Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-05
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WASHINGTON.


presented to the Southern Claims Com
mission sitting at Washington, under
the act of March 3D., 1871, have been
numbered and registered and their mum
Der is found to be % 1895, and their aggre
gate amount as claimed is something in
excess Of 500, 100000. In the last report
to Congress the commissioners estimated
the total number OF claims filed under
the act at $4,000, and the amount claimed
$50 100000 in round numbers. The ex'
traordinary exertions of claim agents,
when they found the time for filing claims
was not likely to be extended beyond the
two years originally fixed by Congress,
resulted in a considerable addition to
the estimated number and amount OF
claims to be fled
No less than 1878 claims, represent
ing in figures considerably more than
$1,000, 900, were filed under act of the
I'd Of March-the last day allowed by
law lov presentation. Many more were
put out from present consideration by
the somewhat unexpected termination
Of the right to present them, and it is
believed that there are several thousand
persons yet in the late insurrectionary
States who, despite the exertions Of the
Government agents and attorneys, have
not even heard OF the act Of Congress
passed for the benefit of those who were
not adherents Of the Confederacy.
Claims are presented daily to the Quar-
termaster General and. Commissary
General by residents of the loyal States
who have but just learned that Congress
passed special act nearly ten years
ago to pay for property taken for the
use Of the Government in States not in
rebellion.
General Meigs, Quartermaster Cen
eral, will not recommend the statue OF
limitations for claims coming before him
as in the case Of claims before the Loyal
Claims Commission. The Commissary
General believes from his daily expe-
rience that such statue whenever
passed will be certain to exclude merit
orious claims against the government
from just settlement. In the case of
Southern claims Congress must either
extend the time for filing them before
the commissioners or accept the alterna-
tive Of receiving and considering them
singly under the constitutional right Of
petition, and a small number Of excluded
claimants have already signihed their
intention of prosecuting their claims d.
rectly before the Claims Commission or
Congress. Under settlements made by
the Com mission about 81, 100000 have
been distributed among some 400
claimants scattered all over the insur-
rectionary States. The awards, ex.
cept in a comparatively small num-
Der of cases, were for Jew
hundred dollars each. At the com
ing session Of Congress they expect
to award about 81 600 900 to be similarly
distributed, and they will then have dis
posed Of about twenty-four per cent. of
the number Of claims fled and twenty
per cent. of the amount claimed. Now
that all the claims are up that can be
under the original act Of Con-
gress, the commissioners have prepared
and have in press full digest of the
claims, giving the States and counties,
the name of the claimants and amounts
accompanied by an explana-
tory statement. The names are those of
of the Southern States who
have within the past two years declared
to have been devoted adhe-
rents to the Union cause throughout the
ate war. The amounts are the value
set by claimants upon supplies contrib
lted voluntarily or otherwise for the use
Of the Union forces operating in the
South, and the damages, losses and de-
;truction of real estate and personal
suffered through casualties or
.he unauthorized spoliations and depre-
lations Of the troops and camp follow
ers. The list Of claims and claimants is
chiefly to meet the applications
Of former officials and soldiers Of the
Union army. Curious to know whe
among their Southern acquaintance Of
.he war are now claiming to have been
loyal ten or twelve years ago, the Com
for the sake Of the informa-
lion to be obtained, intended to send
free of charge to all who APP
ply in person or by letter.
Roberts Chew, chief clerk Of the State
Department, who died yesterday, COM
nenced his career in that department
lndtr John Forsyth, Of Alabama, Secre-
AIRY of State under Andrew Jackson.
Official dispatches from Washington
Territory report that a white woman was
silled by party of Indians who we're
.eturning from an interview with the
United States Peace Commission.