New-York tribune., 1875-03-06
PRIVATE BILLS AND CLAIMS.

50ns and papers, and 10 report as soon as practcabe
PRIVATE BILLS AND CLAIMS.
STEADY INCREASE OF THIS CLASS OF APPLICATIONS
BEFORE CONGRESS-sTATIsTiCS OF CLAIMS AND
RELIEF BILLs-AvERAGE AMOUNT TO CLAIMANTS
ABOUT 5000 APIECE-LMMENsE sU&s AMONG THE
REJECTED CLAIMS.
IBV TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBUNEl
WASHINGTON, March 6-The constant increase of
the number of bills introduced into Congress indi-
Gates more clearly than anything else the necessity
of devsing some means for the disposing of large
class of private cases in some less cumbersome man.
ner. The number of bills introduced in the &Lth
Congress was 2023 Of joint resolutions 476. In the
XLIst Congress the number of bills was 309l OF
joint resolutions $50. In the XLIld Congress the
number of bills was 4.070; of joint resolutions 33.
In the XLIIId Congress the number of bills intro
duced was 1869 of JOINT resolutions 16l. AS 1,7OO
copies of nearly every bill, report of
a committee, and miscellaneous and executive
document are printed for the OF members and
committees, without any special order from both
Houses. some idea of the amount of work done at
the Government printing office may be obtained.
OF the bills introduced during the last Congress
only about Co., OF 12 per cent were passed, and of
these there were 225 passed during the last session.
There were referred to the Committee on War
Claims by the House, 400 private claims as bills or
petitions. and 4,8T claims were reported to Con-
gress by the Commissioner of Claims, under the act
of March g. 1871. OF the latter class 245 cases were
reported the first session. and 2407 the last session.
The last number was divided among II States, of
which Tennessee had the greatest number, or 554,
and Texas and Florida the smallest or seven each;
12A wholly disallowed, and 1853 were allowed
in whole or in part. The whole amount claimed in
the last 2407 cases 52i27OG 40; the amount al
lowed was $T70,711 81; the amount rejected was
S4471,995 90. OF the number dIsaowed, $50 were of
claimants who had served in the Confederate army,
or sent substitutes and 50 were Of persons who had
been in the civil service of the Confederacy or had
voted for secession. OF the number allowed. 12o
were for persons who had served in the army of the
United States.
The amount was somewhat further reduced by
the action of the two Houses, and the sum appro-
priated in the bill of the last session was about
S740.0O0 divided among 1l63 claimants; Mississippi
receiving the largest amount. Sl43000 and Texas
the smallest $3.50. at tho first session bill was
reported dividing S640,000 among 1902 claimants
The Committee also reported upon 22o of the pri-
vate cases referred from the House. "a reports being
favorable and 1856 adverse. The amount involved in
the cases reported favorably Appropriated S5cO0OO
several bills providing for the reference of cases to
the Court of Claims. The amount involved in the
cases reported adversely more than S5.oOO,OOo,
four cases alone reaching S2400000 Ofthe number
IF cases reported favorably, only q out of the 6i
were allowed by the action of both Houses, the
amount involved being about 100000. The Commit
tee also considered 29 reported to Congress by
the Secretary of the Treasury under the act OF July
4, 1854, constituting what are known tho 4th of
July cases. The amount involved in the latter eases
was Bill, 200 A. divided among the border States.
The total amount involved in all the claims before
the Committee during the entire Congress was
S4O000,O0O.
ENCOURAGING INDIANS IN CIVILIZATION.
AN AMENDMENT TO THE DEFICIENCY BLL-TERMs
UNDER WHICH INDIANS MAY OBTAIN HONE
sTEADs AND TITLE TO PUBLIC LANDS.
WASHINGTON, March 5-The following provision
for enabling the Indians in certain to enter
public lands under the Homestead laws of the United
fciency bill:
OF family or has arrived ut the OF q years,
and WHO has abandoned or NAY hereafter abandon hs
tribal relations shall making satisfactory proof OF
such abandonment under rules to be prescribed by the
Secretary Of the Inferior be entitled to ohe o9nes Of
10 actual settlers 90 the public domain" approved
May 90 1862. and the acts amendatory thereof. ex-
SAID act shall not be held TO apply to entres made
under this lev ta' barsd ns S .Sa II
not be subject to alienation or ncumbrance, either
by voluntary Conveyance or the Judgment decree,
or oreer Of any court, and shall be ana remain in.
aenable for q period OF five years from the date Of
the patent issued therefor; provided tnat any such
Indian shall be entitled to his disrbutve share Of
all annuities, tribal funds, lands and other prop
erty, the same though he had maintained his tribal
relations, and transfer alienation or In
cumberapce OF any interests he may hold or claim by
reason of his former tribal relations shall be void ~
all in which Indians have heretofore entered pub
lie lands under the Homestead law and have proceeded
in accordance with the regulations prescribed by
the Commissioner Of the General Land Ofhce,
or In which they may hereafter be allowed
TO so enter under said regulations prior to the
promulgation OF egulaons TO be established by tho
Secretary Of the interior under the first section OF ths
act, aud which conditions prescribed by law have
been or may be complied with, the entries allowed
are hereby confirmed and patents shall be issued there
on subject however to the restrictions and limitations
contained in the section or this act i'll regard to
alienation and incumDraDce.