The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-19
RELIEF FOR REBELS
Debate on the Southern War
Claims Bill
a SOUTHERN TRICK EXPOSED.
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4 SOUTHERN TRICK EXPOSED.

wAsHIysfos CrrY. April IA-In the
House tOday Mr.. Enioe Of Tennessee. ris-
ing to question Of personal privilege. had
read an article from . New York paper de-
claEing that gigantic job had been discov-
ersd IN the Southern war claims bill intro
duced by him. The article statss that Mr..
Thomas Of Wisconsin. chairman of the
COMMITTEES on var claims. had denounced
the bili - one of the most infamous jobs
which had ever been foisted upon congrcsA
Mr.. Thomas said that he bad not Gen.
sured any member Of the committee. He
had stated that If the bill passed il would
Be infamous. because be could prove that .
number Of the claims in the bill were the
claims Of persons notably disioyal
Mr.. Enloe said that tho charge in the
article that he had brought the bill before
the House IN . surreptitious manner was .
falsehood
Mr.. Thomas reiterated his statement that
. number OF claims In the bill were those Of
disloyai persons and that number OF them
had never been examined by the committee.
When the bill. which was the FIRST on the
calendar. came up, Mr.. Thomas OF Wiscon-
sin offered resolution that the bill be re-
ported 70 the House, with . recommends
ti0n that It BE- recommitted with instruc-
tons 70 the committee on var claims, to
inquire into the loyalty Of EACH claimant.
The court Of claims bill was the FIRST on
the calendar and Mr.. Thomas resolution
TO report the bill back with recommends
ton that IL Be referred to the committee on
rules. for the investigation OF the status Of
the measure In connection with the rules
Of the House. was lost A point OF order
was raised By Mr.. Kerr, that the commit
tee on war claims had no jurisdiction over
the rule.
Mr.. Thomas Of Wisconsin offered res
olution that the bill b reported hack to the
House with . Recommendation that it be
recommitted with instructions to the CON-
mittee on war claims 70 inquire into the
loyalty Of each claimant. He said the bill
contained 2s5 claims based on pretended
findings of the court Of claims. OF this
number were eight cases where no find-
ings had been transmitted to congress. In
176 cases the usual method OF ascertaining
loyalty of tho parties had not been fol-
lowed. The committee on war claims had
punched these 2s5 claims without any ex-
animation or investigation. The secretary
of war had transmitted TO the committee,
since the report of the bill. statement
showing that in "a cases the claimant filed
vouchers for supplies furnished the Con-
federates 90 had done some other thing in
dicating disloyalty.
Mr.. Cannon said, II this Was correct, the
house dare not pass the bill until it had
besn thoroughly investigated.
Mr.. Buchanan Of New. Jersey de-
nounced the attempt - drag throueh cor
fupt with incorrupt cases.
Mr.. Houk Of Tennessee said Il was not
SO much corruptness - . desire to kill the
bill.
This precipitated . wordy war, in which
Buchanan, Houk, Kerr and others took
part. Mr.. 6tockdale Of Mississippi argued
that the fact that man signs vouchers for
furnishing supplies to the Confederate
army was no proof of disloyalty. If he
hadn't signed, his property would have
been taken anyway.
Mr.. Houk spoke for the loyal men of the
South, declaring that had Il not been for
them the Confederacy would have sue
ceeded.
After tilt between Houk and Grosyenor,
q resolution by McComas was agreed 70,
recommitting the bill with instructions to
tho committee TO report 10 back within two
weeks and that the bill be placed at the
head of the calendar. When the resolution
was reported to the House, Mr.. Grosvenor
raised . point Of order and the speaker
ruled the resolution out of order. The bill
therefore went back on the calendar.