Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-04-03

fees ana expenses Oh coicctnk suStt
claim. demand payment for money
loaned or advanced TO any claimant, he
shall be required to make oath to the
date and amount Cf such loan or ad-
vance. or payment of the fees and ex-
pepses shall be withheld; and when the
claimant shall have been properly iden-
tilted. and his account Is ready for settle
ment. the balance due shall be paid in
current funds, and not in checks or drafts.
Sec. 3. And be il further enacted,
That all money held or disbursed under
the provisions of this resolution shall be
held and disbursed under the same rules
and regulations governing other dis
bursting officers of the army.
JOINT RESOLUTION OF JUNE 20, lo6o-.
SECOND SECTION. REFERRED TO ABovr.
Sec. Q. That whenever application
shall be made by any claimant for bounty,
under the provisions Of the joint resolu-
tions aforesaid, by or through any agent
or attorney, such agent or attorney shall
hereafter be required to file with each
claim his oath or affirmation that he has
no interest whatever in said bounty
beyond the fees for collection of the same,
which are hereby fixed and established as
follows, viz: For the preparation and
prosecution of claims for, and the collec-
ton and remittance of, all sums not ex-
ceeding the sum of fifty dollars, the sum
of five dollars; for all sums exceeding
fifty and less than one hundred dollars,
the sum Of seven dollars and fifty cents;
and for all sums exceeding one hundred
dollars, the sum of ten dollars; and said
fees shall include all expenses incident to
the collection of said claims, except the
expense of the necessary affidavits and
notarial and other acknowledgment
which shall be betrayed by the claimant;
and any agent or attorney who shall
charge directly or indirectly, in any case,
a greater sum for his services in pre-
pairing and prosecuting said claims and
collecting and renting the amount due,
shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor,
and shall, upon conviction, be punished
by fine not exceeding three thousand
dollars, and not less than one thousand
dollars, and shall be forever excluded
from prosecuting military or naval claims
against the Government. ins
Thus it will be seen that the fees of
agents range from five to seven and
half and ten dollars, and that the only
interest the attorney can have in claim
is his fee, which cannot exceed ten dol
lars, aside from notarial expenses. be
they ever 80 inclined, the claim agents
could not get up sham cases and put
them through without the concurrence
of the Bureau.
THE WASHINGTON DETECTIVES
were evidently on the wrong track.
They discovered the leakage, but not the
leak. They we're in Memphis two weeks
and examined number Of prisoners we
learn, but the testimony was all er parse,
and no claim agent or attorney had the
privilege of cross examination or
offering any rebuttlng testimony.
The negro witnesses arrested for per-
jury, and who are said to have done some
pretty tall swearing, were lodged in Jail.
After being inoarcerated several days, a
room in the Jail building was obtained by
the detective investigators, and star
chamber examination conducted. Each
prisoner was brought separately from his
cell, and told that his testimony was
wanted to implicate the claim agents,
or invalidate the claims whereon he had
witnessed, and the intimation was held
out that such exposure would effect
the prisoners release. Armed with
this testimony, Mr.. Harmon fastened
to Washington; and it is not surpris.
ing that be discovered ssls,0OO,000
fraud where not one-tenth that sum
has ever been or ever will be
claimed. AS to the prisoners, thsy were
all released on Insignificant bail.
THE SITUATION IN MEMPHIS.
We understand that ssme Of the agents
in this city have lime and again asked
for the appointment Of an authentlcstiug
officer to take the jurats, SO the Govern
ment through him could cross-examine
Witnesses on claims, but the Government
has failed to appoint any such officer.
II is apparent that the agents could
have no .inducement to make up on
invalid CLAIM or pressat one against the
Government In any event, nothing Of
the sort has been proven except by COL
ored testimony, taken by the Washing
ton detectives in the Shelby county Jail.
A negro in dungeon would subscribe
to almost any sort Of a paper to get out
into the sunshine, and it is such evidence
as this that has been presented in the
Halls Of Congress TO prove the necessity
Of Detective Bureau, while the other
side Of the question goes uahesFd.
TOO Many BUREAUs ALREADY.
We have more bureaus already than
are Of any earthly service, and if this
hasty article will lead to an honest in
vesiigatiou Of frauds where there is more
room and temptation To eonzit them,
then its purpose will have been accsm-
plished. The agents have been charged
with fraud because witnesses nave or may
have sworn falsely. This course Of rea-
souing may hold good with a Washing
ton detective, but not IN any court Of
justice. If SO. any judge would be re-
sponsible for the false swearing Of Wit
nesses before him.
IUs. orFfc11L REPORTS.