Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-06-17

IN advance, Is particularly interesting
chapter OF the narrative. Ill
No fault could be or Is found With
''tlfe diligence used by Mr.. Iecf.'
His first appeal.to Congress WIS 90 the
9th of July, 1913. within sixty days
after the retdrn Of the vessel, aud. IN
the words Of one of the Senate reports,
the claim 81 has been reasonably pursued
ever sinee.h The reader may coincide
In such view when told that no less
than seven reports, all favorable, have
been made by committees 10 different
Congresses, rs follOwss January ~.
fS4g. fr6ni COMMITTEES on Commerce,
recommending payment for full amount
claimed; February 20, 1880, the same
report from the same committee; in
1856 and in 1858 third and fourth
favorable report from the same commit
tee; In 1874 a bill reported from the
Committee on Claims recommending
the same payment; on April 27, 1873, a
unanimous report in favor OF the settle
ment Of the claim "upon principles of
Justice and equity, from the Committee
on Commerce. The seventh of the
series of favorable reports was made by
Mr.. Beale during the extra session from
the Committee on Commerce.
Strange as it may seem, perhaps, the
bin once came really near passing.
The widows memorial says;
dToward the close OF the Forty-iifth Com
| gress this bill reported by Mr. Roberts from
I the Committee ON Commerce. was, after the
usual reid ngs, put on rs passage. bat meet
| INK, unfortunately. with objection from 4
| member. who stated aftcrward that he hpd
objected simply because he did not under.
| siaud the case, Il i7as on that occasion pass q
over, and as no proper opp 1rtunity offered
| again during IN IT Congress to urgeit5 pNssage,
| Il consequently had 20 10y over, rs had nap
pened several times In past years, 10 another
! Congress"
Unfortunately, in 1860 Henry Leef
died. Death on his pale horse is man
| of affairs, He does not govern himself
by Cushlng's Manual. He does not
/ entertain motions TO debate, 70 amend,
to substitute, so postpone TO day fixed,
10 postpone indefinitely, to lay on the
table, to recommit, to discharge from
further consideration, TO vote by di-
! vision, by tellers, by yeas and nays, TO
raise the question of quorum voting,
| TO reconsider and to lay that motion on
/ the table No, Death is not a parlia-
mentarian. Death does something; he
does not swing the scythe idly; while il
is the essential part Of your accom-
plished parliamentarian that he grace
1 fully and with dignity does nothing
Mr.. Leef, the claimant, might hope on
fear 10 live forever, but Mr.. Leef, the
man, when his days were numbered,
had to die. Alasl so must, too, the ac-
complished parliamentarian Quite tc
his surprise, very likely, he viii find
that his until then all potent ~ OBJ
iect' will not ward off the stroke OF
4 Law the matter over till the next Con
gress.
MIR. Leef, then, died; but whoeve'
heard Of claim dyiug2 Would were
claim! should then possess the
secret of the philosophers stone; the
true elixir vit@, Mr., Leef died, but ht
left widow and ten children; clever
claimants instead of one.
The ships owner died. Mr.. Tyler
the Consul at Bahia, died; John Nc
Kee, the supercargo, died; Mr.. Todd
our Minister at Brazil. died; Robert j
Walker, the Secretary Of the Treasury
died; every one who had direct o.
official connection with the origina
grievance Is dead. But men MAJ
come and men may go; the claim goe
on forever.
".
At least il seems likely TO do so. 1
has, 10 be sure, passed one branch o
Congress in thirty-one years. In ordi
nary circumstances the claimants nigh
hope that in thirty-one years more j
would pass the Senate. Unluckily
however, il has made false start ol
It's second heat. After due considera
, ton the Senate Committee on Claim
has Just reported adversely! The mi
nority, 10 be sure, recommended IL
passage. and give their grounds in
long and painstaking surveyor the case
But the majority instructed MIR. H0ar Z
report as follows
''The facts OF the case we believe to be, 4
substance. as stated by the minority Of tn
committee, Upon the facts the question arise
compensate citizens for injuries 10 thoi
property or business caused by the imprupe
} exercise Of his powers w 2 Consul OF "a
| United States We do not think II isthe dut
, OF the Government 10 make sue
compensation whether the Consul acte
cOnspientiOusly and erred IN dOnb
flIl case, or whether his actions wei
D why II this claim be allowed. the GoHornmei
! ought not 20 compensate persona for illegl
> | arrests, wrongful judgments OF court
Z wrongful acts Of military or naval officers
Z war, and in all cases where public auihorii
has been abused We do not think such
: precedent ought 20 be established. Guvon
:, meut acts through human and imperle
4 agents The liabiliiytOs sutfcr from thor err,
a "a one Of tho unavoidable ills OF hfe, v
u recommend that tho prayer OF the petition
s disaowed, and the bill indefinitely pos
. poned."
) This may or may not be good Law
= It is certainly prudent, hut the qualii
S Of the Nations mercy Is q tril
:. strained.
h "
i Why live at secondhand? Why Gro
e the sea to study ourselves IN the gin
5 OF lictionP WHY LAUGH and weep ov