Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-10-11
Southern Claims

managers express hvpocrltical fear
about the payment of Southern
claims. Our Washington CORE
spondent has shown from the re
cords of the House Committee OF
War Claims that of the 1887 pend
ing before that committee on tn,
18th of August last, involving s26,
100000, 1,l31 were old claims, pre-
sented in the Forty-third or some
other preceding Republican Con
gress, and only eighty-seven were
new claims and involving less thar
100000. Most of these claims are
from Northern claimants, and al
must be accompanied by proof Of
loyalty in the late war to obtain a
hearing.
julius G. Burrows, member OF
Congress of the Forty-third Con-
gress, in his late speech here, read
long list of these claims and loud
ly demanded to know what the
present Representative from this
district was doing that he did not
prevent the introduction of such
bills into Congress This very
pertinent and sagacious inquiry
would apply as well to the Repub-
lican members as others if the fact
was not universally known that the
introduction of all claims, whether
by bill or petition, is a mere mat
ter of form, and such bills are re-
ferred, without action or comment,
to the appropriate committees for
investigation and report.
That the Committee on War
Claims OF the present House
has been cautious about these
claims is established by the fact
that of fifty-seven cases reported
twenty-five, involving less than
100000, were reported favorably
and thirty-five unfavorably. War
claims allowed by the "Commis-
sioners of Claims" amounting to
S494, 900, were paid at the last ses-
sion. The preceding Republican
House paid similar claims at its
session, amounting to S663,000,
and at its second session S721,0O0
In connection with this subject
it may not be out of place to copy
from the Congressional Record
what Hon. o. ID. Conger, Member
of Congress from the Seventh Dis
trict, said as to the carefulness of
the Committee on War Claims of
the present Democratic House.
Mr.. Eden, of Illinois, is chair
man of that committee, and the
subject of these war claims being
under consideration in the House
the following conversation took
place:
Mr.. Eden-I yield a few minu-
ties to the gentleman from Michigan
Mr.. Conger.
Mr.. Conger-I have but one or
two words to say upon this subject.
' / am pleased to bear
before the House to the
strictness, accuracy, and care with
which every claim is examined by
the Committee on War Claims, so
rs to bring it within the rules which
and every other gentleman of that
require, those rules
which should apply to the whole
lass of war claims, either in the
oval States or in the Southern
States
Mr.. Milliken-And the rules pre-
cribed by law.
Mr.. Conger-And the rules pre-
cribed by law. / take pleasure in
aging here, for the committee with
Which / have the honor To act, that
o far as have seen there has been
n the part Of every member of
hat committee unusual care and
trictness in the examination of t,
very one Of these claims. Not /.
My have members insisted upon
ne observance Of those rules OF
Nv which we are oil bound to re- {
ard, but they have conformed to {
le strictest rules which 4, claiming
be an extreme man IN reference 8
The allowance Of Southern claims, !,
o'tld regard as proper. / think IL :
le to myself as a member on this 2
de of the House to say in answer C
my friend from Ohio (Mr. NeaD a
at am satisfied the Committee a
War Claims do not intend 10 .
'rmit any Of the thousands-I do II
4 know but / might almost say W
llions--of claims which have Il