Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-11
Southern War Claims-Seene In the
House.

Wnen tho bill, reported from the COMMITTEE on
War Claims, for the payment to Richard Hsa-
tor, EXECUTOR Of John Heator, deceased. late of
Loudouu cou,ty, Va, Of the sun OF So, 1865 for
stores and supplies taken by the U. s. army,
was under discussion Mr.. Keifer from the
Committee on War Claims, advocated it on he
ground that John Heater was loyal throughout
the war
MIR. Bragg. Of Mo-, was opposed to all this
GLASS of claims for they We're d, ubtful. During
the war be resided for some tine 10 the State
of Virginia, aod 10 The very region where this
claimant resided, and ne never found many " DO
were loyal to anythiog except Virginia and the
Copfederacy.
MI. Huntou, Of Va, said that he, too, bad
been 10 that district during the war, and he
said that there were loyal men 10 l. udoun Go.
during the war; Caudor compelled him to say
that he regretted il, for they did not think IS
he thought. He differed from these people,
but there was 90 d"ubt about their loyalty.
Mr.. Finley, of Ohio, said that the other day
claim OF a loyal man was defeated because his
property was 10 Alexandra, aud because, as
one member said, Ellsworth Was killed there
early 10 the war. For that reasoo 1t Was said
that Alexandra was disloyal. He neither op
posed ncr favored the pending claim, but be
wanted to call attention to the fact that the re
pubIicans Of the other side bad sent it broad
cast all over the c, uury that the Confederate
Congress was depicting the Treasury by pass
inp these war claims. He did not propose to
rive his assent to bill which would enable the
republican party to make more party capital.
| He wanted the republicans to take the respon
| sibility Of this matter
MIR. ThorDturgh, of Tenp., disputed point
| MADE by Mr.. Bragg, that there we're few, if
any, oyal meu 10 the South who bad right to
| demand payment for claims. One of the trou
| bles was that Federal officers 10 their march
through the South, did not have proper re-
| gard 10 the property Of loyal mcn, and be was
prepared TO assert now. that if all the claims OF
| Iowa men pending, and if all the claims that
had been paid, were added together, it would
| not all amount to one tenth Of the amount OF
the losses sustained by the loyal men of
the South. The Federal Government did not
act as it should 10 the payment of these
claims. The other day there was a bill for
the payment of Syuthern mail contractors, and
it was discovered then that the ConfederacY
had passed law to pay these contractors. 10
that very law the Confederate Congress pro.
hibited the payment to aDycODtractors who bad
| renamed loyal u Tue Ouittu Olhtco. uo 10
publican side of the House had taken 90 action
to have the loyal contractors paid, and the other
| side had not yet sufficiently recovered from
their rout to do it. 10 repudiate the claim, Of
loyal men OF the South Was as dishouora bic as
to repudiate any portion of the uatonsl debt.
MIR. McMahou, of Ohio, Was surprised to
hear the gentleman. from TeDn :ssee say that
all the claims of loyal men that bad been paid
did not amount to one tenth of what was due.
He would read from spseoh which be bad
I, ad from the other day, deliv, red by Score
tary Sherman 10 1876. in which he said the
government had literally given to the Sout hero
| claimants since The war the aggregate sum OF
500 900 600. Now does the gentleman (Mr.
Thorpburg) claim hat that is only ne.tenth,
and that 81 OOO, 900. 900 Of property was taken
from the loyal people Of the South
Mr.. Thornburgh said be had 20 reftreLc, to
| the fraudulent claims that had been put into
! this democratic Congress and which had been
paid.
| Mr. McMahon said the speech he quoted
| from was delivered by Sherman at Marietta,
Ohio, 10 1876, and could have no reference to
claims pending. But could the gentleman oame
fraudulent claim oil SIS thata democratic House
had passed.
MIR. Thompson, OF Penn, suggested the
Southern % Ill contractors claims, which were
passed by the last Congress and attempted 10
this.
MIR. r >agan denied that those claims were
either fraudulent, or were war claims.
| Mr.. McNlabon said those claims lad not
claims, but they were based 90 contract.
Mr.. Thompson then suggested the William
and Macy College bill.
| Mr.. McMahon Inquired If that had passed.
MIR. Thompson replied DO, but that it had
been attempted.
Mr.. Mcmahon said that the Congress which
was republican did pass it,
Mr. Ksifer, of Onio deni"d it, aud said he
had the R.cord 10 show that is only recciv ID
| Sc votes.
MIR. McMahou declined to yield to bis col
league, who, he said. went through the State
Of Ohio with the hypocritical cry about war
claims ard rebel claims, and then came 10 and
advocated this bill He advocated it because
it was loyal claim, when the Secretary Of the
Treasury said that the Treasury had already
been depleted to the amount of one huudred
millions by that class Of claims. Mr.. Thorn.
burgh had said there were fraudulent claims.
If so they had been paid by republican officers
under la " passed by republican Congress-.
MIR. McMahop said be had only one thing
more to say as to loyalty 10 the South ana that
was that it was we'll known that on Iy the lower
classes were loyal. The rich generally sup
ported the CoEft deracy, aud therefore, when
it was said that the loyal people of the South
had lost 81 OOO. 600. 900 of property, be denied
it and challenged the proof. He wanted to
see the loyal claimants paid as much as any
| man.
Mr.. Keifer then went on to deny that be had
ever proclaimed 10 Ohio that he would not pay
these claims, and be accused Mr.. Nom ahon OF
making the speech of a demagogue when be
said that. He would pay the claims of all loyal
men where there was ,qulty. As to the bill
for the relief of the Coll,ge of William and
Mary be wanted to say that be was 10 error.
At the first session of the Forty second Con
gress the bill was defeated, but it was brought
| up at subsequent session and passed BY a vote
of | II to IS.
Mr.. Goode, of Va, argued that all the claims
that had been paid we're to loyal men. The
| Confcderates did not demand single dollar.
They staked their all 90 the issue of the war.