The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-09-17

Il
provides for reopening the Court of
Claims for one year to claimants of capt
ured and abandoned property, and gives
the right to sue 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 door to all
others of their class who have not pre-
ferred their claims.
House resolution No. 4, $40 was intro
duced March |, 1880, by the Hon. W.
M. Lowe, Of Alabama, formerly a Colonel
in the Confederate army. 1t provides
for return by the United States Of the
tax collected on cotton sales in the re-
belllous States In 1866-'67-
House resolution No. 321, which was
introduced April 81, 1879, by the Hon.
Eppa Hunton, of Virginia, formerly
Br1gadIer General In the Confederate
army, and which is now in committee
OF the whole, provides for a return of
the money received by the Uuited States
from the sale Of land sold for direct taxes
IN insurrectionafy States. House reso-
luton Fo. 2,066, which was introduced
June 2, 1870. by the Hon. George d. /
IIilman, of South Carolina, who served
through the war in the Confederate
army, provides not only for the return
of the proceeds of the sale of such
land, but alsofor return of all the rent
derived from the land since its sale.
This bill is before the Committee on the
Judiciary. House resolution No. $40,
introduced April 81, 1879, by the Hon.
A. M. Scales, of North Carolina, form
erly Brigadier General in the Confed-
crate army, provides for refunding all
the money collected as direct taxes in the
insurrectionary States under the act Of
Aug. 5, 1851. 4 ile ~
House resolution No. 49, which was
introduced April q, 1879, by the Hon.
0. r. Singleton, who was Representa-
tive IN the Confederate Congress
throughout the war, provides for the APP
preparation of 1876, goo tobe used in pay
ing disloyal mail contractors in the Sc
ceding States. The bill was referred to
the Committee on Postofices and Post
roads, the Democratic majority OF which
includes several men who were promi-
nent officers in the Confederate army.
House resolution No. ri, introduced
April q, 1879, by the Hon. John H.
Reagan, of Texas, formerly Postmaster
General Of the Confederacy, repeats sec
ton Z, 480 Of the Revised Statutes, which
forbids any officer Of the Government
to pay any account or claim to any per-
son not known to have been opposed to
the rebellion and in favor Of its sup
preston. BY this bill the prohibition is
removed. The bill was referred to. the
Committee on Judiciary. llt Z.
2 In addition to these and other SINH
lar bills which might be cited, numer-
Gus private bills for relief we're in
t1odtleed to pay fer losses occasioned
by the rebellion, the sums called for
amounting to several millions Of dollars.
B Let1ls see what would be the result of
the passage Of these bills. Claims for
the proceeds Of captured and abandoned
property have been filed in the Court of
Claims and the Treasury Department
amounting to imore than $4,000, 900.
which are now barred by statute. If
either OF the bills comforting jurisdiction
ON tile Circuit Courts, or reopening the
Court of Claims, becomes law, tIle
claims of that class presented will prob
ably exceed $50, 100000. I
The internal-revenue tax on cotton,
which it is proposed to refund by House
resolution No. 4,876, and other bills,
amounts to 1868, 022, 900.
The amount appropriated by House
resolution No. 446 for Southern mail
contractorsyis 1876, 900.
The amount required for payments to
disloyal claimants, now prohibited by
section $3.50, Revised Statutes, will
doubtless be very near 81 ZOO, 900.
The amount of direct tax collected in
the Southern States, which it is pro-
posed to return by the House resolution
No. 349 and other bills, is So, 1853, 900.
The following classes of war claims
would be presented under House resolu-
tions Nos. 1858 and 8, 131 and other
bills, giving jurisdiction of all claims
against the United States to District
and Circuit Courts in the Southern
States: 2i'i NV ''ts i@ sfss
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 steam
boats and other vessels.
Use1of, damage to, and destruction. of.
railroads, engines and cars.
Rent of, use OF, and damage to real
estate. sF'-'s*
Property taken,s occupied, damaged,
or destroyed by the United States as a
military necessity.
8 Property seized and used or destroyed
by United States soldiers without au-
thority. .saa8 s $50 s sE4. ~ ,f~3S
Property destroyed by the enemy on
account of military occupation by the
United States.
! Property captured by the enemy while
IN possession of OF employed BY the
United States.
The probable amount OF these claims
has been variously estimated from $780,
600, 900 to So, 400, 600, coo. An examina-
ton of all accessible information ON the
subject. indicates that it would exceed
rather than, fall short of the mean of
theseiextreines 81 5, 900, 900, 900. None
OF these classes OF claims are excluded
by the Fourteenth amendment to the
constitution, which covers only "any
debt OF obligation incurred in aid of in
surrection orrebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or eman-
cipatien of any slave" The business
men of the Democratic party in the
North will not hasten ito the support of
measures advocated BY. their Southern
brethren which look to a payment of
these, claims and a great increase of the
Medicinal debt ~ II sAsSs8
Democratic Estimates of Garfield.
Perhaps there has never been mem
Der of Congress who commanded so
much admiration and respect from his