, 1873-01-12

OIL Military Affairs reported back adversely
number Of private bills which @ " were ~ lald On the
and tenements Mt Pittsburgh. Pa, now used as e
United States Quartermastcrs depot.
On motion OF Mr.. CONGEE. from tue Same
Committee bill WAS passed for tho salo Of tho
present cenetery grounds at the Fort Gratlot
military reservation, in Michigan. -
Several private bills wero reported from tho
same Committee. Some were passed. aud sonlo
rejected.
NEW YORK POST OFFICE.
On motion of WILLIAM Il. ROBERTS, the
Secretary of the Treasury was instructed, if not
incompatible with the public interests, to order
tho resumption Of work On tho New York Post
Office.
TIE APPROXIMATIONS ELL.
The House then, in Committee Of tho Whole,
took up tho Legislative, Executive, aad Judicial
Appropriation ILL. Tho pending question at
adjournment yesterday was the amendment
offered by lIr. Smith, Of Now York, forbidling
tho payment Of Judgments Of tho Court Of
Claims for cotton cap!urcl. before June,
1865, except special appropriations aro made for
them.
AIr. GARFIELD (Ohio) replied to Mr.. Smiths
remarks Of yesterday, repolGng the idea tliRt
any judgments had been paid by the Secretary
OF the Treasury, except in compliance with the
law. He cited the unanimous decision Of the
Supreme Court. to the effect .lat tho receipt Of
pardon relieved tho claimant Of all difficulties
in regard to their loyalty, a.,d Whenever tho
U11lLCQ States dUSEIlult1!L
it has forc;bly sei=ea it holds it onlj trustee
and must restore it.
Mr.. SMITH did not nsk tho Houao to throw
itself in the teeth OF the decision OF t!lo Supreme
Court, but if tho Supreme Court was OF tho
opinion that disloyal cl:ic1ants, like Love. ct
Georgia, who waa Confederate Loan Commits
sioner, who had already recovered s474 600, mad
Lamar, Of Savannah we're to be paid, llo sub
n1itted that at least it should bo OIL tho report OF
theso judgments to Congress, so that Congress
II
case, Congress had deprived the Supreme Court
OF jurisdiction. lie admoniehod Congress-, tho
Supreme Court, and the Administration, that
tho people wcro behind them, determined that
t oyP 1epRS seea o9nessed ee P1d lis ft Satisfaction E.
hearing the Court Of Claims arrei5ncl for not
being loyal, because il there over WAS Court
supcrEeryicclly loyal, it was the Court Of
Claims, which had at its head as chief, Justice
Drake.
Kr. PERCE opposed the amendment IS being
an attack On the South. lie showed the various
stages of proof which claimants had to 60
through in order to get not tic full vsluo Of the
cotton, but The net proceeds OF it, paid into the
Treasury, which, in some instances. Gid not
amount to fou1th the value, md asked whether
they should then la compelled to COMO before
Congress to have their claims passed upon by
partisan influence. He appealed to al tie
Southern Representatives 70 vote against the
Mr. uAWLEY (ConnecticuD sustained the
amendment, and said that he wa11ted every judg
ment of this kind reported TO Congress, so that
a0R85Szs meahhte eahess Claims IN preference to tie
claims OF loyal men.
Mr. SARGENT denied that any cotton embraced
in these claims had boen seized after the cloee
Of tho war, or after tho proclamation Of peace.
There was, therefore, no justification for its
seizure or withholding payment from it's owners.
h1r. SHELIABARGER said the way Of meet
ing the difficulty was to remit the Court
Of Claims to the position which it orig
.aay ysune 9Seeped dseo ahae Of psg cpgess really y
audit the claims presented to Congress.
It's findings should be nothing more than it,
informntian on which Congress was subsequent
y to oct. They. should hare to come bacn to
that point in order to escape the effect of the
decision OF tho Supreme Court in reference to
tho rights OF amnestiel persons.
Ar. MAYNARD argued in favor OF extending
the privilege OF the Court Of Claims to this
c!ss1 9aa, of claimants until the list OF January
Mr. MERRIAM offered an amendment repeal
ing the lsw giving jurisdiction over these cases
to the Cou=t Of Caimn. but on tie point Of order
being raised By Mr: SARGENT, the amendment
was ruled OFT. He argued in support of
Smiths amcndnent
Mr.. B1NGHAs opposed the amendment, and
argued that the only remedy was tho repeal Of
ths law Ihnt coul not be done on the Appro-
priation bill.
The amcnd71ent vas further opposed by
Meesrs. HARRIS, DECT, and sIcINTffHE.
Mr.. FARNSWOIrH niyucd against tho idea
Of subjecting tho Judgment Of Court Of Claims
TO be passed upon By con37ass: 1t be like ap-
pealing from Philip, sober, i Philip, drunE."
Sargent, that thcse claims we're for .otton seized
nfter June 80, 1865. BY express te.os Of lis
amendment nych casee were excluded i,om it's
operation. Such claims wcro adjusted, not
by the Cour. of Claims, but by the Secretary q
the amendment was rejected, there being only 50
votes in tho Affirmative
Mr. RANDALL offered an amendment pro-
yiding that 10 money shall be paid to any rail-
road company for transportation Of mails OF
troops while 6ncl, company is in default for in
! Mr.. SARGENT made the point Of order that
t.ero was nothing in the bill to which tho pro-
Tic % c1iA1i!M2S isfi sustained tho point OF order
Subsequently, arr. R.aED.Gn fouud an item
for eont;'.c---:-- :.> 1.e War Department, and
tie point Of order against it Was overruled
Nf. HOLMAN moved to amend tho amend
ment by repealing the law under which the Pa
citlc Aailroad Companies were relieved from tho
necessity OF allowing charges against tho Gov
ernncnt for transportation to Be withheld from
the amount Of interest pa.d by the Government
Mr.. SARGENT uaailc tho point OF order
against 3!r. Holman's amendment. It Vas ruled
out OF order.
Mr. HOLMAN a2pea!od from tho decision Of
large majority.
Mr. SARGENT opposed aIr. Randau's amend
ment, and argued tha: even If it were adopted it
would only he applicable to the item Of $4,000,
to which il was attached. It would not DO 9TH
erwise binding on tho Executive. Ho denied
tha. the legislation which relieved tho Pacific
Railroad Companies was got through ID sur
rephtious manner, az is charged BY N1r. Randall:
Mr.. HOLMAN declared that the section re-
ferred to had been read in the House to~day for
tho first time, and that the House had known
nothing whatever about it. Every dollar withheld
from the Treasury under it had been wrongfully
withheld Instead of 1opealing it Indirectly, It
should be repealed BY 3 direct provision of Law,
blotting it out Of the statute book as measure
which was never there rightful1y.
Mr. BECK, whose name had been mentioned
in connection with the names OF Dickcy and
Logan, as on the Committee OF Conference
through which the section referred to had be- |
come lsw eaid he did not recollect having signed
tho Conference report but be e1p<cssed the