The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-12
SOUTHERN WAR CLAIMS
Considered by the House in Com
mittee of the Whole.
DINGLEY IN OPPOSITION
He Urged That the Claims Be Consid-
cred Separately-Eig OF the
Original Claimants Dead-An
Attempt to Filibuster.


pay the Bowman act claims, aggregat-
ing 81, 200, 600 for stores and supplies
furnished the union army during the
war. was before the house until
o'clock to-day. but beyond completing
the general debate. little progress was
made OF the 500 odd claims in the BILL
all but a few come from the South and
dilatory tactics were resorted TO to pre-
vent progress with the bill. During the
filibustering. the house was in an up
roar At o'clock after completing two
pages of the bill, the house recessed
until o'clock for an evening session,
10 be devoted to pension legislation.
After the evening session the house
adjourned over until Monday.
Under the special order made last
week, to-day was set aside for the con-
sideration Of bill containing a provi-
| sion for claims aggregating 81 900. 900
reported by the court of claims under
| the provisions of the Bowman act. Hull.
| rep, Iowa. chairman Of the military
| affairs committee, reported a complete
| agreement by conferees on the army
| appropriation bill. The report WAS
| agreed TO without debate.
The house then went into committee
| of the whole and took up the special
order. Loud Of California demanded
| the reading of the bill. which covers so
| pages. Mr.. Dalzell, rep. Penn. before
the debate began. made the point of
| order against the bill that 1t was not
| competent for the war claims commit
| tee to report a bin containing $40
| claims, each of which should be the
| subject of a separate bill. The chair
man Of the committee of the whole,
| Mr.. Payne Of New York. ruled that the
| point came too late. The general debate
| then proceeded under an agreement
| that ii be limited TO two hours.
Mr.. Gibson. rep. Tenn. in opening
! the debate explained the nature of the
| claims, all of which were for stores and
| supplies furnished to the army by loyal
| citizens. The loyalty of the claimants
had been afflrmatively proved. The
/ claims. be said. were distributed as fol-
| lows, by states: Alabama, so; Arkansas.
Sc; Georgia. AZ; Illinois 1: Kansas. 3,
| Kentucky. Sc; Louisiana, %. Maryland
| 70. Mississippi, 109 Missouri. 81: New
/ York, l. North Carolina, II; Ohio. .;
| Oregon /; Pennsylvania. 4: South Caro-
/ lima. ?; Tennessee, Is; Virginia. 66. West
Virginia. 10.
Mr.. Dingley opposed the bill in an
earnest speech. He insisted that men,
/ bers who imagined that the findings of
! the court of claims in these cases con-
stituted a liability against the govern
ment were mistaken. The court simply
/ InuAu certain IdctSs lie WAS perfectly
willing. he said, to take up these claims
separately and pass upon their merits.
Mr.. Richardson, dem, Tenn. in adj
vocating the passage Of the bill. called
attention to the fact that % per cent. of
| the claims submitted to 1t Were reject
ed. That WAS sufficient evidence Of tht
! vigorous character of the examination
| made by that court. OF the original
claimants relieved by this bill he said
/ So per cent. were dead.
| Mr.. Evans, rep, Ky, In advocating
the bill. said that the republican leader
| fMr. Dingley1 set up scarecrow TO
/ frighten members when he alleged that
| the passing of this bill would establish
a precedent which would permit South
| ern claimants to loot the treasury. He
| pointed out that one of the first war
| claims passed by the house at this ses-
! sion was one TO pay citizen OF Maine
| tWiliam Grant, $4,000, Mr.. Dingleys s
| voice had not been raised against the
claim, although II had. unlike these
claims. been rejected by the court of
claims and the rejection had been ap-
| proved by the supreme court of the
| United States. 1t vas only when the
| separate claims were brought in that
| the distinguished republican leader
| cried out against imaginary raids upon
| the treasury.
After some further debate by Messrs
| Daizell and GrosNenor against the bill
and by Mr. otgen. rep. Wis, in favor
Of 1t, the reading Of the bill for amend
| ment began.
Mr. Moody, rep, Mass. as soon as
the enaeting clause had been read, Of
| fered as an amendment a bill contain
ing the French spoilatien claims. The
reading of the bill was demanded as a
| fllibusterng movement. II contained AZ
| pages.
Mr.. Mahon, rep, Pa. chairman of the
| committee on war claims. warned Mr..
Moody who. he said, was deeply inter-
| ested in the French spoilation claims.
| that II an attempt was made to force
the reading Of this amendment. as a
| filibustering movement, the bill would
| eventually pass. but he would take good
care that the French spoilating clause
! did not pass. Mr. Moody denied that
he had offered the amendment for pur-
poses of delay He asked that the read
ing be dispensed with. but Mr.. Hop
kins. rep. ILL., objected. Thereupon
Mr. Williams, dem. Miss. made the
point that the amendment was out of
order.
The chair finally ruled the amend
ment out. Speaking 70 prof0rma point
u order, Mr.. Lewis dem, Wash. COM
mented upon a dispatch i'm the news
! papers from Ottawa. giving the details
If an alleged agreement between Can
ada and the United States regarding
the Alaska boundary line. Mr.. Lewis
said that II the reported agreement was
true, il was a complete surrender by
the United States. ard would give Can
ada Dyea White pass. Summit lake
and territory and property worth a
billion dollars
Without making any progress with
the bin The committee arose. upon
which. apan the motion Of Mr. Ding
ley, IL was agreed that Waen the house
adjourn to-day 1t would be- 10 meet on
Monday.
Al O'Clock the house recessed until
5 o'clock.
Arid Lnmh I'm.