National Republican., 1880-03-12
The oolored Soldier Bounty Fund.

Senators Bruce and Randolph, as n sub.com-
mittee of tho Senate Committee on Education
and Labor, will make their report to the full
committee at the meeting to-day, asking that
tho committee bo discharged from further con.
sidoratiOn of a bill which proposes to distrib-
ute to certain educational institutions tho TN.
claimed pay and bounty moneys belonging to
coorod soldiers. Their written report con.
tains tho following interesting statements;
In order to proceed advlscdly In maturing
the measure referred to tis, we, as preliminary
to the consideration of tho several bills bo.
fore us, placed ourselves in communication
with the Secretary of the Treasury for the
purpose of ascertaining correctly tho condition
Of tho fund which these bills proposed to dis
tribute to institutions of learning established
for the instruction Of colored youths aud the
exact amount available for this purpose.
In response to inquiries for information,
tho Secretary of tho Treasury furnished n
certified copy of q letter on tho subject under
consideration, addressed by the Second Aud
itor of the Treasury to the Hon. John Goode,
chairman of the House Committee on EduCa-
tion and Labor. lie also, in a separate letter,
communicated additional facts from the Office
of the Auditor brought to light since the letter
written to Mr.. Goode BY the first letter It
appears that tho total amount of mony covered
back into the Treasury was $iS7 ,000 and that
already moro than onc-half Of this sum had
peeH Clhllneu, elJnef Dy Jne original claim
ants or their legal represent latives leaving un-
claimed S2l0,233. Tho amount of unclaimed
appropriation not yet covered into the Treas
ury is stated at $4,000, all of which, in the
opinion of tho Auditor, will be claimed.
The second letter informs us that since the
date of the first communication new claims,
amounting TO over $60,000 have been fled In
the Office of the Auditor and tho opinion is
expressed that from present indications the
whole fund will be claimed aud exhausted by
either the original claimants or their legal
representatives,.
"Wo fully appreciate the pressing need of
tho colorcd classes for increased educational
facilities, and the vast advantage to bo hnd
thcrefrom and if the fund, as originally esti.
matod, existed and was available, its judcious
distribution among the institutions COntem.
plated would do much toward meeting u very
pressing want among class of our citizens
who for manifest reasons should be especially
regarded by the Governments in legislation
touching educational matters. But nforma-
tion obtained from the Auditor shows that tho
existing fund is inadequate to moet, in any
su ticient and satisfactory manner, the pur.
pose contemplated In the bill before US; and,
under these circumstances, it is questionable
whether oven this reduced amount can legiti.
mately be made available, or should ut this
juncturo bo diverted from tho ends for which
it was originally appropriated.
Under the circumstances, we are not pre-
pared to favor any positive dction IN the di-
rectlon suggested by these bills, and we re-
spectfully request to bo discharged from their
further consideration"