Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-12-06
To Whom il may Concern.

. As Special Commissioner to take testi-
mony in the case of claims pending before
or hereafter to be presented to the Com
missioners of Claims at Washington, ID. c.,
/ find it impossible now, as heretofore,
to answer each separate inquiry constantly
being propounded by letter and otherwise,
and therefore once more announce
1. 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. G.
III. 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, D. c., 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
at Washington, d. G.. TO address such
claims to me is to throw them away. /
can do nothing with them.
III. That it ia useless for claimants to
apply to me with their claims without
having first had them made out in proper
form, to do which il will be found both
necessary and profitable for claimants to
secure the services of some intelligent at
torney, or other business man, who is ca
pable of presenting claims in such form
attorneys may be supplied with suitable
blanks by application to Powell, GinclS &
Co., 632 Street, Washington, ID. G.
These blanks are not prescribed by any
authority, but are well prepared and suited
to the purpose. They will serve as in
structions and answer the many questions
as to forms with which L am daily per-
picked.
". That the Rules and Regulations
require the Special Commissioner 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-
tiate with claimants for the payment of
his expenses by them.
V. That, as the Special Commissioner
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-
| tions at once in order to enable the taking
of testimony to proceed with system and
dispatch.
VI. That the act of Congress under
which these claims are presented, limits
the Commissioners, in taking testimony,
! to "stores and supplies taken or furnished
for the use of the army" 1t does not in
clude 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 in
the shape of rails, or of building material,
when used for fuel, have been adjudged
| to come within the meaning of " sup
| plies.n Whatever was an actual necessi-
ty to sustain the army, such as corn,
wheat, oats, hay, bacon, beef, hogs, horses,
cattle, and the like. These are included
| In 90 CItnnliac ~ and form tho lnnol IaSiS
of an application. But tobacco, cigars and
whisky-unless the latter when used for
hospital purposes-dO not come within
the :purview and meaning of the law.
| While the United States provides neccssa-
res 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 adviser for
| 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 harraSSing the
Special Commissioners for advicc. 1t is not
his place to give it, and claimants should
know that they are inflictng an unpleas-
ant duty upon the Special Commissioner
to be constantly requiring him to inform
them that they must seek advice from
their attorneys. ..-....--....----s .
VIII. That the whole proceeding by the
| Special Commissioner Is at the expense
of the claimant, and the money must be
paid Vhen the soork is done, and claim
ants and their attorneys are reminded
that it involves large expense, as well as
time, to attend in the various localities to
take testimony, and they should see that
the Special Commissioner is not put to
the trouble and expense of visiting a spe.
cfic place for their especial accommodate
ton, and then offered remuneration fol-
his services when the claim is paid, OF
by due-bill written on q clever piece OF
paper. The expense to which the taking
of testimony subjects each claimant can
not be definitely stated it ranges from
siC to eighteen dOLidrS, depending alto
gcther on the number and length of tho
dispositions pertaining to the claim.
To avoid any misunderstanding rela-
tive to this matter of costs, Claim Attor-
neys are requested to properly advise theiI
clients in the premises. That is TO say
that no claim WIFI 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.
HtH l.. G. HOUK,
Special Commissioner.
An enterprising housewife in Ohio who
for several years has received the first pre-