The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-12
CONGRESS ,IoNAL PROCEEDINGS.

Jury of the settlers, AID asking for appro-
pirate legislation on the subject. Refer
red to the Land Commissioners.
Also petition largely signed by adopted
citizens. praying for some ac loG defend
ing their rights. in view OF the recent Oc-
cuTpences Il broad. Referred to the Com
paittee on Foreign Al fairs.
Dixon presented q petItloE from Inc
ing Tor the removal OF the present tax on
requests. Referred to the Committee on
Wiley introduced bill to sell land and
water privileges belonging to the United
States, at or near Harper's Ferry. Refer
A joint resolution was introduced by
FeSsenden, to appoint committee TO
number of Congressional employees.
Adopt d.
Anthony introduced the following bill,
which was referred te tae Committee on
Be a eaactocE, de-, That all the singular
laws, declare lions ana acts of connscaJlon,
passed, made or done. by the late So-cailed
Confederate States, or made, had or done,
directly or indirectly, BY or under color OF
their authority, or BY Judgment or decree
of any court acting under color thereof,
their authority orjErisdicJlon snail be and
are HEREBY absolutely null and void to all
Howard Introduced a bill to amend the
act granting lands to aid in constructing
railroad and telegraph lines from Lake
Superior 10 Puget'S Sound by the northern
route. Referred to the Com nit ee on Ratl-
roads.
UP the bill directing that certain money in
hands CT Spinner, United states Treasurer.
as Special agent. received from the ale of
captu ed and abandoned property. shall
be covered by warrant into the Treasury
and not drawn theretrom except by au-
thority of law. Sherman stated that the
bill passed the Eouse at the frs session of
the present Congress, AMI was considered
by the Senate Finance COmmiJtee. bEIt IN
Consequence OF the represfnUatlo- OF the
Secretary of the Treasury, had been de-
ferred Till now. No reason against its
passage had been SHOWN, and IL was now
de>1rab BILE that ii should become q law.
EClaouds said the Committee en- Re
trenchInent, o which the Joint resolution
had been re erred AFTER It's passage Dy the
House, had instructed him TO report
| resolution broader IN its terms. In the
hands OF Employees Of the Government,
here and tie ere We're sums of money, all
received from the sale OF such property.
There might Oe good reason Tor the reten-
ton OF such sums. but the committee
thought IL UeSt that they should be PAID
into the treasury. He therefore moved to
amend by striking out all after the enact
ing clause and 1nSer ing 2 res0AtNlon That
al moneys that had been received By any
officer or employee OF the Government, in
any department., from the sale OF captured
or abandoned prop r. y, under c0lOr of the
several Acts OF Congress providing for the
sale If such property, which have not
been paid into the easury. shall be pa
into the treasury, together with the inter
est received or which has accrued thereOn;
also a further resolution that any officer or
person having the custody o control of
such money, Epo shall convert the same
To has own use, or refuse or EegecJ for
thirty days after the passage hereof, to pay
the same into the Treasury in any way, or.
dispose OF the same otherwise than by
paying it into the Treasury, he shall be
deemed an en1bezZler- of public monies,
and punished by imprisonment for not
more than ten years and ray fine in
sum equal 10 he sum embeZZled-
Sherman had no objection TO the amend
ment- but suppOSing there mad been prop
erty seized and sold which did not come
under the head of captured and abandon
ed property, should not that also be in
cluded in the resolution;
Edn0nds was aware that others existed,
but he mad simply offered the amendment
as animated by the Committees.
TrumbuIl hoped TIE amend nent would
be adopted. The pream Die to the House
reso utlon carried with il an i'm Q!ication
tn t the Treasury Department. mad au-
thOriJV over none. The prearn bic recfteS
such property as being in the control of
the Freasu y. It is not proper that claims
on such property should be Settled with
out the eXaInlnatlon OF Con sreSs. He
thought IL very clear from law, that il was
not So He denied every implication
drawn from the preamble. The statute
authorizing the sale said the proceeds
must be paid into the Treasury of the
United states. He read the ID section of
the ACT of March 9th, 1853, directing the
Secretary of the Treasury TO appoint such
agents, showing u at his position was cor
rect.] The law further provides that
claims against such property might be
preferred in the Court OF Claims, and hat
on satiSfact ry proof and evidence of 10y
atty, the proceeds should be paid over.
This property amounts to over thirt y-four
millions of dollars, and now, after years
have elapsed. a resolution comes in here
declaring that it was IN the control OF the
Secretary of the Treasury to settle these
claims. 1t never was in his power, bnt was
subject to be disposed of according to law.
II 1865 the question was submitted 10 the
Attorney General, who said this property
must be sold and the proceeds paid into
the Treasury according 10 the second sec
ton of the act. Hundreds of thousands of
dollars had since been pad by. the Secre-
tary of the Treasury which had never
cor ia I 10Th g q
Drake said there was now in he Treas /
endsavoring to get tne Secretary to adju- |
dictate.
Trumbun continued speaking of the
amOuut-restore claimants by the Sec
rotary after the opinion of the Attorney
General, claiming that he mad no power /
to do IL without action by the Court of
Claims. he was, therefore, opp 'ssd 10 !
action on the House resolution, partieu-
larry to the 4angua of its preamble.
was az a. 41leTFseooo 10 say slaL me
power TO decide upon the question.
Sherman satd We're other points not COW |
cred by this decision Oft ne Attorney Gen
eral, there were several important claims /
pending, and those large sums had been /
allowed TO lie IN the treasury to await de- |
cision upon those claims.
TrumbulI said the opinion of the Attor-
ney General had not been followed, be- !
cause here wa a resolution to compel /
money to be had. The entire proceeds of |
this cotton were Two Millions and the net |
proceeds were the modest sum of ten mil |
mons. 1ne law was pam OhOuBui buG ne !
would support the amen ment offered by |
Edwards, who construed the law as did I
the Senator from Illinois, but the Secre- |
tary of the Treasury, lie believed, had the /
right to decide first whether the property |
was captured and abandoned. 1t was |
known that the Treasury Agents had +
gathered a large amount of cotton, and (
doubtless absorbed a good deal of il. Many I
claimants insisted that such property was /
not abandoned, but that they were driven I
from their homes by the rebels. This !
much he would say in justice TO the Secre 4
tary of the Treasury.
q On motion of FeSSenGen, its further con-
sideration was postponed until morning. /
Sumner pl esented a petition from Gen /
aral Rrishirn q nd 90 0On enInraA Of l