, 1873-01-13
HOUSE.

SESSION to-day. HAVING auI0urHeQ over 1fOL0 r II
day afternoon until Monday.
HOUSE.
| MILITARY MATTERS.
Mr.. COBpRN qndiana), from the COMMITTEES
on Military Affairs, reported back adversely
number OF private bills, which we're laid On tht
] table; also o bill for the sale OF the grounds
and tenements at Pittsburgh, Pa, now used as
United States Quartermastef's depot.
| On motion Of AIr, CONGER, from tho SAME
Committee, q bill was passed for the sale Of tht
present cemetery grounds ct the Fort Gratio
military reservation, in Michigan.
Several private bills were reported from thu
| same Committee. Some were passed and some
| rejected.
| NEW YORK POST OFFICE.
| On motion of WILLIAM r. ROBERTS, the
Secretary OF the Treasury Was instructed, If mol
incompatible with the public interests. to order
the resumption Of Work on the Now York Post
| Office.
THE APPROPRIATION BILL.
| The House then, i'll Committee OF the Whole,
took up the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
| Appropriation bill. Tho pending question at
| adjournment Yesterday was the amendment
| offered by Mr.. Smith, OF New York, forbidding
! the ipayment of judgments of tile Court OF
Clpims for cotton captured before juno,
1866, except special appropriations ere made for
them.
Mr. GARFIELD (ohio) replied to Mr. Smiths
remarks OF yesterday, repeliing the idea that
huf 1NuHuEukS 1AA uGcu pAIu Ny LIZ CtE1Ctd4J J
of the Treasury, except in compliance with the
law. He cited the unanimous decision OF the
Supreme Court, to the effect TINT the receipt OF
pardon relieved the claimant OF al difficulties
in regard to their loyalty, aud Whenever tho
United States Government holds property which
it has forcby seized, it holds it only trustee,
and must restore it.
MIR. SMITH did not ask tho House to throw
itself in tho teeth of tho decision Of the Supreme
Court, but if the Supreme Court was Of tic
<s,,ir ,a% o1a f1f
Georgia, who was Confederate Loan Commits
sioncr, who had already recovered S474 ,000, and
Lamar, OF Savannah, were to bo pad, he sub
uitted that Mt eaHt it should be Oh the report OF
these Judgments to Congress, 40 that Congress q
and the country should know it. In the NcArdla
case, Congress had deprived the Supreme Court
OF jurisdiction. He adnonished Congress, tho
Supreme Court, and the Administration, that
the people ware behind them, determined TINT
tho loyal people should be pnid first.
Mr. POTTER expressed his satisfaction at
hearing the Court of Claims ar1aignod for not
being loyal, because il there ever was q Court
suparservicelly loyal. it vas tho Court of
Claims, which had at its head as chief, Justice
Drake.
Mr.. PIERCE opposed the amendment as being
m attack on tho South. He showed the various
stages of proof which claimants had to go
through in order to get not the full value OF the
cotton, but the net proceeds Of it, paid into the
Treasury, which, in somo instances. did not
amount to fourth tho value, and asked whother
they should then be- compelled to come before
Congress to have their claims passed upon by
partisan influence. He appealed to ell the
Southern Representatives to vots against the
Mr.. HAWLET (Connecticut) sustained tho
amendment, md said that he wanted every iudg-
ment OF this kind reported to Congress, so that
Congress might exercise it's discretion, whether
it would pay these claims in preference to the
claims OF loyal men.
III. SARGENT denied thntany cotton embraced
in these claims had been seized after the close
of the war, or after the proclamation Of pence.
There was, therefore, no justification for its
seizure pnyma1t from its eet
ing the difficulty was to remit the Court
inally occupied, that Of being really
an auditing eommittee Of Congress to
It's findings ehould be nothing more than ill.,
infornatan on which Congress was subsequent
ly to act. They should have to come back to
That point In ort1or to escape the effect Of the
decision Of tue Supreme Court in reference to
Mr. MAYNARD argued in favor OF extending
the privilege of the Court OF Claims to thia
class OF claimants until tho 1st Of January
1874.
ing the Law giving jurisdiction over these cases
to the Court OF Claims, but on the point of order
being raieed by Mr.. SARGENT, the amendment
vas ruled out. He argued in support Of
Smiths amendment.
argued that the only remedy WAS the repeal OF
the law. That could not be done Oh the Appro-
priation bill.
The amendment was further opposed by
Messrs. HARRIS, BECK, and MCINTYRE.
Mr. FARNSWORTH argued sgainat the idea
Of subjecting the judgment Of Court OF Claims
to be passed upon BY Congress. It be like ap-
pealinG from "phiGp, sober, to Philip, drunk"
Mr. SMITH denied the statement made by Mr.
Sargent, that these claims we're for cotton seized
after Juno 30, 1865. By express terms Of his
amendment such cases were excluded from its
operation. Such claims were adjusted, not
by the Court Of CLAIMS, but by the Secretary Of
the Treasury. Finally the debate closed, and
the amendment was rejected, there being only 38
votes IN the affirmative.
Dir. RANDALL offered an amendment pro-
viding that no money shnll be paid to any rail-
road company for transportation Of mails or
troops while such company is in default for in
terest on bonds Issued by the Government.
Mr.. SARGENT made the point Of order that
there was nothing iu the bill to which tho pro-
yisiou could apply.
and excluded the amendment.
Subsequently hr. RANDALL found IN item
for contingencies in the War Department, and
the point Of order against it Was oVerruled.
11r. HOLMAN moved to amend tho amend
ment by repeating the law under which the pe-
cifc Railroad Companies we've relieved from the
necessity Of allowing charges against thu Gov
ernment for transportation to DO withheld from
the amount Of interest pad By tho Government
on the bonds given or loaned to the companies
Mr. SARGENT nsado the point Of order
against LII. Holman's amendment. It was ruled
Mr.. HOLMAN appealed from the decision Of
the Chair, but tho decision was sustained by 3
I1. SARGENT opposed Mr. Randalrs amend
1xE.. j. Sc