New-York tribune., 1874-12-17


proceed to New Orleans within day or two' aiu
be ready o report the results of their inquiries soon
after the holiday recess. II is thought that MessiS
Wheeler, Foster and Durham will be appointcu ~,
| the subcommittee. The Committee To inyestieao
the condition of affairs at Vicksburg met tils o''"
| ing and decided to go South at once.
DAMAGING EVIDENCE IN THE sUGG FORT CASE
Some commotion was produced around tue o'p
itol to-day by papers being laid before the House "
| the case of a man named Sugg Fort OF RoocftSo"
County, Tenn. who had preferred a claim for hou'
| taken from him during the late civil war, ana as
| tributcd among Union troops by order OF the com
mauding officer One of the papers says the c'"i,
was rejected by the Committee on War CLAIMS anu
| that Col. Irwin, who was on duty at NishN"'o'
knew all about the facts, and IN cOnidentai Ict'oi
| to Gen. Eaton, former COmmissary General oi 0hp
sistence, pronounced il to be fraud but III sp''o
of tho fact, the officers duty there stateo
that the proofs of tins of the most o'ci
shadOwing character. The cluim, amounting W
1921 723 was rushed through the Department wltnlh
ten days. Commssary-General Shras explains
that the claim was first received by HIM on MaIch
81, 1873. by reference from the Secretary OF war
with a letter to the Hon. Charles ONeill, dated
March 10, 1873. On the 29th of that month O'Neiii
was informed by Shiras, the predecessor OF "en
Eaton. that the claim could not be examined, beng
Shiras was called on by Sugg Fort and the Hon. IL"
Il. Batter of Tennessee who urged him to take up
the claim and act upon it, He was under the impres-
sion that the claim had not been reached
by the War Claims Committee. Even WITH
out anv such language being used 1t would never
have occurred TO him that such claim, backed ny
a member of Congress, could be presented at l'5
Office when the member knew an adverse report h'u
been made on ii by committee OF the HOUSE
Shiras says the evidence that the Hour was tlNGn
was clear and that the submitted was clearly
under tue law governing his department; as IL Was
not to be supposed but that the iOur was
by the commander OF tue port On the cniIira.o % ,u
of the Third Auditor and Second COntr0llcf uei
Shiras made request for requlsltlon, which was
obtained aud placed III the hands OF Mr. Tanner ior
the claimant The subject was referred 10 the Coi-
mittec on War Claims for investigation.
THE PLAN FOR A DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
The National Board of Trade has memoralized
Congress TO establish an Executive Department OF
the Government, to be called the Department OF
Commerce. and to be charged with the supervision
of the commercial agricultural, manufacturing
and mining interests of the United States IN so far
as the same cOnfded to the National Govern
ment by the Constitution. Accompanying the me-
mortal is a draft of n bill defining moro specifically
the duties Of the proposed Department, which pro
vides that it shall be charged with the
execution of all the laws Of tho United
States relating to trade and commerce, both
foreign and domestic, to rivers and harbOis,
TO lighthouses, port charges, quarantine, onlgia-
tion pilOtage, tonnage and the measurement regis
try, enrolment and licensing OF vessels, and genei-
ally of all matters included in the navigation laws.
II further provides that the Dcpartment snail aiso
he charged with tho execution OF the laws OF the
United States imposing duties on imports, and taxes
and eXcises pertaining TO internal revenue, ana sal
collect colatc. and abGlate statistics relating TO
the agriculture, commerce.. manufactures, and MN
ing of tle United States aud publish and circulate
the same in such way rs may be provided by law
ACTION OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WAR
CLAIMS.
TIL, House Committee on War Claims agreed to-
day upon the bill of judge Lawrence to limit the
time for the allowance Of claims. 1t provided that
after the lst of January 1876, 10 claim against the
United States shall be presented to. audited
allowed. or paid by any department, or officers OF
the United States unless the same shall have been
filed i'll the proper department or with the proper
Officer within six years after the claimant had the
legal capacity and right to so Tile suci
claim. The bill also provides that nothing thercll
shall limit the time for ing any claim tnc time tor
fling which is fixed by existing laws The same
Committee also agreed 10 report favorably bill re-
gardug the claims of aliens IL provides that thc
claims Of subjects of other Governments against the
United States may be referred to the Court Gi
CLAIMS by the Secretary of state with the consent
of the foreign Goycrhment presenting tneIl, the
Court to hear and determine tncn on the principles
of international law or treaty between the two GOV,
ernments either party having the right to appeal
from the final decision Of the Court.
ARGUMENTS BEFORE TIE ALABAMA CoMMIs-
sIONERS.
IN the Court Of Commissioners for tho Alabama
claims to-day Gen. Creswell and Judge r. NJ Cor
wine argued the case of the whale-ship Splendid
which was driven out of the Arctic Ocean by the
Shenandoah causing the breaking up of tho VOYAGE
and the loss of tho outfit, rctt, and investment,
amounting to many thousands of dollars The
United States demurred and denied tho right
of the owners of the Splendid to recover
under tho law, claiming there could be no recovery
except for property destroyed. To this Mr. Corwlne
replied that the act provided for two classes oi
claims; first, those which result III total loss ana
second those which result from partial loss; thlt
wherever there was proof of actual loss, recovery
followed as a matter of course. The argument was
exhaustive and thorough. The Court held the case
under advisement. The same gentlemen VIII argue
the interesting question of the right OF British
subject to participate in this fund for loss accrglng
on an American vessel. the subject being resident
of the United States when the loss occurred, ana
has SO continued ever since.