Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-06-26
EX-CoV. HALLS GREAT FIGHT
AGAINST THE VIRGINIANS.
other Services in Congress and the
Treasury.


From the biographical sketch OF him by G. H.
Davenport in the Historical Biography of "Msn
OF Vermont" just issued by the Transcript Pub
fishing Co. BrattleborO,)
Mr. Hall did an important and perma-
nent service in connection with the act
of July %, 1886, in procuring the passage
of which lie took an active and leading
part and by which in the reorganiza-
ton of the postoffice department system
for which the settlement of accounts
was established, which inaugurated an
economical administration.
He made big and single-handed and
triumphant fight against the fraudulent
claims which had for years been put in
by Virginians under the name of COM
mutation half pay and bounty land
claims, founded on alleged promises of
the State of Virginia or of the Continental
Congress to officers of the Revolutionary
army, 1t was an organized raid led by
influential Virginians, Governors and
congressman, and had been pushed
through Congress with little opposition,
so that over S3,0000,000 had been collect
ed in the names of deceased officers, and
the demands were fast multiplying.
Mr.. Halls habit of thorough and ex-
haustive investigation stood him in good
bJCdu III Illlo uRuOs hG WGuJ IlIOuSu
the Revolutionary archives at Washing
ton and the public records at Richmond,
he found authentic evidence that every
one of these claims was unfounded, and
he made report as chairman of the
Committee on Revolutionary claims to
this effect. The whole Virginian dele
cation, led by Ex-Governor Gilmer, who
was getting per cent. on all he could
collect of these claims, aided by their
sectional sympathizers in the South and
political in the North, attacked him
bitterly and attempted re-opening of
the case by means of a select committee.
Hall in responce gave list of sixteen of
the last claims that had been paid, and
on which over 80 000 900 had been drawn,
challenged the Virginians to show that a
single one was well or honestly founded
and offered to withdraw his opposition
if they could. The fight lasted through
several days. Mr.. Hall sustained every
position he had taken in the debate, and
so thoroughly discounted his assailants
as to win the plaudits of ex-President
Adams and of the whole country. The
result was a select committee and a re-
port from it prepared by Mr.. Hall which
definitely suppressed the rascality.
He was president of the large "Whig'
convention held in Burlington in 1910,
and made the opening speech, and in
troduced and presented Hon. Daniel
Webster at the "Stratton Wing Conven-
tion," held on the top of Green Noun
tain on the 10th of August of the same
year.
He was bank commissionerIof Vermont
for four years, from 1S43, Judge of the
Supreme Court for like period until
1850, when he was appointed second
controller of the United States Treasury.
He had an opportunity while in the
latter position to do the country per-
manent service, and to lay down lines
which have since been followed in de-
partmental practice. He took the
ground that he should, if satisfied of
the illegality of an expenditure, reject it,
no matter who ordered it, even if the
head of department, or if sanctioned
by the President himself. He held this
ground against the published opinion of
three former attorney generals. He
showed conclusively that judicial author
ity had been designedly conferred on
the accounting officers as a check upon
lavish expenditures in the several de-
partments, and second edition of his
published opinion, which has since been
followed in the department, has recently
been printed for government use.