The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-23

law authorizing tue oecreIaly VI WI
Treasury to pay the heirs OF Johr
Minor Bolts the sum of $l,9sO.l6, ii
full of balance for injuries done OF com
mitted by the troops OF the Unitee
States to the land OF John Minor Bolts
deceased, the timber, fence, and othe
fixtures thereon. Mr.. Bolts had been
paid $l4,S706 S June |, 1865, by TIT
Quartermaster' Department. (Statutes
volume II, page 7l9)
And 30 might 60 on until l bott
wearied myself and exhausted the pa
thence of the Senate. The cases result
ing from the late war and acted ON from
time to time by this body and the
House of Representatives are fresh en-
ough, doubtless, in the mind OF every
Senator present, and it would be but ar
unnecessary waste Of time Tor me to
enumerate them. | believe these acts
to have been right in principle and
sanctioned by law, and commend Con-
gress for their passage. While be-
lieve our bill is strong enough In its
own merits to insure its passage, yet
cite these precedents to show that am
contending for no new principle, but fol
az old established one, such one as II
has been the uniform practice OF this
Government to conform to from time
immemorisl. 1t will be noticed that
most Of the cases cited are similar &c
the class OF cases Tor which compensa-
ton is claimed in this bill.
Let us glance for a moment at what
has been done by some other nations
toward com pensating those who befriend
them in their wars, and then l will
have done with this branch of the SUBJ
ject.
During the war of the Revolution
the tories, as they were commonly
called, or the adherents OF the British
Crown, suffered at the hands OF the
Continental army. Some were driven
from their homes and their estates con-
fiscated. The war terminated in favor
of the Americans. The injured tories
appealed to Parliament for compensa-
ton. The result of their appeal is thus
told by Sabine. in his American Loyal
ists, (page ll1:)
The amount OF losses, according to
the schedules rendered, was G7,O26,
O45, OF which the sum OF G3,292, 400
was allowed. From this sum the de-
ductions which have been mentioned
(made from claims exceeding fl0.0OO)
was about GlS0000; leaving for dis
tribution nearly $l5,5OO,OOO. The
loyalists then were well cared for.
II Besides the allowance
OF fifteen and halt million dollars in
money numbers received considerable
annuilits, halt pay as military officers
large grants OF land, and shared with
other subjects in the patronage OF the
Crown."
1t will be noted that this relief was
granted, not for property OF which their
own government had despoiled them,
but for property which had been taken
from them or destroyed by our troops
and people.
Even France, although almost i'm
poverished at the close OF the Franco,
Prussian war, made provision for such
of her subjects as had been injured.
We quote from q learned and distin-
guished jurist, member OF this body
Judge, Howe, who as then chairman Of
the Committee on Claims of the Senate,
in February, 1878, submitted an able
and exhaustive report-one that in my
opinion is MISUNDERSTANDING the
objections of President Grant to the
act passed for the relief OF j. Milton
Best.
Judge Howein his report says:
In September, 1871, Immediately
upon the close OF the Franco-German
war, France, although defeated and
subject to the payment Of fine oil
3,O00,000,000 francs to her conquerors
did not ask to avoid the obligation OIL
making compensation to her despolled
subjects. Accordingly the National
Assembly provided not only for the
payment OF all private damages In
ficted by the French authorities, but
also provided for the repayment Of al
exactions made upon French subjects
in the name Of taxes by the German
authorities. The same decrcee appro'
priated 100000O00 francs to be placed
at once in the hands OF the minister o.
the interior and finance, to be appor.
toned between the most necessltous
victims OF the war, and appropriated 9
further sum, 100000 francs, TO be
distributed by the same ministers
among those who suffered the most
in the operations attending the attack
made by the French army to gain
entrance into Paris.
AMOUNT OF THESE WAR CLAIMS.
Some say that the recognition o
such a claim as this and similar claims
will open the flood-gates OF the Treas
urv. and that the nation will bt
bsnkrupted. When war claim Ii
presented, they put on their magnify
ing glasses, and conjure up similar
claims TO the amount OF hundreds o
millions o. dollars. do not think
from my observation and research il
this matter, that the amount Of these
claims will be 60 enormously large
7 think when we talk about thousand
Of millions and an infinite draft on TIT
Treasury, we are talking at random
But even admitting the truth of th'
assertion, I still hold that the justice
of nv position is not affected by 1t
While | favor economy in all direc
tons and in all matters pertaining Il
disbursement from the public Treas
ury; while | favor an impartial anc
rigid examination into every claim o
Whatever nature, presented agains
the Government, yet l am not one o
those who conterd that we are t
refuse to do justice because 1t involve
the expenditure OF money.
| believe, however, that S2o,Ooo'oo!!
u;ll more than cover, every leglu