New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-10
THE SPECULATION OF THE AGE.


THR CLAIM AGENTS PLAN TO MAKE THE UNITED
STATES PAY THE REBELS FoB THEIR LOSS or
PROPRRIY-A BILL WITH TREMENDOUS CoNsE-
OUNCES
lYROM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNEl
WAsHINGTON, Aug. 6.-The ways of the claim
agent are subtle and tortuOus. His motto stick
to IL, and sometime you will win" His stock in
trade is of a nature which time cannot deteriOrate.
Its tendency in fact is rather to improve with age
His ventures are of kind in which failure brings
him no losses while success opens safe and speedy
road to abundant wealth.
When it is considered that Southern war claims.
aggregating $35O.OOO,OO0, arc either pend
ing before Congress and the tribunals, OF awaiting
IN the hands of claim agents a favorable
opportunity for presentation. it wOnld seem to be
quite time that Congressman should begin to
sudy the questions involved in their consideration
with a view not only Of clearing away great clog
to the wheels of legislation. but of guarding against
the danger which is imminent, that the National
Treasury VII be robbed of its revenues and the
sountry burdened with enormous additional
debt. The latest specimen of the handwOrk Of the
claim agents is the bill introduced by request
on May 20 by Senator Christiancy, synopsis
of which was published in THE TRIBUNE To
reorganze and extend the jurisdiction Of the Court
of Claims" Should this blu become a law, II would
practically solve the Ctdllb question, anu
that By giving to the claimants all they ask.
A letter was published in The Tribune of April
30 giving an analysis of the provisions of bill of
much the same purpori, in which 1t shown
that. in consequence of the general amnesty proc
lamat0n of President johnson, issued December %,
1868 any action by Congress which should give
any court jurisdiction Of Southern claims would
open the doors at for the payment TO late rebels
Of fnl damages for ell the losses they had sustained
in consequence Of their acts of treason. The Su-
preme Court has decided that no power exists in
Congress to limit the operations Of the Presidents
pardOning power. A very large plumber of Southern
war claims are now pending before the Treasury
the Qnartermaster-G Generals and the COmmissary
Generals Departments and the Southern Claims
Commission. and the majority OF them have
been thus pending for years. These claims amount
70 perhaps $50, 100000 As the tribunals referred
to Are not courts within the constitutional meaning
Of the term the limitations contained IN the acts Of
Congress giving them jurisdiction are shl opera
tive, notwithstanding the amnesty. Every one Of
these acts provided that first requisite in each
case presented the claimant should prove that he
had never given aid comfort TO the enemies Of the
Government, and nearly ali of these claims are in
valid on account Of the known dislOyalty Of claim
anita Should Mr.. ChTishancys bill become
law. these claims will be removed from the
tribunals where they are and transferred TO the
Court Of Claims where question as 10 loyalty or
disoyalty can be raised, and hence they wiB, IN
far as that point Is concerned, at once be validated
This would not only prepare the way for drawing
from, tho Treasury the amount of the claims
pending, but the precedent for which the claim
agent SO teryently yearns would be established.
utier which The two or three hundred million dol
laYS worth Of claims already prepared could be
brought forward, while the possibilities in the way
Of new claims from tie South could only be meas
ufed BY the extent Of damage done by oar armies
80 the property Of the eneiaics Of tho Government
Another provision Of this Bill gives the Court Of
Claims Jurisdiction Of all claims arising from con-
tsets express or implied against the United Stales