New-York tribune., 1882-04-22
~ THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
.,.r MINERAL TOPICS.

AT THE NAllO
,r,xr AND GENERAL TOPICS.
GOV ENN'. ,n,v.rE CI.AMs-MINoRiTf RE
TIE hoosh % ~,,r M,cKEY-o'CoNNoR CAsE-A NhH-
PORT IN 900 ooO DAMAGES AGAINST kA'shh-
DICT or Sc TuoMPsON-NIR. BLAINE
GEANl-N A." yesterday considered the ques-
Inc III I;:position of the vast NUMBER Oh
ton OF 'uo ,o;u,s now pending before 1t, ana
prlVa'e "acbes were made i'll advocacy OF
seyera T T,ans for relief The minority report
;n the Mackcy-OConnor caS'' "ni,n ii''' ,','
,oncth ~ been presented, is commented upon "y
TvIprSE correspondent jury yes.e'''y
pr.rJcd Hallet Kilbourn verdict oi
800 600 damages against ex-Sergeah'-a'-
20 THOMPSON. Mr.. Blaine is not going TO
Europe.
CONGRESS- AND THE PRIVATE CLAIMS
inY TELEGRAPH To THE rRlBUNE.l
,,,u,vcroS April 21.-What shall be Done
!.t tbo flood of private claims which now pouTs
w. on every Congress until il threatens to swamp
a. nublic business This is a question whlch inc
ro,se Of Representatives has at last seriously un
1or,aLen 70 answer. and to-day was devoted To us
Jiacnssion 1t can hardly be asserted that the iour
snooches that were made to-day throw mnch adul-
,;nal light on the subject so far us the meinOeiS
~ .ho Uouse generally are concerned for not more
a. sixtv were present and of these scarce dozen
AZ any time paid any attention to the debate
NJ, Rowuan. of Massachusetts,. advocated the pll
,eported by himself from the Committee o." |laniS'
which provides that any claim penang ocioio 'n0
other branch OF Congress or any executive Depait
,ort may be sent to the Court of Claims for IND
ING of facts. said finding to be reported py INC
Conrt. which isnot given power to entor Judgment
No, rtm
Given Jurisdiction to investigate controVer'eu
orestions as well as facts Mr. Bowman
snoecb was largely devoted to description OF the
hrasb;ns which honest claimants now suher
,h,ongb the delay aud indttention OF Congress-
NJ Uonse of Tennessee, advocated III Ioiis
snecch the bill of which lie is the author ana "nicn
with some amendments was favoraDiY repoINu "S
,be Committee on Reform IN INC Cni'
Sor,jce after conference with members OF Tue
Committees on Claims and Judiciary, ana also
af-er consultation with judges OF the Co"'' VI
Claims. Some of the best lawyers in the HOUSE arc
strongly opposed to this tlll, because III ''0"
opinion il will open wide the door lor ''o p'9
,nent TO disoyal claimants. General Dldss' y.
Wisconsin, a Democrat but persistent loe u
rebel claims is very much opposed to this measure,
and viii novc ~ substitute for it, bill offered
nv MFR. Edmunds in the Senate and favorabiy re-
,orted with slight amendments, from
the Senate Committee On JUDICIARY
Mr.. Edmundss bill provides that any
citizen of the United States making clam
against the United States which has become COM
ree within the four years preceding the passage OF
the act or afterward may apply to the Attorney
General for leave to sue the United states WHICH,
when granted shall authorize him to bring SUIT III
the Circuit Court of the district in which he resides
The bill contains pIovlso that nothing III 'nns
section OF in this act shall authorize any
such petition or suit for or in respect OF
any injury to seizure OF person or
property real personal or the detention or con-
version of the same, of any damages IN respect
thereof. suffered. done or committed by or under
the authority of the United States or any Depart
mcnt or officer of the Government thereof during
The late rebellion or during any state of war"
Ofcourse Mr.. House would oppose any such pro
vision rs this. Indeed, it is openly asserted 10y
members of the House that he and other Southern
Democrats in that body believe that II
they can get their bill enacted INTO a
law it viii open the way for the
payment of millions upon millions of dollars OF
rebel cotton claims and other claims oI rebels.
The Washington CLAIM agents, VINO own OF nave
large contingent interest III these claims, nave
been working like beavers ever since the session ue-
gan for the House DILL ana tney naNc Pnitd d aHo
members of the committee and OF Congress Win du-
vice argument suggestion and persuasion III season
and out of season One syndicate OF claim agents
in Washington owns OF controls cotton claims
based on the cotton tax collected in 1866 and 1867,
the estimated amount of which, Is $4,000, 900.
Fifty million dollars more are demanded DY the
holders OF cotton claims arising under the cap
turcd and Abandoned Property Act" These claim
ants had right to bring their suits In the court
oi Claims, and all who could prove loyalty did so
and some ten million dollars were paid them. The
dislOyal claimants did not put III an appearance
but the Washington claim agents who hold these
claims have been greatly encouraged by the
favorable report of committee on bill
winch they believe, if passed, will prove
u rich harvest for them. TEere are other unadusted
cotton claims amounting 10 about S15OOO,0OO for
cotton alleged 10 have been seized by agents Of the
Government on June 80 1865. The holders of these
claims are also jubiant over the favorable prospects
of the House ILL. Under these circum-
stances il certainly behooves Congress
men who are opposed to the pay
mcnt Of rebel claims, and to raid Of the cialmai Is
Gud clam agents upon the Treasury which will cost
three or four hundred million dollars TO scrulnlze
very closely any measure like that upon which they
will becaled 10 vote tomorrow.