Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-15

| such prom inence.
GaIteau Out in Another Card.
Guiteau 10 out in another card. Had
they This relatives) all died." ne says,
| twenty-five years ago, it would have been a
God dsend to me-" He charges Scoville with
desire TO get control Of his (Guiteau's)
| book, and SAYS he has already paid Scoville
| S275, which is more than his alleged services
! are worth.
RepubIIcan caucus.
A caucus of Republican representatives
was held in the hall of the House tonight,
las ing from until II 80 o'o lock. The attend
| ance wac not very large, butthe proceedings
were animated. A number of speeches
were made on various subj-ots, among which
were the tariff commission bill, contested
election cases and the manner OF proceeding
with the business session. A strict ipjunc-
tion of secrecy prevails among the members,
but enough IL made known warrant the
statement that resolutions were adopted pro-
ding for prompt action in all important
matters pending.
Fraudulent Southern Claims.
The honest Southern claimants for prop
erty taken by the Union forces during the
late war, who have been crying out against
Congress for tardily considering and often
refusing. to pay them. are, in the main, ius,i
BED in their eesgpiaint. Bat then thse- is
another eide 10 the mattef which should be
stated that very large proportion OF the
claims presented to Congress (some commit
teemen estimate 1t at ninety per cent? are
transparent attempts to rob the government.
A case of this character has Just been re-
ported upon by the House Committee on
Claims. In it the notorious J.. Madi-on
Wells, of Louisiana, figures. The committee
handle him without gloves, however. The
claimant in ihis case, John O7horn. Of Rap
ides parish, La. only demands S67 900 to pay
him for the alleged 500 hogshs ads of sugar, so
mules. 800 barrels corn, horses, so head
of betf cat l. and acres Of standing
corn. He says this alleged property wa-
taken and appropriated by the United States
army in 1868 "a, but the proof shows that ne
mad on his place at the time only few hogs
heads of sugar, aud this be had "run into"
the Confederate lines to prevent the Union
forces from seizing it. The witnesses swore
that Osborn is utterly" dishonest and an un-
worthy man, who Will scruple at nothing to
put money in his pocket. He is a notOri
ously bad character. The special commis-
sioner who took the testimony in Rapides
parish in his certificate says: "If you find
the name of John Osborn and J. Madison
Wells in any claim, it will be sufficient to
put you on guard against treachery and
fraud"
The Committee on Claims adds:
~. Madison Wells is one of the witnesses
produced and relied on BY claimant to prove
his claim. The witness appears to have had
the means OF knowing what property claim
ant had and the extent OF his loss. He re-
sided in the same parish and was frequently
on his plantation. He is evidently Jealous
friend OF claimant. Wells evidently was
conscious of The fraud" Firstly, the COM
mittee say: This claim illustrates the bold
ness and brazen impudence with which |
fraudulent and villainous claims are some
times presented and pressed against the gov
ernment. The evidence utterly fails to sur
port it, and the exhibits and evidence of the
government stamp IT as basely fraudulent"
Minor Mention.
The President and party returned this
morning.
The secretary Of war has directed 200, 900 |
more rations TO be issued at New Orleans
The House Committee on Elections de- |
cided Bisbee entitled to a seat as repre- |
1. ent alive from F orida.
The secretary of the treasury decided that |
hoop irons cut toiengths, punched and spliced |
to fit a barrel, are dutiabie as hoop iron.
The House Committee on E iucation and |
Labor directed representative Sherwin to
report favorably the bill appropriating |
SO, 900, 900 for general educational purposes,
and ask that it be printed and recommitted
10 the comL.ittee.
observation-disclosures Swain is conf
dent that the Supreme Co1rt will dismiss the
for ,beas corpus in the Mason |
case 1t is believed that, n that case, the
President will commute the sen tence to dis |
mis-al from the army and a short period OF |
The proposed peace congress of Ameri- |
can nations is not exp cted to assemble in |
November next, in accordance with Baine's |
invitation, and yet, as the invitation has not |
been Withdrawn, correspondence continues on |