The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-11
[Concluded from First Paae. |

tempt 10 revive these Se0cn gears nalf-paY
claims is, if possible, still more glaringly
absurd than that of those for the life half
pay. 1t will be seen by the resolution of
the oath of August, 1880, that congress did
not propose to adjust and pay the claims at
the continental treasury, but Recommended
TO the legislatures of the respective states,
to which such officers belong, to make pro-
visions for paying tho same on account of
the United States" Nearly or quite all of
the states did make provision for the pay
ment OF these claims, and their nccounta
for such payments were adjusted by com
missioneIs in the general settlement of all
the accounts of the states in 1893. The ac-
counts then settled were destroyed, and the
records of the states Of the payments they
had made under the resolution Of 1880 were
found, on inquiry by the treasury depart
ment forty years ago, to be either wholly
lost or TO be too fragmentary and imperfect
TO show what claims had been paid and
what omitted, if, indeed, there were any
omissions. Some of the states made pro-
visions for their officers more extensive than
the recommendation OF congress, and 1t Is
not improbable that some of them included
officers who had died at an earlier period
than the 18th of May, 177S. In regard to
uncertainty which exists in relation to their
payments, would refer to the report of
the judiciary committee before mentioned,
in the case of Richard Shubrick, and also
to reports No. 3S2 Of the second session Of
the twenty-sevenih congress on the claim
of Rignal Hillary, and No. 073 of the same
session on the claim of Martha Dixon.
In the adjustment of these claims, under
In e 1l, n
no guide whatever. Tho muster and pay
rolls of the army, excepting few frag-
ments have long siuce disappeared. 1t must
in most if not in all cases be mere guess
work whether the party in whose behalf
the claim is made really died in the service,
and if so at what time whether he belong
cd TO the line or only TO the staff of the
army ; whether he was an officer in the
militia or in some state corps; and if all
these and other numerous difficulties are
overcome the question still remains, wheth-
or the claim has been paid or whether it Is
still due. OF this question there can be no
satisfactory solution. On the whole it is
impossible to estimate the expenditure
which this section of the bill would call
for. The amount would be likely to de-
pend much upon the competency, or tho
want of il, OF the adjusting officer to make
a thorough aud proper examination of the
claims, and much upon the energy with
which he should resist, or the ease with
which he would succumb TO the pressure of
outside Influences. The drain upon the
treasury might be less than million Of dol
lara, it might be many millions.
The eighth section of the senate bill pro-
viles for an allowance Of the half-pay for
life to surgeons mates, ostcneibly under the
resolution of congress of the nth of Janu-
airy, 1887. The resolution specifies what
officers shall be entitled, but does not name
surgeons mates, and they were therefore
excluded from the provision None of them
were allowed the Communication al the close
of the war. AS evidence of this, see letter
from the treasuary department of January
4, 1884, in report Of the house Of represen-
taiives on the claim Of George Yates, No.
257, of the third session of the twenty
seventh congress. This eighth section can
not rest at all on the resolution of January,
1881, nor any other resolution of Congress.
1t does not provide for an old claim. but
seeks TO impose new obligation on the
government. How many hundred thousand
dollars this provision would take from the
treasury no one can tell.
This is certainly a most extraordinary
bill. lis leading feature is the proposed
payment to the heirs of revolutionary Of
ii9ers Of certain claims, which nearly n
century ago, were paid in person to the Of
ficers themselves, and with which they
were well satisfied with also the additional
feature of attempting to impose new obi
cations on the government under the false
pretense that tho obligations had been as
sumed by the revolutionary congress.
There is another objection TO this measure
that ought to be quite as fatal as those 81
ready mentioned. 1t il, that its chief ben
cficiaries will not be the heirs Of revolu-
tionary officers. From the great number
of the claimants under each officer, and
their want of knowledge of the evidence
required to establish their claims, and the
mode of presenting them to the govern
ment, their prosecution must necessarily
90 into the hands of professional experts,
who, hunting up the claimants and repre-
senting TO them the great difficulty and eX-
pense attending their prosecution, and the
extreme uncertainty of success, will be
able to make just such bargains with the
claimants as they please, retaining in each
case not less than one-half the amount, and
frequently two-thirds or more, leaving the
remnant to be distributed among its nu-
merous recipients, SO greatly diluted as to
be scarcely worth receiving.
l do not doubt but that this bill came
honestly into the Senate, bui it is never
theless a fraud. 1t is not what it purports
to be, a bill to reward revolutionary ser
vices, it is rather bill TO enrich swarm
of greedy spectators. Such would be its
undoubted effect. If it becomes law it
should be properly and truly labeled on the
statute-book. Its title should be, An act
10 deplete the Treasury Of unnumJered
mayioaS Of dollars for the special Jencft Of
ciaim-joJLers.
have the honor to b., dear sir, very
respectfully yours, HILAND HALL