The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-16
ORLEANS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1s7s

the Payment of these claims originally. but the
question was as to the manner of payment
The Secretary OF the Treasury had refused to
pay any claim until oil were presented. and
tnls lin. 5lll was to apply the appropriation imme-
Mr. Hanna Of Indiana. thought these we're
Just claims m and should be paid. He believed
vice before the Presidents proclamation OF
April /. 1861, should bs paid for it was then un-
Mr.. Oonger. Of Michigan. said that the law
for the payment Of these claims WIS worked
through in an appropriation bill, and very few
Mr.. Reed. of Mane said that the resolution
authorizing it to be offered as an amendment to
the sundry civil bill was passed by two thirds
presidential count.
Mr.. ,oonger said It appeared. then. that it
sood na a
era OF gush that were to be regretted. He was
surprised at the remarks of the, gentleman
that four months before the proclamation Of
April 1861. the postmasters and mai contractors
In the South were turning oyer their postoffces,
who was the Postmaster General of the Con-
federacy
Reagan, as such Postmaster General, had re-
ceivea the stamps, the money the mail coaches
and the horses OF the United States then in the
possession of postmasters and mail contrac-
tors. Hs intimated that Mr.. Reagan became
thereby a receiver of stolen property. The
Confederate Postmaster General was bold to re-
eeiye the stolen property these men had car.
ried off. which was the money and stamps Of
| the United States
Mr.. Hunton, OF Virginia, said this bill was not
| to pay pos tmasters. but contractors, and he
wanted to know what the contractors had car
ried off.
contracts, whien they had violated. and the mail
| hags. Was 1t nothing to violate q eontract2
They had also carried off the fines for which
| they were liable. He thought the best thing for
the House to do was to stand by the decision Of
| the Secretary of the Treasury not to pay any OF
the claims until aIl had been presented; any
further appropriations in the future.
Mr.. Reagan OF Texas replied to Mr.. Conger's
sa a ba he nn9sr w9ad pw hs be d
crate Congress the Postmaster General of the
Confederacy was ordered to take control Of
the untd
stopped the mail service in the Southern States
on Tie twenty ninth of May. The Confederate
the receipts. or stamp belonging to the United
States government, nor ever paid q contract fol-
service rendered the United States.
General. by proclamation, directed all post
masters to make settlement with the United
States and turn over every dollar due. The
I Confederate States never used United States
stamps He had made that statement before
now. on his own .veraeity. and no one who had
any respect for himself would have questioned
could look back upon his whole public record
with satisfaction.
The Confederate Postmaster General had put
1t out of the rover of postmasters in the South
to pay dollar to the Confederacy. He ant
others looked forward to time of concilation
and they did not want to be embarrassed by tha
settlement of postoffice accounts. He made
general denial of the charge that the PROPERTY
was taken by or for the Confederaey.
Pending further discussion, end without 40.
ton. the committee rose.
The bill for ths relief Of Geo. H. Gybbins
/ which was passed upon favorably was report
cd. and pending it's consideration the House
at 4155 pr a., adi"- -.,rneu till Monday.