 could not ge it up on its merits before the Senate. do not see why fish should be made of on and flesh of another. l am tired of it; do not think it is right; and I wish to ap peal to the Senate against principles of tha character. Now, if this proposition here to-day is right, very well; let the none, | From lS45? How many years, ask the chairman, does this run, within which W, are to settle accounts not authorized by law, and which now require special act il order to allow the money to be paid? Vii the gentleman state?
 Mir. YULEE. When the gentleman i through, l will
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. I asl him that question for information
 Mr. IULEE. The bill states that This gentleman is not now in office Fl died many years ago. This relates 10 tn, adjustment of his accounts in the Auditor office.
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Can tn Senator tell me how far it goes back?
 Mir. YULEE l think these items prob ably occurred in the last year of the admin istration of his office.
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Can tn Senator tell me when that was?
 Mir. YULEE. cannot tell you precisel' the year. l think he was the predecesso of Mir. Graham, and went into office il 1S45
 Mir. LATHAM He was in office iron 1S45 to lS49.
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. Ther are four years then. We go back to 1S4J and yet service that is rendered under tn post office department can get no relief a all, and of the very same character in tn classification 1t must necessarily be- q not like this way of acting on these matters i. If the principle is to reject those account ; which are not authorized by law, the make it uniform, and apply it to all; bu such have not found to be the case Thi bill, in ad lition to what I have alread read, goes on to provide:
 And in addition thereto, the said Auditor sha also allow for the same period such sum as woul make the compensation of said Morris equal to th sum of $2,O00 per annum, as provided for by tn act of 1895.
 I do not understand that If it wa provided for by the act of 1925, why di : SALE OF LANDS FOR NON-PAYME ARR NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,