The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-03-20
THE ANTE. RBELLUM con-
TRACTORS CLAIMS.
Defeat of the EsiM to Pay The

| House of Representative, March l4th:
Mr.. WAddell, from the post Office com
mittee repoI ted a bill for the classification
OF mail matter and Hostage thereon. Or
dered printed and recommitted. The enact
| ing clause of the bill to make available
1915 QUO to- ante-beilum contracts, wa
! stricken out Dy vote OF liz yeas 10 IO6
NAYS.
The enacting clause of the bill was then
stricken out, and it was accordingly defeat
ed.
Mr. Money, of Mississippi, asked for five
minutes TO speak, and said it was due TO
nIm>e to each southern m an on tue floor
and each member of the cOmmittee on
postoffices to say something. The gentle
m an from Michigan (Mr. Co9grr) said, the
other day. that he could not be made to be-
| IieVe that this was not all attempt TO repay
claim- that had already baen paid by the
Con ederacy. This statement Involved the
honor of every man on the pOstottce com
mittee who Was in The Conf derate service.
For himself he desired TO saw thar when the
laws read by the gentleman from Michigan
were enacted by the Cnnlrderacv. he was
a soldier in camp, where a neWspa ger seldom
reached him, and therefore he desired to say
that ii the gentleman i'll his declaration
made any reference To him. personally, his
,tat ement was absolutely and totally false
and SlauGerous.
Mr.. Conger said that when the gentleman
commenced his remarks. and referred to
some serious intent, bat when he closed lie
considered that his speech was made only
for effect.
Mr.. Money said the gentlem an could take
any view lie pleased
Mr.. Conger would take the virw that it
was for effect; il he recalled his remarks
the other day, he said IL did not seem TO him
that law which appropriated $S0OOO0, ct
which halt Il million had been used pay
these claims, could not have existed with
out this bill bringing it the knowledge of
his friend, the Postmaster General OF the
Confrderacy. or Of his friends who had
served in the Congress of the Coniederacy-
He understood that there were men here
who were in the Confederate Congress at
the very time that this bill passed. He did
not believe that the subject could have so
far escaped the memory If the gentleman,
as not to have been awtkel by ms subjecL
matter. The geutlem an from Mississippi
being in tn armV, therefore spoke only for
himself. He held in his hand paper
which showed that of eighteen contractors
who were paid by the Con!ederacv, and
whose claims were audited by the Confed-
crate Auditor, AMI paid bg the Confederate
Postmaster General, fourteen had claims
filed here, demanding payment from the
United States government.
He was, Therefore, justified in saying.
with all the intelligence. knowledge auu
good memory OF the gentlemen on the
her side, thew shoul have called atten-
lion To the matter, il for no other purpose
than to correct an error.
Mr.. Reagan. of Texas, said it was provid-
ed in the bill thar no man who had been
once paid should ne paid again.
Mr.. Conger-That was in the original bill.
but the pending bill abrogateC that clause.
He did not blame the contractors Tor max
ing those claims. When the Confederaey
paid them, they entered into pledge and
agreement that if they got money out of
the United States they would reimb urse
the Contederacy, and they are therefore
purchasing this money.