The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-09-10


deavored to complete the judicial machinery
for tho settlement OF tubel claims. These hills
plainly show tho intention Of the mighty
southern wing Of the party to secure the ad-
| judication OF aIl such claims In courts situated
In the states lately In rebellion and surrounded
by the Influences known to exist there; In
courts which would hardly dare to Withstand
the unrestrainod expression OF southern politi-
cal sentiment. and which might DO In sympathy
with that sentiment, and by jurlBs from which
would BIO carefully excluded ovBry mhh whit
does not believe In holding tho government TO-
sponslble for the losses and damages resulting
from the late wafs And every snctessful claim
ant would have bis costs against tho old gov.
ernment which allowed him to be 30 badly USED:
Should appeals DO taken to the Supreme Court,
provision has boon madb for such cases by tho
addition or twelve bfand-nBw Democratic
judges TO that court. The claims, having
passed into, Judgments, arc made Immediately
payable on presentation to the secretary OF the
treasury from q permanent indefinite appropri-
alton, unlimited M to time or amount, and 10
quiring no further supervision by treasury or by
congress ,r.
There remain 10 be considered many other
bills introduced at the present SESSION, or the
extra session, and bearing upon this subject.
House resolution No. $685. was reported,
March ~, 1880 from the conmittee on reform
in tho civil services, by tho Hon. NJ. L. OUon-
nor, Dem0Jrat, Of South Carolina, and placed
on the house calendar. Its title IL, IA bill
for the judicial entertainment OF claims against
tho United States" II provides that "any
citizen" OF tho United States who may have o
claim, legal or eqhltable against tho United
States, OF which the Court Of Claims would
not now have jurisdiction, may file his bill OF
petition In said court, and prosecute tho SAINT
To Judgment; that the act shall not apply to
claims that arose prior to 1861, and that claims
may BIO filed within two years. II also pro-
vides that claimants may. prefer claims for
proceeds OF captured or abandoned property
in tho Court Of Claims within one year from
tho passage Of thu net. In tIis bill no provision
IL made against dislOyal claimants. Provision
IL made, however, for those who are now pro-
vented from suing by their disabilities. Sew
eral bills similar to this were introdueed--
among them one (house resolution No. BASS,
March 20, 1890 by the Hon. Joseph J. Davis,
Of North Carolina, formerly % captain in tho
Confederate army, and ono iIouss resolution
No. 3sl, April 81, 1870 by the Hon. Philip
Cook, of Georgia, formerly brigadier-gencral Of
seems to have been the original ono Of the nc
rios. II was introduced by ono ex-Confedcratc
soldier, referred to the civil service reform COM
mittee and from that committee referred TO tho
house by another cx-Confcderate soldier. A
similar bill was introduced by the Hon. Mr..
Money, Democrat, Of Mississippi, and referred
10 tho committee on Judiciary. In the senate
the same bill was introduced December B, 1879,
by the Hon. John W. johnson, Democrat, of
Virginia, and referred 10 the committee on tho
judiciary. In none of these bills il there any
provision against disloyal claimants. Mr.. Houk,
Of Tennessee, Republican, introduced u bill
April II. 1879, which made 1t lawful for loyal
residents of the rebellious states to prefer claims
for property taken by the Union army, but II
contained tho most stringent provisions against
claimants who had aided, cOmforted, cOunte-
nanced, or encouraged tho rebellion. II a Dem
| nnrut nraaidapt Shnt,ln ln slnntaI. this hill NAV
not be heard of again, but the Others just men-
toned will undoubtedly be pressed t0a passage.
House resolution No. l,040, was introduced
April q, 1873, by the Hon. ID. d. Culberson, of
Texas, formerly II colonel in the Confederate
army. 1t provides for reopening the Court Of
| Claims for one year to claimants OF captured
and abandoned property, and gives the right to
sie upon such claims to those claimants whose
claims have been rejected by that court on the
ground of disloyalty. The passage Of this bill
would give all these persons another chance,
and throw open the doors to oil others Of their
class who have not preferred their claims.
