The Portland daily press., 1898-03-12
BOWMAN ACT CLAIMS.
House Discussed War Claims Amount.
ing to Over Million.
RJLL OPPOSED BY MIR. DINGLEY
IN EARNEST SPEECH.

Findings of Court He Says Does Not Neces-
sarily Constitute Liability Against Gov
ernment-Atte.npt to Attach French
spoliation Claims to the Bill Fails.
Washington, March 11.-Under the
special order made last week, today YVES
set aside for the consideration of the bill
containing provision of claims aggregat-
ing 81 200, 900 reported by the Court of
Claims under the provisions of the Bow
man act Before the special order was
entered upon Mr.. Hull, Republican Of
Iowa, chairman of the military affairs
committee, reported complete agreement
BY the conferees Of the army appropria-
ton bill The report was agreed to with
out debate.
The House then went into committee of
the whole and took up the special order.
Mr.. Loud Republican of California, de-
manded the reading OF the bill which
covers eighty pages.
Mr. Dalzell, Republican of Pennsyl-
yania, befors the de bate began, made the
point of order against the bill that it was
not competent for the war claims COM
m ittee to report a bill containing $40
claims, each of which should be the SUBJ
ject of separate bill.
The chairman of the committee of the
whole, Mr.. Payne OF New York, ruled
that the point came too late. The general
debate then began under an agreement
that it should be limited to two hours.
Mr.. Gibson, Republican of Tennessee,
- IoI% lot %Ha
nature of the claims, all of which were
for stores and supplies furnished to the
army by local organizations. The loyalty
of the claimants had been affirmatively
proven The claims, he said, were dis
tributed as follows; by states: Alabama,
60; Arkansas, &c; Georgia, 42; Illinois,
i; Kansas, s; Kentucky, So; Louisiana,
90; Maryland. 70; Mississippi, los;
Missouri, 81; New York, l; North Caro-
yania, 4; South Carolina, 3; Tennessee,
1Os; Virginia, 66; and West Virginia, 46.
Mr.. Dingley, the Republican floor
leader. opposed the bill In an earnest
speech. He insisted that members who
imagined that the findings of the court of
claims in these cases constituted liablli-
ty against the government were entirely
mistaken. The court simply found cer-
tain facts. He was perfectly willing, he
cAANSN
and pass upon their merits.
Mr.. Richardson, Democrat of Tennes-
see in advocating the passage of the bill
called attention to the fact that 90 per
cent of the claims submitted to it We're
rejected. Of the original claimants re-
lieved by this bill, he said, 85 per cent
were dead.
Mr. Walker, Republican of Massachu-
setts supported tire bill. He said the
government should pay its debts and he
was tired of seeing certain members
filibustering every Friday against the pay
ment of the honest obligations of the
government.
Mr.. Evans, Republican of Kentucky in
advooating the bill said that the Republi-
can leader, Mr.. Dingley, set up scare
crow to frighten members when he al
legged that the passage of this bill would
establish precedent which would per-
NIT southern claimants to loot the treas
ury. He pointed out that one of the first
war claims passed by the House, this
session, was one to pay citizen of
Maine, VIM. S. Grant, s7s, 600. Mr..
Dingley's voice had not been raised
against that claim, although it had, un-
like these claims. been rejected by the
court of claims and the rejection had been
approved by court of the United States.
1t was only when the southern claims
were brought in that the distinguished
Repu blican leader cried out against i'm
aginary raids upon the treasury.
After some further debate by Messrs.
Dalzell and Grosvenor against the bill,
and by Mr.. Often, Republican of Wiscon-
sin in favor of it, the reading of tho bill
for amendment began.
Mr. Mooney, Republican of Massachu-
settS, as soon as the enact1ng clause had
been read, offered as an amendment bill
containing the French spoliation claims.
The reading of the bill was demanded as
a filibustering move. 1t contained AZ
pages.
Mr.. Mahan, Republican Of Pennsyl-
yania, chairman of the committee on war
claims, warned Mr.. Moody. whom, he
said was interested in the French spolia.
ton claims, that if an attempt was made
TO force the reading OF this amendment as
filibusteripg move, the bill! would
eventually pass, but he would take good
did not pass.
Mr. Moody denied that he had offered
an amendment for the purpose OF delay.
He asked that the reading be dispensed
with. but Mr.. Hopkins, Republican of
illinois objected Thereupon Mr..
Williams, Democrat of Mississippi made
the point that the reading was dilatory.
He also made the point that the amend
ment was out Of order.
HaThe chair finally ruled the amendment
out. Speaking to pro forma point of
order. Mr.. Lewis, Dem, WASH, COM
mented upon despatch in today's papers
from Ottawa giving the details of an al
legged agreement between Canada and the
United States regarding the Alaska
boundary line Mr.. Lewis said that If the
renorted agreement was true, it was q
oomplete surrender of the United States
and would give to Canada Dyea. White
pass. Summit Lake and territory and
nroperty worth billion dollars.
Without making any progress with the
hill. the committee rose and upon motion
Of Mr.. Dingley it was agreed when the
house adjourned today it would be to
meet on Monday, at $40 the House ad-
iourned until eight O'Clock.
At the nights session twenty-five PEN
sion bills were passed and in committee
of the whole 40 bills were favorably acted
upon.