Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-19

neut OF the class 81 Gains under consideration.
If Paid at all, it IS simply an acs Of generous
benGceuce. l know that it was said the other
day tina, this claim Was based upon contract
but when that question was examined it turned
out that some sixteen years ago, in 1851, when
our army entered Alexandra, where the brave
Ellsworth lost his life in tearing down the Con
federate flag which up to that time had doated
over that city, there was mill there worth,
believe, according to the statement, sl60; OOO,
which was leased by parties in New York,
who we're using it aud were doubtless grind.
| icg out subsistence for the Confederate army
at Manassas. An officer of The army takes
possession Of it aud in tie hurry and excite
ment be is asked the question BY the occupant,
| 'WiIl get any pay for it?' and replies, IF
sou are loyal. you will get your psy'-a mere
| opluoD expressed without consideration and
without authority, and now that is dressed up
as though it were contract. Every man who
is familiar with the manner 10 which this kind
OF property Was taken possession OF knows that
there Was nothing in it that warrants the ap.
plicaion Of he term Of contract to it. The
capture of Alexandria rendered the property
useless to the essees aod to the owoers, aad it
vas used by the Government, and that is all
there is Of it.
Now this claim which is pushed probably, in
he language OF Mr. Tllden, by some claim
agent comes here under such circumstances
that We cannot tell whether this money, it We
pay it by this special act will 60 to the lessees
Ct this property, WHO it is claimed were loyal,
or to the man who owoed the ground on which
the mill stood, about whose loyalty there is an
oninous silence, or to the agents of those in
whose namn the claim is made or will be equal
! $ divided between them all. | call affection
| L. rkIe
that reported this bill 10 the present House
claims; and it is iItle Singular that now
is the first time that one of this class Of claims
has ever found its way 10 the private cal
c1dar through the favorable action Of com
mittec of this House 1t is little singular
that right after the clos, Of the Presidential
canvass, when votes were obtained by these
professions of opposition to the payment OF
claims of this class. We 6oi the other side of
the House pressing such claims TO an allowance.
Mr.. Bright. Will the gentleman permit me
to make correction? This claim is not re-
ported from the Committe of Claims. but from
| the Committee on War Claims, as | under.
stand
Mr. Jones, Of Ohio. Very we'll; whatever
may be the committee from which the claim
comes the case is the same; it belongs to that
class of claims referred to by the gentlemen
who made the reports from the Committees on
Claims and Accounts to which | have called
attention, and by the writer Of the letter which
has been read.
hlr. Bright. only wished TO set the gen
tleman right as to the facts.
Mr.. Springer. | wish to ask the gentleman
from Ohio whether the claim now before the
Committee OF the Whole is 10 his judgment
such claim as those referred to 10 Mr.. Til.
den's letter which be has caused to be read at
the Clerks desk ?
Mr. Jonas. of Ohio. Yes, sir 10 my julg.
ment it is Ia the latter part OF that letter, as
the gentleman will fud il he peruses it care.
fully, MIR. Tden sudes to the dagger to tie
public Treasury from claims made by persons
claiming to be loyal and be alIudss to the fur
Their fact that almost a0ybody can get cartl6
cate Of ioJalty.
Mr. Finley. Cen anybody get certificate Of
loyalty from Mr.. Evarss?
| Mr. Jones, Of Ohio. | am not here to make
any discrimination as to pers2Ds. Dir. E'arts s
certificate is to be treated 10 the same Way as
certificates Of other reputable men are to be
treated. We can pc: afford 10 vote SIS Ctl0 Of
the peoples mo1-y upon certificates alone OF
| Dgbody, especially ThHo wa thereby open the
door to the presentation ct claims for millions
Of dollars.
propose to treat this matter fairly. I. may
be said tbat it will not d. for the Go7eromeut
| 20 refuse psynaCt Of clsins Of this character.
II that be so, ask Hoather it is cot right,
whether i. il 90: inple act Ct justice that
this House shall treat all loyal claimants alike
Rhea they belong to precisely the s.,7e class.
For instance, this House cannot safely COZ.
vert itself into a subordinate bureau Of the
| War Department this House caDnot safely go
into the business Of auditing, adjusting, and
allowing claims, because to do Sd would take
up all our time Year after year, as has
been shown in the elaborate reports to
which | have called attention. What then
should b. done, if anything? My posi-.
ton is this: If these claims are to be
paid it is the duty of this House, and this
House caonot escape that responsibility. of
devisiog some means whereby al! loyal claim
alike. | understand it to be the fact that dur.
| ing this Congress bill was introduced by
gentleman on the opposite side looking to the
examination and adjudication OF all claims of
precisely the same character with the one now
pending before this Committee Of the Whole,
aud that the committee of this House to whom
it was referred reported it back adversely. If
am wrong 10 that hope the gentleman from
! Texas will correct me. The point make, then,
is this If it be true that this House, through
its proper orgao the committee having the
subject in charge, will not adopt any general
legislation in reference to the class Of claims to
which this belongs if it is to shut the public
door against loyal men who hold these claims
all over the Southern country and say it will
not pay them, it should not open a private
door through which favortes can push their
claims and get them paid that would be to
make fish Of one mans claim and flesh of
another
l wish to say further land have no other
| object in speaking at the present time than to
address myself to the business before the House,
that every time We pass claim of this kind
through the House, every time We audit such
claim and pass it because the claimant has
some Influential friend here to push it through,
we do the grossest injustice to all other claim.
ants Of like character who are unable by
reason of the want Of a general law to get
l,,k,