, 1870-07-02
CLAIMS BEFORE CONGRESS.

The private calendar OF the two houses
of Congress presents one Of the most varied
and Interesting records of personal griey-
ances, and personal demands upon public
Justice and 1iberality that is to be found in
the world It has been SO from the be-
ginning of the government It would be
impossible to classify thu cases wherein re-
dress or bounty is claimed The war has
added an immense number OF claims for
pensions from persons whose cases do not
fall within, or whose proofs do not reach
what is required by, the general laws.
Another large class Of cases are those claims
of persons for compensation for extra ser
vices in the military or civil service during
the war. Many officers were promoted
while in the enemy's country, and their
commissions did not reach them
for many months after; and these,
having been paid under their advanced
rank only from the date they were mustered
in as such, are before Congress asking for
the difference in pay from the date Of their
commissions. Many cnses of pensions
rest upon the same state of facts Sub
alterns we're Killed after their promotions
had been issued, but before they had re-
ceived their commissions, and pensions are
asked for according to the rank Of the
last commission. The number OF claims
Etom ssloyal" citizens of the rebel States
for property taken and destroyed by the
Union troops is SO great that the wonder is
how the rebellion WAS ever sustained in the
presence Of so many loyal people. From
large roll of reports of the
Claims Committee We give one which
is substantially the same as 1000 others
pending before Congress. ALieutennnt Of
an Iowa cavalry regiment WIGS acting Com
missa1y of Subsistence at Yankton, Dakota,
in June, 1866. There was sale Of COM
missary stores, and he had S549 public
money in his hands which he deposited in
q trunk, in room adjoining his sleeping
apartment. In the night the room was
burelarious]y entered, the trunk removed,
and robbed. There was no safe in Yank-
ton where he could have put this money.
The claimant asks to be relieved from the
payment of this sum, which stands charged
against him, and gives abundant evidence
Of his good character.
Another claim is TINT OF Commodore in
the navy, who, in 1858, against his protest,
IVES compelled, in addition to his naval du-
ties, to act Us paymaster On the Paraguay
e1pedition. At the close of that service he
wns left in command of the Brazil station
for long time, during which he had also
to perform the duties Of Paymaster- He
WIS inexperienced as an accountant, but
| tried to do his best The result Was that,
in consequence of defective receipts, mar
ginal errors, ore1paymeuts, and discrepan-
cies in clothing, he WAS at the end 3704 in
debt, of which sum he asks to be relieved.
Another large class of claims is repre-
sented by that Of ]. Z. Young, Postmaster
at Lisbon, N. Il. Young kept his post age
stanps, for safety, in the large safe of
himself and partner, in their store. This
safe was broken open, robbed of S309 OF
stamps, and the Postmaster asks that he be
not obliged to pay for them
Lucy Smith clair,s that, in July, 1861,
her husband Henry started from Council
Bluffs for Denver with two wagons and sir
mules, and load of machinery in the way
Of freight; that on the road he was killed
by the Cheyenne Indians, and the property
carried off. She asks that the value of the
property be retained from the Indian an
| nuities and paid to her.
James Weeks, of Pennsylvania, WIS
drafted IN 1864, and paid $500 commuta-
ton money. Subsequently, he had himself
n75 fta cr,roaou rannrtAd that he