Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-04-13
LETTER FIR ON SENATOR BRowNLOW.
Who Passed Our University CIaim-Eas
Tennessee Claims.
WASHINGTON, April 10th, 187

WASHINGTON, April 10th, 1872.
EDITORS CHRONICLE Hon. Henry
Wilson, of Massachusetts, who is Chair
man of the Senate Committee on Military
Affairs, did me the kindness yesterday tt
call up Senate Bill for the relief of the East
Tennessee University. By an unanimous
vote of the Senate the bill was passed.
Since this University has been made the
depository of the Agricultural College
fund, appropriated by Congress to the
State, and since it is now in amost flourish
ing condition, the people of the whole
State will doubtless be gratified to hear OF
the passage of the bill, as all our people, IT.
respective of party, are interested i'll the
prosperity of the College.
AS a matter OF interest, l give the bill as
passed yesterday:
y BILL for the relief Of the East Tennessee
University.
Be 1t enacted 6y tile Senate and House of Rep
T'cScntdtjreS of the United States Of america IN
Congress assembled, That the Treasurer of the
United States be, and he hereby is, authorized
and directed to pay to the Trustees OF the East
Tennessee University the sum of eighteen thou
sand five hundred dollars, in full compensa-
ton for all claims which could be made by
said University for all damages caused to its
buildings at Knoxville Tennessee: PrOctdcd,
That before said sum shall be paid, release
in full of all claims against the Government for
all damages that might or could be claimed by
said East Tennessee University on account of
said buildings, shall be executed in due form
by the proper officers Of said University, and
deposited with the Treasurer, along with the
receipt for the money hereby appropriated.
My colleague, Hon. Henry Cooper,
heartily and efficiently Co-Operated with
of
ty, but to Senator Wilson are our people
more indebted for this act of justice to our
most important institution of learning
than to all of us beside. By his tact, leg
islative experience and exalted character
for integrity, Senator Wilson was enabled
to put the bill through without difficulty.
At this period of the session, when hun
dreds of bills are pending, and the most
important legislation of a general CharaC-
ter is still on the calendar, unattended to,
it is no small matter to have a bill passed,
us Senator Wilson had this, giving it pre-
cedence to a host of others which were
pending and OH the calendar before it.
[ wish | had it i'll my power to correct
the erroneous impression SO prevalent,
that to get bill passed by either House of
Congress, it is only necessary for a Sena-
tor or Representative to present it, and
upon his statement that it is 'all right" " it
will be adopted. On the contrary, so many
claims of fraudulent character, so
many i'll the interest of dislOyal
parties, in the violation of all law
have been SDluggIed through Congress
fro IL Tennessee that any claim presented
from our State is more closely scrutiniZed
than from any other section. Ana on thls
account it is difficult for an honest man
from Tennessee having a just claim to get
justice.
am almost daily written to from East
Tennessee by parties having claims to go
through the Department and look after
them and aid in having them audited and
paid. don't plead i'll health as all excuse
for not complying with these requests, for
[ claim to discharge my duties, as a Sena-
tor, about as we'll as the majority, with the
exception of speech-making. We have a
great deal too much talking now in both
Houses of Congress and the country would
lose nothing if more Congressman were
unable to talk
NV reason for not becoming a Claim
Agent is that, beside it being unlawful i'll
a Senator to prosecute claims against the
Government, have no time for that busi-
ness. All my time is occupied in attend
ing to the legitimate business devOlving
upon me.
To facilitate the adjudication and settle
ment of these claims in the South, Con-
gress has provided for the appointment by
the President of three experimenting COM
missioners who sit in this city. These conf
missioners are Hon. A. c. Adds, former
Judge of the Supreme Court of Vermont;
Hon. J. b. Howell, former U. :. Senator
from Iowa, and Hon. o. S. Ferris, long Il
member of Congress from New York.
They are all able, just men of unim-
peached character and undertake to say
that the claims which they approve will
be paid by Congress.
For East Tennessee they have appointed
as sub Hon. L. c. HOuk,
Col. D. G. Thornburgh and Maj. Chas. j.
Mckinney. Let our East Tennessee peo-
pie 90 before these men with their claims
and witnesses, who will, L doubt not, do
their work properly.
w. G. BROWNLOW.