New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-11
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THE SOUTH AND rHETREASURY.
RAIDS OF A hungry HORDE.

| BILLS FOR INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PRIVATE
CLAIMS FROM MARCH. 1878, TO JULY ls79-As
| FSoRMoUs SHOWING.
year ago THE TRIBUNE issued an EXTRA
containing the various articles upon the sub-
ject of Southern Claims which ii had published
in previous months. This compilation. pre-
pared from official documents at Washington,
brought the record of demands upon Congress
for Internal improvements at the South down
to March Is, 1873, aud for private relief"
| to March 30 1873, and showed the enormous
aggregate of S65O,OOO,GOO. This vast sum
was stated TO be only the beginning of what the
Solid South would demand. The truth Of
that statement is proved below. The TRIB-
UNK has caused the record to be completed
from official documents to the close of the
extra session OF this year, and this Is the APP
palling result: From March, 1873, to July
l. 1879, and emitting various blind claims
for enormous unspecified sums, bills were IN
troduced into Congress calling for S6si,-
SCI, 200 for Internal improvements in the
South. and the private claims amount TO
$53,sIj.9i2 more. The official records,
then, omtting the independent estimates of
Judge T. W. BARLEY, counsel for a large
number of claimants, prove that within a
period of less than two years n solid and dis
loyal South has demanded from the Treasury
of the Nation which for four years il sought
to destroy and which it BOW seeks to bank
rupt, sum vastly greater, by reason Of the
blind claims which are not reck0ned, than
$I,2S7, These figures need
comment to show that the rule OF the Solid
South means shame and ruin.
TWELVE HUNDRED MILLIONS DEMANDED
| 1trF IN rTp up
THE SOLID SOUTH TO BANKRUPT InK treasury.
The TRIBUNE exposure of the intended raId Of
the Solid south upon the National Treasury. pub
lished in October, 1873, brought the record down
from December 3, 1877, to March. ISIS. The
amount OF Southern claims as then ascertained md
estimated was $O50O00,0O0. AT that time this
appalling amount was declared to be "only bc-
ginning" of the demands of the Solid South.
careful examination of the later record couclasNoy
proves tho truth of that assertion. The Hood ~
bills for the benefit Of the South and for the relief
Of Southern claimants did not abate until the final
/ adjournment of the XINth Congress aud when the
/ XIV lth Congress met in extra session on the 18th
of last March. southern Representatives and Sena-
tors again came mp loaded with bills to drain the
Treasury for the bcneht of the Solid South
| The bill, brought forward az the second session ~
the XLNth Congress, before March Is, 1878. Tor III
temal improvements in the south. called for
| 1879 bulls for the same purpose which called tor
SOB Az, 900 were offered III the House. In the
/ senate the additional amount demanded was
$s,1l4.OOO 1t appears, therefore, that m the Sec
ond and third SESSIONS of the AINth Congress alone
the modest claims of the hungry South Tor internal
Improvements add up tho pretty sum Of
| 1913, S61 900.
But even this amount, staggering il Is does not
cover all the demands Of the South for internal
improvements. For example, IL does not include the
unknown millions which Mr.. Shelley, of Alabama
wants for the Blank Railroad Company, which Is TO
run between unknown termnI nor does il iaclude
the unknown sum which Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, de-
sres to besiOw at the rate OF about slj. 900 a mile
Oh the san Antonio and Mexican Border Railroad
Company. nor the $1,000 mile which Dir Ellis.
OF Louisiana desires To grant to unknown miles Of
Texas Pacific railroads.
From December 3, 1877. 10 March 20, 1870. the
private claims Tor the benefit oi the south covered
BY bills and pctltions offered IN Congress amounted
to 1O,247.793 From the latter date To MTou 3.
1879 the amount Of southern claim, rcpr scented N
private bills as ascertainel and estimated wa-. in
the House. -. O3O.9s3 in the senate. Sns 1851
/ total, $2.7l59f2, which. added 10 the amount
brought IN before March 20, 1875. axes
! $l2,963, 735.
IN the brief extra session os ia, XlYItn CONGRESS,
which was called only because the Al.Nth Congress
had refused to do its duty the greeds South again
thrust itself forward and demanded more" In
the House, the bills offered for iatcrnal improve
ments III the South called for S2>23jp 900. good
many Of these 1t is true. wee Oh ,.lIs wAicn bad
been offered ~ the XLNth Congress. and which
were now revived hut among them were ueH bills
which call for about $llOO0O.O00 ia round num-
ber,. In the senate. the new bills for internal III
provemeuts IL tine South foot up about FlO"oo.OOO.
The relief - bills for the benefit OF the south
brought IN at the extra session Amounted. In the
House. 10 about $5OOOO.OOO; IN Tho Senate they
amounted t. at least S7OJ,OOO morc. Ii appears,
therefore that the total amount demanded by he
Solid South at the extra session is 40. less tan
$40, 100000.
DEMANDS MADE ~ LE~S TuAN TWO YEARS.
1t was shown by the careful estimate Of The
TRIBUNE, Il year ago. that the amount southern
CLAIMS on account OF the cotton tax. etc. winch
being held back for fayorabI- si,aton by Com
grcss is not less than $3.50, 100000. IN, summary
statement OF the demands made by tnc solid South
upon the National Treasury from tie beginning of
the second session Of the XLNth CONGRESS down to
the close of the first session If the XLyIth Com
grcss. period of lees than years. j, follows:
ON ac cunt internal improNc S-73 ~ 900
On ac, cunt OF various reiei bills. "$""S I'D
On account Of cotton tax. etc. ClEiBt> NJ
estimate. October IL lo1s............. 3"o,"oOOOO
Total - - +. 5e4 7S5
But even this gigantic SUN, large enough of self
to bankrupt the Treasury aud wreck the Nation
does not measure all the demands OF the SOLID south
1t 81 takes no account of claims Tor th, value II
slaves emanclpated as war measure or under tho
Constitutional amendment claims for o-s dam
age caused by the drpredatons of the troops or tho
casualties of the march battle and eaims for the
80.