Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-12-08
ITO Whom ii may Concern.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL CLAIMS CoM'R.


OFFICE OF SPECIAL CLAIMS CoM'R.,
Knoxville, Tenn, Nov. Is, 1871.
AS Special Commissioner to take testi-
mony in the case of claims pending before
or hereafter to be presented to the Conn
missioners of Claims at Washington, ID. O.,
I find it impossible now, as heretofore,
to answer each separate inquiry constantly
being propounded by letter and otherwise,
and therefore once more announce
/. That claims not exceeding Three Thou
sand Dollars should be presented directly
to me, when they will be proceeded with,
provided the lcaimant shall have first filed
his petition with the Clerk of the Com
missioners of Claims at Washington. ID. c.
Ii. That no claim in excess of Three
Thousand Dollars can be entertained or
acted upon by me, unless it shall have first
been presented to the Commissioners of
Claims at Washington, ID. O., and by them
specially referred. 1t will therefore be
| seen that all claims of greater amount than
Three Thousand Dollars must be presented
directly to the Commissioners of Claims
lat Washington, d. G.. To address such
claims to me is to throw them away. |
/ can do nothing with them. - 88fn
| III. That it is useless for claimants to
apply to me with their claims without
/ having first had them made out in proper
form, to do which it will be found both
4 necessary ANU pIOHCttDlS III claimants w
secure the services of some intelligent at
| torney, or other business man, who is ca
/ pable of presenting claims in such form
| as is required by law. Claimants and their
attorneys may be supplied with suitable
blanks by application to Powell, Ginck d
Co., $50 f Street, Washington, ID. &.
These blanks are not prescribed by any
authority, but are well prepared and suited
l to the purpose. They will serve as in
| structions and answer the many questions
as to forms with which [ am daily per-
picked.
". That the Rules and Regulations
require the Special Commissioners to visit
such localities as have a sufficient number
of claims to justify the trouble and ex-
pense of going there to take testimony.
In other cases he is authorized to nego-
tate with claimants for the payment of
his expenses by them. g-...
will have to visit perhaps each of the
thirty-four counties of East Tennessee in
the discharge of his duties, it is desirable
that persons intending to present claims
for his action should file their applica-
tons at once, in order to enable the taking
of testimony to proceed with system and
dispatch. rHfgal,
/ VI. That the act of Congress under
(which these claims are presented, limits
III
to "stores and supplies taken or furnished
for the use of the army 1t does not in
iclude such as damages to real estate, &C.,
but confines the testimony and limits the
claim to actual supplies. Pasturage, grow
ing crops, and the like, when consumed
by being furnished to or taken by the
army for its actual present supply, and
timber, either taken from the forest, or III
the shape of rails, or of building material
Iwhen used for fuel, have been adjudged
to come within the meaning of "sup-
plies.n Whatever was an actual necessi-
4 ty to sustain the army, such as corn,
wheat, oats, hay, bacon, beef, hogs, horses,
cattle, and the like. These are included
/ in Supplies and form the legal basis
of an application. But tobacco, cigars and
whisky-unless the latter when used fol
hospital purposes-do not come within
the .purview and meaning of the law
: While the United States provides necessa.
l. ies for its soldiers, it does not supply them
with luxuries of the kind just named.
| VII. That it is not the duty of the Spe'
cial Commissioner to act as an ddUiser fol
claimants, but simply to dispose of such
cases as are presented before him. 1t is
: therefore, time thrown away, and an an
noyance for nothing, to be hdTrdssing the
Special Commissioner for advice. It's moi
| his place to give it, and claimants should
4 hIlOW UilttC s4ACJ ftlC NhPAScNS
ant duty upon the Special Commissioner
to be constantly requiring him to inform
them that they must seek advice from
their attorneys.
VIII. That the whole proceeding by the
Special Commissioner is at the expense
| of the claimant, and the money must b.
paid acI,en the aUork is done, and claim
ants and their attorneys are reminded
that it involves large expense, as well a.
thine, to attend in the various localities t.
take testimony, and they should see thai
| the Special Commissioner is not put tt
the trouble and expense of visiting a spe
cific place for their especial accommoda
ton, and then offered remuneration fn
his services when the claim is paid, O.
by due-bill written ON clever piece 0
paper. The expense to which the taking
of testimony subjects each claimant cal
not be definitely stated; it ranges from
sac to eighteen dollars, depending alto
gether on the number and length of thu
dispositions pertaining to the claim.
To avoid any misunderstanding rela
tive to this matter of costs, Claim Attar
= neys are requested to properly advise thei
!. clients in the premises. That is to say
i that no claim will be forwarded to Wash
ington until the fees for taking the testi
mOny, and the necessary postage to trans
NIT it with, are fully paid.
l.. G. HOUK,
Special Commissioner.