House resolution No. 1876 was introduced
March I, 1880, by the Hon. W. NJ. DOVE, of
Alabama, formerly u colonel in the Confederate
army. II provides for u return by the United
States Of the tax collected OH cotton sales in the
rebellious states in 186G-7-8.
House resolution No. 32l, which was INTRO
duced April n, 1879, by the Hon. Eppa Hum
ton, Of Virginia, formerly n b~rigadier general in
the Confederate army, and which IL now in
committee of the whole, provides fr a return
of the money received by the United States
from the sale of land sold for direct taxes in
insurrcctionary states. House resolution No.
2,U6G, which was introduced June 2, 1879, by
the Hon. George d.. Tillman, of South Caro-
lima, who served through the war in the Con-
federate army, provides not only for the
return OF the proceeds OF the sale OF such land,
but also for q return Of all the rent derived
frnIn fhn land ainaa its aoIa ThIa hill ia hafOpa
the committee on judiciary. House resolution
No. $40, introduced April u, 1879, by the Hon.
A. NJ. Scales, of North Carolina, formerly q
brigadier general in the Confederate army, pro-
yides for ~rcfunding oil the money collected az
direct taxes III the insurrectionary states under
the act of August o, 1861.
House resolution No. 446, watch was intro
duced April q, 1879, by the Hon. o. Il. Single
ton, who was a representative in the COnfedOr-
alto congress throughout tho war, provides for
the appropriation Of 1916, 900 TO be used in pay
ing diSloyal mail contractors in the seeding
states. The bill was referred to the committee
on post offices AMI post roads, the Democratic
mai rity of which includes several men who
were prominent officers in the Confederate
army.
House resolution No. 81, introduced April q,
1879, by the Hon. John II. Reagan, Of Texas,
formerly postmaster general OF the Confeder-
acy, repeats section 3 1880 of the revised statutes,
which forbids any officer Of tho government to
pay any account or claim to any person not
known to have been opposed to the rebellion
and in favor of its suppression. by this bill tho
prohibition is removed. The bill was referred
to the committee on the judiciary.
In addition TO these and other similar bills
which might BIZ cited, numerous private bills for
relief were introduced to pay for losses occa-
stoned by the rebellion, the sums called for
amounting to several millions of dollars.
Let us sec what would be the result of the
..n..A aA Af IN NIX unt.SN "a iIn nVnannIl
of captured abandoned property have been filed
III the court Of claims and the treasury depart
ment amounting to more than $50, DOC, OO0,
which arc now barred by statute. If either of
the bills comforting jurisdiction on the Circuit
Courts, or reopcning the court OF claims, be.
comes q law, the claims of that class presented
will probably exceed $50, 00O, 900.
The internal revenue tax OH cotton, which it
IL proposed to refund by house resolution No.
4,S76, and other bills, amOuntst to $6S, OF, 900.
The amount appropriated by house resolution
No. 446 for southern mail contractors il $780,
600.
The amount required for payment to disloyal
claimants, now prohibited by section $3.50, re-
yised statutes, will doubtless be very near
81, 600, OG0.
The amount of direct tax collected in the
southern states, which it il proposed to return
by house resolution No. $40 and other bills, il
50, 1863, 900.
The following classes OF war claims would
be presented under House resolutions Nor.
1858 and 8, 131 and other bills, giving jurisdic-
ton Of all claims against the United States to
district and circuit courts in the southern
states:
Stores and supplies taken for the use Of, or
destroyed by, the armies of the United States.
Cotton and tobacco used or destroyed.
Use of, damage to, and loss OF steamboats,
and other vessels.
Use of, damage to, and destruction of rail-
roads, engines, and cars.
Rent OF, use of, and damage to real estate.
Property taken, occupied, damaged, or de-
stroyed by the United States ~ q military neces-
sity.
Property seized and used or destroyed by
United States soldiers without authority.
Property destroyed by the enemy ON account
of military occupation by the United States.
Property captured BY the enemy while IN pos