New-York tribune., 1886-04-25
THE VORK OF CONGRESS-.
THE NEW RULES AFFORD No RELIEF.

| A POOR PROSPECT FOR REMEDIAL LEGIsLArioN-
| DEMOCRATIC INCOMPrrENCY.
| frRou A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIbUSEi
W.su,xGroy. April 23-The advent of
warm weather increases the talk about adjournment but
IL would be hazardous to make prediction as TO tto
time that will take place. The first session OF ths
XLvIIlth Congress ended on July T. but owing 70 tho
failure OF the House ac. the measures sent 10 ny
| the Senate, practically nothing In the way Oh rc'o
| legislation accomplished. In the eieclions ui''
followed one half the Democratic majority Ill 'e ho
was s1ren AWAY II the other half does not disappear
In the coming campaign 1t will not be due to any super
orty on the part OF the present BODY over i's ouo
In its do nothing character Is fully Up 10 tne o
cratic STANDARD. Tho change In the rules "h'n 'no
Democratic leaders thought world facih''to pusi"
| has not so far been OF much advantage ch'hEo Vi
is the cure for the disease that anects o
J1opse Tho only appropriation bills which II mas you
passed are the Post O1ce. Aerlculufai' icnsio"o'
Indian and District OF Columbia bills. Not"itnst'iu
ing the exceedingly bad reeord of the other House
tied down as IL was by the rules, the Aericui'ur"i'
Indian Military Academy. Naval and Poet once appfo
praton bills were passed before this time OF the year ~
the nrst session. 1t accomplished more important "orh
in the Same time than the present pou!' III 'he
XLvIIth Congress- which the House had Republican
majority the following appropriation bills were passed.
previous to April IL ut the first session. hgrcuiturai
Army Consular Indian, Military Academy and fost
ONCE From this II that the change IN the rules
has effected improvement-a rcsnit that can OBJ! oo
reached by changing the majority III the House
number the most important Appropriation pis nave
not vet been reported, and 1t looks as though inc
would be asked TO pass In closing hours OF the
session bills approprisIng hundreds OF millions OF
dollars leaving differences between the two houses 10 10
settled asbe,ore by trading Of provisions i'll the DIS
Since the change the rules Mr.. Randall Will not serve
as a scapes Oat for this condition OF things
While the OF dspoSiDg Of the business belore the
House lags there s end to the Introduction OF new
measures In both sessions OF the last Congress oo5o
bills and IOnt resolutions were ntroduced-as many as
were introduced ng the first fifty years of the exist
ence OF the Government But uI to the present time
sos bills Joint resolutions have been introduced
at this sessonover 5000 IN the House alone-ahd the
greater part OF every Monday in the House Is still occu-
pied in this proceeding. The explanation OF TINS
enormous increase the business OF the House Is ouhu
in the character the bills Nine tcnths OF them are
claims majority war claims growing out OF the
ALLEGED destruction OF the property OF loyal en- III inc
South. The number Of loyal persons who lost property
there during the wal has greatly increased OF late,
apparently. 1t would perhaps he unsenorous 10 say "
the advent OF u Democratic Administration mas had
anything to do with stimulating the memories 0f these
loyal men who we're behind the Confederate ne II the
number keeps increasing 1t Will take moro than the
present alleged Surplus meet the demands upon the
Treasury. There I. also rapid growth IN tho number
OF private and domest claims and demands other thh
war claims or class of bills there about l3oo
|
Springer and some other members have been making
vigorous effort to get bill passed. TO confer jurisdiction
upon the Court VI Claims to investigate these private
and domestic claims other than war claims, but that
| would be remedial legislation for which the House
! seems to have no liking
According to q report resented in the House from the
Secretary OF tho Interior there is pro'aoty oi All
enormous increase in tho number OF private bills Tor
claims growing OF Indian dcpredati0ns There are
forty such bills before the Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs and there is not some further legisa-
ton ON the subject Mr. Dolpr estimates that hero will
be 45OO such bills introduced That is the number OF
such claims on file 10 the Interior Department These
| claims amount TO $l5,O00,00o precedent has bocn
established by Congress In making payments out OF INC
| Treasury for losses by Indian depredations II IL
becomes once understood that the Government is 10
make good such losses it is more likely that there Will
he o 600 than 1900 such bills One favoraby reported
70 the Senate makes appropriation Of Sl2,4O4 for
losses sustained by George S. Comsock on account OF
| depredations alleged to have been committed py
| Cheyenne and Sioux Indians in 1864 This claim was
not filed until eighteen years after the alleged loss
Secretary Lamar ruled 1t out barred by statute IN
this say he cut down claims aggregatng So 900 900 to
$50 OOO But the claimants come before Congress
1t appropriated In previous years Slooiooo 10 pay
similar clams but thore thousands OF them tnat
have never been presented The theory which these
claims are presentec stated by Mr. Dolph, Is that
the keeper dangerous wild animal responsible TOT
the mischief done by the animal In consequence OF the
failure to observe the duty imposed. Mr DoIh mas
presented bill to have all such claims referred TO the
Court OF Claims n other tribunal The record OF
disallowed claims before such tribunals shows how
many unjust ones presented. Out of S6O,25Sl6o In
claims submitted tho Southern Claims Commission,
S55 62l 229 we're rejected The Court OF Claims rejected
$50 600 600 out of $50 900 in claims submitted TO It,
The Mexican Claims Commission allowed $4,275O0O out
OF the 1886 100000 In claims presented to It, Out OF
s4944OOO ia claims presented TO the C0mmssary-
WEI
sifting process would probably have ike effect on
| these Indian depreciation claims. but 1t is a tempting
field for attorneys who make business OF prosecut-
ing claims commission.
II the increase in the number OF claims does DOT
swamp Treasury there appear to be other ways OF
doing it the River and Harbor BILL for instance Ihls
is one of the appropriation bills reported to the
House 1t appropriates S3630.ooo for the Mississippi
River and yet Mr.. Breckenridge, of Arkansas who Is
we'll informed on the matter, said in the House that the
plans upon which the Mississippi River Commission has
been at work were absolute and total failure Mr
| uer burn, of Iowa. who has investigated the matter,
| pronounced the Judgment lie said that the
completion OF works the present plan would cost
hupdreds OF millions OF dollars For New York HarDor
the improyement OF which would benefit the whole
country by lowering the price of freight on one half s
| commerce. only u small apr fopriaton is made