Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-04-16
FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS.
Extra Session.
House of Representatives.

House of Representatives.
COMMITTEE REPORT.
WASHINGTON, April 15.--Immediately after
the reading of the journal the Speaker called
the committees for reports. The only report
submitted was from the committee on ac-
counts. relative to committee clerks. The
report was adopted and consideration was
resumed of the Senate bill for purchase or
construction of refrigerating ship for dis
infection of vessels and cargoes. The bill
passed with Il trihing amendment
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
Mr.. Chalmers rose to personal explana-
ton made in regard to statements made in
the Cincinnati Gazette and Enquirer con-
Meeting him with the battle of Fort Pillow
and criticising his action at that place, and
in regard to speech made in Cincinnati by
BENJAMIN Butterworth. He offered reso-
luton for the appointment of a committee
to be composed of ex-Union soldiers, and
majority of whom shall not be Democrats,
to Investigate into and report upon the
charges. After debate the resolution was
laid over for the present.
SOUTHERN CLAIMS.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the legislative appropriation
bill, the pending question being on MIR.
Bragg's motion to insert the clause repeating
the law creating the Southern claims COM
mission, and the substitute therefor offered
by Young, of Tennessee, abolishing the COM
mission, but transferring all claims now
pending before it to the court of claims. Mr..
Bragg spoke in favor of that proposition.
The law ordering the court had been passed
in what the Republican side of the House
would call an unconstitutional and revolution
airy method, having been engrafted on an ap-
preparation bill. He therefore had expected
that side of the house to aid him in his
proposition, but he found that with them it
was :'all talk and no cider" The first OBJ
lection that he had was to the court itself,
not to it's members or officials. It was not
confined to legal evidence, but was allowed
to act on unswOrn evidence of detectives.
The court, by acting on the unsworn state
ment of such men, had proved that the
terms used to designate an informer might
properly be applied to the court itself.
Mr.. Kiefer replied to Bragg, and claimed
that the court should not be iuterfered with
until it died by limitation.
Mr.. Atkins thought it proper that the
commission should be extended another year.
Mr.. Baker, of Ind, opposed the amend
ments. The question was whether the men
who had advanced supplies to the Union
army should be paid or not. He believed
that these men who had worn the blue,
though they had happened to live in the
South, were as much entitled to compensa-
ton as those who lived North.
Mr.. Young, Tenn, said he did not
think he would vote for Bragg's amendment,
he held that it was their duty to give the Cit
izen tribunal in which his demand could
be tried. There had been loyal men in the
South, as true in their fealty to the federal
government as any man who resided in the
Northern States, and the claims of loyal men
sould be paid.
Mr.. Russell, N. G., protested that The
Wisconsin, (Bragg,) was not only an injury,
but an insult to the Union men of the North.
It had become quite respectable on this floor
to cast slurs at the Union men of the South;
that had got to be the heightened thing, the
highly respectable thing, but the insinuation
was slander on the men who we're the
equals of the gentleman from Wisconsin, OF
of any other on the floor. (Applause on Re-
publlsan side).
Mr.. Warner wanted to know why the gen
tleman from North Carolina would have the
House vote to pay for property which he
RusselD, while in the confederate service
had helped to destroy.
MIR. Russell not having heard the question
distinctly, did not answer it city, but sale
that he had been in the confederate service
and that he was not apologizing for it
either.
Mr.. Garfield, in answer to some argument
on the opposite side, remarked that tn
Southern claims commission was not a cour
but merely committee to take testimon
and report it to Congress-. He said 80 pc
cent. of all claims presented before tn
Southern claims commission would, If sen
to the court of claims, go through withou
needing any proof of loyalty on the part o
the claimant because it had been decide
that the executive pardon removed the dis
tinct1on of loyalty. The proposition
therefore, was abolishing substantially tn
distinction that had hitherto bee
made in that respect that claims arising on
of the war should not be paid except to pei
sons who had been loyal to the government
during the war. That objection was, to hi
mind, utterly fatal to the proposition ofere
by the gentleman from Tennessee young
If that amendment was to prevail he wante
the members to vote upon it with their eye
open and TO know that all outstandin
claims over $4,000 we're to be sent to coul
in which, under its rulings the distinctio
between loyalty and disloyalty could not b
retained.
Mr.. Bragg asked Mr.. Garfield whether tt
laws of war and international law did NJ
hold that the conquering power we're nc
responsible for any loss inflicted upon pr
vate citizens residing in hostile territory.
Mr.. Garfield admitted that it was SO. bl
LL,4 &ho lo, oval in
matter because if Congress conferred upo
the court of claims jurisdiction over tho
claims it would be conferred according
the established rules of that court
Mr.. Bragg-Will not these claims go
that court to be determined according
law, and is not the law such that no disloy
claimant can recover in that court, and WI
not that the reason for the make-shift
which the Republican party created tt
Southern claims commission?
Mr.. Garfeld-By repeated decisions
the court of claims, and of the supren
court, the pardon of a claimant is construe
to wipe out the distinction of disloyalty.
Mr.. Bragg purpose in Offering tn
amendment is to prevent this governmel
paying any debt which it is not legally lab
to pay. That is my first purpose. My secor
purpose is to prevent gentlemen on Il
other side from publishing campaign doc
ments, in which they call Us confederate
and accuse US of an attempt
rob the government, and in viii
they denounce me as coadjuator distribr
ing taffy. Naughter) want these &c
tlemen to face the music. They have b
themselves behind the shadow of loya
lone enough. Was Tennessee loyal duri
the war? If so, why in Gods name did g
ro ont IF the Union and cost us more peO]
and treasure to hold her than any ott
State except Virginia cost us? If the peo
If North Carolina we're loyal, how did
gentleman (RusselD know that, while he hi