Sharp County record., 1880-07-01

9th OF July, 1910, Nltllu SlA'J N',
after the return of the vessel, and, III
the words of one of the Senate reports,
the claim "has been reasonably pursued
ever since.n The reader may coincide
in sucb a view when told that no less
than seven reports, all favorable, have
been made by committees to different
Congresses. as follows: January 70,
1S49, from Committee on Commerce,
recommending payment for full amount
claimed; February 20, 1850, the same
report from the same committee; III
1856 and in 1853 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 q, 1873.
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
bill once came really near passing.
The widows memorial says:
"Toward the close of the Forty-fifth Con-
gress this bill, reported by Mr. Rooerts IroLl ON
the Committee on Commerce. was, after the
usual read ngs, put on its passage, Dut meet
ing unfortunately, with objection from
member, who stated afterward that ne ntu
objected simply because he did not under-
stand the case, it was on that occasion paSs19
again during tn It Congress to urge its passage,
it consequently had TO lay over, as had nap
pened several times in past years, to another
Congress-"
Unfortunately, in 1860 Henry Leet
died. Death on his pale horse is man
of affairs. He does not govern himself
by Cushing's Manual He does not
entertain motions to debate, to amend,
to substitute, to postpone to day fixed,
to postpone indefinitely, to lay on the
table, to recommit, to discharge from
further consideration, to vote by dl-
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 it
is the essential part of your accom-
plished parliamentarian that he grace
fully and with dignity does nothing.
Mr.. Leef the claimant, might hope or
fear to live forever, but Mr.. Leet, the
man, when his days were numbered,
had to die. AlaS so must, too, the ac-
complished parliamentarian. Quite to
his surprise, very likely, ne will find
that his until then all potent 81 OBJ
iectn will not ward off the stroke or
lay the matter over till the next Con-
gresS.
Mr.. Leef, then, died. but whoever
heard of claim dying? Would were
a claim! l should then possess the
secret of the philosophers stone; the
true elixir vit2. Mr.. Leef died, but he
left a widow and ten children; eleven
claimants instead Of one.
The ships owner died, Mr.. Tyler,
the Consul at Bahia, died; John Nc
Kee, the supercargo, died; Mr.; fodd'
our Minister at Brazil, died. kooert' u
Walker, the Secretary of the Treasury
died; every one who had direct or
official connection with the original
grievance is dead. But men may
come and men may go; the claim goes
on forever.
At least it seems likely to do So 1t
has. TO be sure, passed one branch OF
Congress in thirty-one years. In ordl-
nary circumstances the claimants might
hope that in thirty-one years more 1t
would pass the Senate. UnIucklly,
however, it has made false start on
it's second heat. After due considera-
ton the Senate Committee on Claims
has just reported adversely! The mi
nority, to be sure, recommended its
passage, and give their grounds in
long and painstaking surveyor the case.
But the majority instructed MIR. Hoar to
report as follows:
1.-THE facts of the case we believe to be, in
substance as stated by the minority OF the
committee. Upon the facts the question arises
whether it is the duty of the United states 10
compensate citizens for injuries to their
property or business caused by the improper
exercise of his powers by Consul OF the
United States. We do not think it is the duty
of the Government to make such
compensation whether the Consul acted
conscientiously and erred in doubt
full case, or whether his actions were
arbitrary and wanton. We can see no reason
why, if this claim be allowed, the Government
ought not to compensate persons for illegal
arrests, wrongful judgments OF courts,
wrongful acts, of military or naval officers in
war, and in all cases where public authority
has been abused. We do not think such
precedent ought to be established. Govern
ment acts through human and imperfect
agents The liability to suffer from their error
is one of the unavoidable ills of life We
recommend that the prayer Of the petition be
dsallowed and the bill indefinitely post
poned.'
This may or may not be good law.
1t is certainly prudent, but the quality
of the Nations mercy is trihe
strained.
Why live at secondhand? Why cross
the sea TO StudV ourselves in the UlaSS