The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-05
Case OF the Bark Maria Henry.

ONSS
On Friday 9th ult., Mr.. Thornton from the
Committee on Claims, reported to the House
of Representatives bill for the relief of the
owners of the bark Maria Henry. The bill
directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay
the sum Of $4,000 to George Hem, agent of
the owners of the bark Maria Henry, as full
compensation for the use and detention of the
said vessel by the United States from the 2eth
of February to the 2eth Of May, 1865, inclu-
sive.i
1t appears that in February, 1865. the guar
masters department chartered this vessel to
carry oats and hay from Portland, Maine, to
Fort Royal, South Carolina; and the agree
ment was that she was not to be detained in
discharging her cargo longer than ten days
This would have released the vessel on the
26th Of February. Instead of that she was de-
tanned at Port Royal until the 9th of March,
1865, and was then ordered to Morehead City,
North Carolina, and there discharged her car
go and was detained there until the 26th of
May, 1866. The vessel was thus detained by
the military authorities for nearly hundred
days. She then sailed for Philadelphia. The
proof shows that during the time this vessel
was detained by the military authorities she
might have earned S12,500 in carrying coal
from Philadelphia to New Orleans. The COM
mittee fixed upon the sum of $4,000 as the
amount of damages sustained by the owners
of the bark in consequence of this detention.
Mr.. Washburne of Illinois, who very prop
erly and usually very judiciously, stands as SEN
tinel over the Treasury, Immediately moved
that the bill be referred to the Committee on
Commerce, and went on to say that the de
murrage at the rate of $4,000 for the time
named would make $4,000 year for bark
which he presumed could have been bought
for $4,000 in the first place. This called up
Mr.. Lynch, whose remarks present the case
with great brevity and clearness. Mr.. Lynch
spoke as follows:
Twill say, in reply to the gentleman from Hi
nois, Mr.. Washburne,] that this was new
vessel of six hundred and forty tons, and this
charter to the Government was for her first
voyage. The vessel was worth from sixty to
sixty-fve thousand dollars. She was chartered
Tor this trip to Port Royal, and was detained,
as has been stated by the gentleman from Hi
nois, Mr.. Thornton for sixty-nine days. She
was rechartered to go to Philadelphia for car
go OF coal, and while waiting there she was no.
titled that no cargo could be provided for her.
She was finally discharged in May, just at
the time when business was at a stand-still in
consequence OF the collapse of the rebellion
and no freight could be obtained there. And
the vessel had to take avery low charter to go
from there to St. Johns, and there take a char
ter to England. Any gentleman acquainted
with commercial matters must know very well
that vessel on Q voyage cannot afford to take
demurrage for lying In port. And besides all
this, If the owners had had the liberty to take o
charter at the time the Government charter ed
her, it has been shown here, and attested by
the evidence OF merchants in New York Phila-
delphia, and Portland, who are well acquainted
with these matters, that the owners would have
made in that time more than twenty thousand
dollars. This is not speculative at ALL but the
ordinary freight of the vessel, based upon the
amount she earned from the time she left Port
land until the time she had discharged her
cargo at Port Royal.
Now want to say one word further, in re-
gard to the motion Of the gentleman from Illi-
n0is Mr.. Washburne] to refer the bill to the
Committee on Commerce That will involve
delay of some IN ,nths, and will very probably
carry it beyond the close of this session, The
Committee of Claims have had the matter in
charge from the first of the session. There
have been no lobby agents here, for the men
who own this vessel are not able to employ
lobby agents. They are few men of limited
means, who have put all their means into this
vessel, and are now embarrassed for want of
what is justly duel them from the Govern
ment.
Inere are now claims upon the vessel which
are waiting the payment of this amount which
Is due from the Government. I hope, at any
rate, that the matter will be settled here now,
SO that these parties may know what is to be
their fate trust that the hill will not ha par.
mitted to go over to the next session, which
would inevitably be its fate if it should be re.
ferred to the Committee on Commerce. a
Mr.. WashbuIne's motion was lost, and the
bill passed the House.