Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-10-28
REBEL CLAIMS. I"
WHAT THEY ARE.
INVENTED AND PAID BY REPUB-
LICAN CONGRESSES.
What High Business Authorities Have
TO Say About Them.

war claims paid since the war? Also
proportionate amounts of same for
which appropriations were made by
Congress when the Republicans and
Democrats respectively were in the
majority ? Also what amount of such
claims are pending unsettled ?" the
Journal Of Commerce, based on infor-
nation obtained directly from the
books of the department of Washing
ton, first promising that Southern
war claims" is very indefinite term,
but supposing the inquiry refers to the
so-called claims of loyal citizens for
property used or destroyed by the
United States government duriny The
'Car IN states recognized IN rebellion,
answers that
By the act of March Sd, 1871, the
Forty-first Congress (the Republicans
in large majority in both branches
created what has been known as the
Southern Claims Commission, consist
ing of three commissioners. This tri-
bunal had jurisdiction over all citizens
of the United States who during the
rebellion were "loyal adherents to the
cause and the government of the
United States" and who had claims
for stores or supplies taken or furnish
ed for use of the army or navy of the
United States in states proclaimed as
in insurrection and claims for the use
or loss of vessels or boats while en-
ployed in the service of the govern
ment in such states. The tribunal
was organized by the appointment of
three pronounced Republican commits
sioners. The two most important rul-
ings of the commission were % that
every claimant should prove his 10y
atty affirmatively, and (2) that the
term "stores and supplies" should en-
brace not only quartermaster and COM
missary supplies, but also engineer,
ordnance and medical supplies, in
cIuding cotton used in hospitals, and
the materials of buildings and fences
when torn down and used for fuel.
The Southern claims commission ex-
pired on the 10th of March, 1880.
During the nine years of its existence
Congress appropriated in round num-
bers S4,500,000 for the payment of
claims allowed by the commission.
Special private relief acts, making
appropriations for the payment of
claims for the use or loss of property
of loyal citizens in states in rebellion
were passed by the Thirty-ninth 1850
80, Fortieth 1S67-'69), Forty-frst
(1S69-71, Forty-second (l871-'73),
and Forty-third (1S73-'75) Congresses
Gall largely Republican,, the appro-
priations aggregating over 100000.
One of these special acts appropri-
ated 50 800 for the destruction of GER
tain buildings; another $4,000 for
cotton several paid specified amounts
for the rent of buildings; aud one bill
made an appropriation for refitting
the hall of Masonic lodge which had
been damaged by the military-all in
the insurrectionary states. Bills of
this sort are now denounced as "rebel
claims" They are thus "hoisted by
their own petard."
1t is q noteworthy fact that, since
the Democrats obtained the control of
the House of Representatives in 1875,
not a single dollar has been voted by
Congress for the payment of claims
for the use or destruction of property
during the war in the states in rebel
lion, except the appropriations made
to pay the awards of the Republican
Southern claims commission created
by a Republican Congress in 1871.
The awards of that commission, for
which Congress has provided since
1875, amounted to 100000.
The act of July 4, providing that
"all claims of loyal citizens in states
not in rebellion for quartermaster stores
actually furnished to the army of the
United States and receipted for by
the proper officers receiving the same,
or which may have been taken by
such officers without giving such re-
ceipt," may be presented to the quar-
termaster general, and that similar
claims for sustenance may be submit
ted to the commissary general for set
tlement, was in 1866 extended to the
loyal citizens of Tennessee. Previous
to the fiscal year 1876 the awards
made by the accounting officers under
the act of 1864 were paid by the treas
ury without being submitted to Con-
gress. But beginning with the year
1876 Congress directed that the claims
passed upon by the accounting Off
GERS should be paid only by special
and specific appropriations. Since that
time appropriations amounting TO
about 100000 have been made to pay
the claims of loyal citizens of Tennes-
see passed upon by the accounting Off
GERS of the treasury.
It thus appears that the total
amount of claims for the use or loss Of