The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-31
MILLIONS IN TRUST.
The Last of the Southern Claimants
Now in Washington.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Washington, Aug. A.-Yes, sir, l believe
I may assert without fear of successful
contradiction. sir. that am the only liv-
ing representative of that distinguished,
attractive and immortal group"
He was tall, erect and walked with a
quick elastic step, though his hair was
white and he was evidently advanced in
years. Anybody could see at glance
that he was every inch gentleman. even
if his coat and trousers were not of last
years vintage He spoke with humor-
Gus twinkle in his eyes in answer to an
inquiry about the numerous gentlemen of
his type who have been gradually disap-
pearing from their lettering grounds at
the national capital within the last few
years a
They were southern claimants. of
course there are no end Of southern war
claims. They grow in volume with each
congress. There are many heirs of estates
in the south who believe that the great
and rich government of the United states
will yet pay for negro slaves that were
lost through the misfortunes of war, but
they are not fling this sort of claim to
any appreciable extent The class of
claimants referred to- of which the gentle
man who used the foregoing words is one
have case of much better standing.
They lost their cotton after the war was
ended Ask almost any intelligent person
who is not personally interested in the
matter, and he will tell you that there
was no cotton or other property seized by
the agents Of the government after the
&c
fact
Under the provisions of the abandoned
and captured property act" passed at the
close of the Thirty-seventh congress. seiz-
ures were continued for a long time after
the surrender Of Lee, which marked the
close of the war. To make matters worse
a tax OF three cents a pound was imposed
on cotton, and any delinquency in the
payment of this tax offered additional ex-
cuSe FOR seizures by the agents of the gov
ernment. These agents received a COM
mission for their services which promised
speedy fortune If they could make large
and frequent hauls, and it may be reas-
onably inferred that they might have been
oVer-zealous rather than negligent in their
work. AT any rate within a few years
Following the close of the war the claims
filed on account of the operation Of the act
aggregated nearly S10O,OO0,OO0.
Noluminous acts of congress and court
decisions resulted from the effort of cot
ton growers to get back what they consid-
cred their own. As to the tax, the SUI
preme court decided it to be unconstitu-
tional There was quite a general agree
ment that most of the cotton seized I'M
der the act of 1868 could only be held by
placing violent construction upon the
law, and nearly s32. O0O, 900 resulting from
the sale of such cotton was covered into
the treasury to be held as a trust fund
for those whocould make good their claims
to restitution under the law. Nearly Sill
100000 of this sum was paid out to claim
ants by Secretaries Fessenden, Chase and
McCulloch. More than $20,00O00O all told
has been so restored, and about ST., 500, 900
vet remains in the treasury
About quarter of a century ago these
claimants were one of the conspicuous
features Of Washington life. The wealth.
lest of them had gathered up the flag ends
OF their shattered fortunes and come on
10 the capital o. the country to secure pay
ment of what they considered to be their
righteous dues. No people ever lounged
in congressional or hotel Hobbies who were
more welcome to the capital than they