Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-10-25

n Mr.. William spence, who, like
Mr.. Hoord, was a prominent Union
man. His farm was also stripped
of everything, like that of Mr..
Hoord's, and the Senate Committee
on Claims Of the 42d Congress, of
which Senator Howe was chair
man, and such prominent Repub-
lican Senators as Scott of Pennsyl
vania, Pratt, of Indiana, and
Wright, of Iowa, were members,
unanimously reported bill paying
Mr.. Spence the sum of s24, 4,290.
The bill passed the Senate without
a division after debate, passed the
House of Representatives, and was
approved by President Grant on
the 3rd Of March, 1878.
Why should Mr.. Spence be paid
for supplies taken from his farm
and Mr.. Hoord refused pay for
supplies taken from his farm
Both were loyal to the Union
cause, and on this point there is no
question. Mr.. Hoord's claim has
twice been favorably reported for
S22, 900 by the Republican COM
mittees, and its presentation now is
the occasion of false and hypocrit-
ical charges by Republican pa
pers and speakers that it is a sam
pie "rebel" claim, when, in fact, it
is precisely like thousands of
claims already paid. And so the
list might be gone through with to
the end. lr uH loI.u
Take the case of William and
Mary College, of Virginia, destroy
ed by disorderly United States
soldiers. The same bill was re-
ported favorably by Judge Hoar
from the Committee on Education
and Labor in the second session OF
the AID Congress, and passed the
House in the third session, and
Judge Hoar now reports the pres
ent bill favorably from the same
committee in the present. House.
In the list also appear several
cases which passed both Houses OF
Congress during the last session,
and became laws by the approval
of President Grant, among them
being, for instance, the case OF
Randall Brown, of Tenn, who was
paid 81 200 for mules, wagons, etc,
taken from him by the rebel forces
while in the employ of the United
States army. Now, this bill had
been reported favorably three
times by Republican Committees,
and had passed the House twice
before, but Brown, being a poor
colored man, could never get it
through the Senate. The bill was
reported from the present Com
mittee on war claims by an "ex-
Confederate" which certainly
shows the absence Of "venom,"
which Republican papers are so
free to charge, animates the South
ern members against the colored
race. Another feature of this list
is interesting. 1t purports to be
composed entirely of bills intro
duced by Democratic members,
while, as q matter of fact, there are
seven Republican members from
Southern States in said list, whose
bills aggregate more than any other
seven in the list. -
Let us see how the Republican
members stand on the subject of
war claims. Among the bills in
troduced in the House during the
last session appear the following,
wiz: la, a.. ..a4o af.ii-~og ..s
by Mr., Faye, of Mainc--A bill for the re- elV
lief Of the owners of the ship "John
Carver destroyed by Confede1ntes 4 10000
BY Mr.. Hendee, of vermont-A bill tor
-imbnrse the lat National Bank of 81.
,Alba1s, VT, for bonds taken by ''rcbcl" =. -.
BY Mr.. simiclsson, of N. 3D., bill for the bfo1
relief of James Il. Thompson, late Of ...
Virginia, for supplies taken by Union
BY Mr. Danford, Of ohio-A bill for the
relief of John Fordyce, for supplies
taken by U. 8. troops 80 a. So iO,OOo
BY Mr.. rhornourgh, Of Tcnn.-BiIls Tor II. n
the relief of some twnnty-fise different p
persons, for stores and supplies taken, rYa.
damages 20 property, ETC., by Union
army. aggregating oyer olso.ooo
BY Mr.. Hurlbut, of Ill,--A bill for the
ii. Montsomery, FOR cotton taken q =. iss,ooO
for the relief OF Armistead Borwell, Tor ~
sTSgssV troJgps 'ASn '"D W. los 900
BY Nr. Lynch, of Mis<-sundry bills and 'l q
sIps !ssen pSr.on. oT 'as %ssSesans i IN @ ossr
by Mr. ONeill, of Penn.--A bill for the irvnr
properi props YIN Pom. used BY Q. :. army 10000
BY Mr.. O'Neill, of Penn.--Sundry other - ~.
war cnins, aRpregating some 10000
BY Mr.. Ramsey, of y. C.---Somo tvcnty- 4
three bills and petitions involving nearly 10000
u petitions sit asi involving Vi &c over ' a;aOOo
Most being cases rejected by the Com
mis-ionors Of Claims fr.-ru u