, 1880-02-28
WASHINGTON.
A New Plan Proposed to
Plumber the National
Treasury,
By Throwing Open the Doors
to Unlimited Rebel
War Claims.
A Bill with an Innocent
Preamble to Cover a .
Grand Larceny.
The House Makes Unusual Prog
ress in Considering the
Vexed Rules.
Objections Urged Against Opening
Indian Territory to White
Settlement. i:
Secretary Sherman Urges Special Ap"
preparation for the Chicago
Cust0m-H0use.
The Fitz John Porter Case Likely
to Be Called Up Next
Week,
When Senator Randolph, Of New
Jersey, Will Offer His Defense
Of the General.
Secretary Sherman Urges a Special Ap-
preparation for the Chicago
Cust0m-H0use.
The Fitz John Porter Case Likely
to Be Called Up Next
Week,
When Senator Randolph, Of New
Jersey, Will Offer His Defense
of the General.


REBEL WAR CLAIMS.
NEW PLAN 70 PLUMBER THE TREASURY.
Special Dispatch to The Chicago Tribune.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 27-Mr. O'Conner, Of
the Committee on Civil-Service Reform, has re-
ported bill providing for the judicial ascer-
tainment Of claims The bill is q modification
of tho Potter bill introduced in the last Con-
gress. The most Important addition and one
which seems to have been overlooked In the
mention which has been made Of the bill In the
newspaper reports, is q proviso at the end OF the
lust, or fifth, section. This proviso allows any
person Ginning to have been the owner OF any
captured or abandoned property to prefer such
claim within one year after the passage OF
the net contemplated. There is another proViso
TINT when claimant fs under disability to sue
the action may be brought within SIX years. or
within three years after the disability shall
cease. The report accompanying the bills ex-
plains that, by the act Of March, 1858, large
quantities of property were handed over to
Treasury agents. sold, and the proceeds turned
into the Treasury. The net amount of money
turned in was some SIS coo. The uncertainty
Us to the date for commencing action for the
RECOVERY OF THIS PROPERTY
caused many claimants to allow the period in
which to file these claims to pass: The COM
mittee argue that, while large portion OF this
fund will not in the nature Of the case be
ClAlmtu ny ally ~ - sA@1 NA0J ~ ~AA0
crnmenr to give Its citizens an opportunity Tor
Il redress Of their wrong, and then added:
.sYour Committee are Of opinion TINT oil ques-
tons in regard to the residue Of the fund In
the Treasury should be set at rest, and rec
omuend the adoption of the proposed
proyistou with IN amendment forever
burning all claims not prosecuted within
the time limited by this fifth section" The I'M
portauce OF this bill. if It becomes law, can
not be oyerestimnted- The doors would at once
b. opened to I'LL Rebel War claims, which would
pour in at the rate Of millions per month: Ihese @
claims would not come directly TO congress, ou5
to the Court of Claims, which, by the second
section Of the proposed bill, IS empowered 70
find the fucts appearing in each case from the
testimony and under Judgment thereon"
THIS POWER
ia n11ch broader than that intended by the Potter
bill co.n,,,.++oa
whose attention has been called to this blt says
it is m extremely dangerous measure, the more
so rs the nnimuS Of it does not appear Ut tae
first rlunce. When it comes before me
House for action it will be thoroughly Ventl~
inted. The report consists OF thirteen closely
nriuted pugcs, nine of which are devoted 70 a
6hlnurhropic dissertation on the rights OF prl-
rntc citizens, wherein all positions taken are
such as nll mankind might easily indorse. It IS
in the last pages that the claim Is made t1aI It
is In the nature of q solemn duty to allow Repe1
claimants for materials used by the Union army
duripg the War, Il whole year after this act Is
passed to file their claims in this court