The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-12
BOWMAN ACI CLAIMS
Bill Debated in the House
Under Difficulties.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
Including One TO Discourage
Free Zone" Smuggling.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

Washington, March 1.-THE bill to pay
The Bowman act claims, aggregating
Sl2oQ0e0, for stores and supplies furnish
ed the Union army during the war. was
before the house until o'clock today,
out beyond completing the general de-
Date, httlep rogress was made. Of the 500
odd claims in the bill, all but few come
from the south, and dilatory tactics were
resorted to 70 prevent progress with the
bill. During the flibustering the house
was in an uproar. At o'clock. after
completing two pages OF the bill. the
house recessed until s o'clock for an
evening session to be devoted to pension
legislation After the evening session the
mouse adjourned over until Monday.
BEFORE the special order was entered
upon Mr.. Hull, (Rep., Ia.), chairman of
me military affairs committee. reported
complete agreement by the conferees
on the army appropriation bill. The re-
port was agreed to without debate.
CLAIMS BILL TAKEN UP.
Inc house then went into committee Of
the whole and took up the special order.
Mr.. Loud (Cal) demanded the reading
OF the bill, which covers so pages.
Mr.. Dalzeu (Rep., Pa, before the de-
bate began, made the point Of order
against the bill that it was not competent
for the war claims committee to report
a bin containing $40 claims, each Of which
should be the subject Of a separate bill.
The chairman Of the committee Of the
~ ~
the point came too late
The general debate then began under
an agreement that it should be limited TO
hours. Mr.. Gibson TENN, in opening
the debate. explained the nature of the
claims, all of which were for stores and
supplies furnished to the army by Ioval
citizens. The loyalty Of the claimants
had been af1irmatively proven. The
claims, he said, were distributed as fol-
-oWs by states: Alabama, 60; Arkansas.
g; Georgia, y; Illinois. !; Kansas. 3.
Kentucky. So; Louisiana, %; MARYLAND. 70:
Mississippi, 109; Missouri, 81; New York.
I; North Carolina, 13; Ohio, ,; Oregon. /:
Pennsylvania. 4; South Carolina. .: Ten
nessee, $50; Virginia, &c, and West Vir-
GINA, 46
DINGLEY OPPOSES.
Mr.. Dingley, the Republican floor lead
er, opposed the bill in an earnest speech
lie insisted that members who imagined
that the findings Of the court Of claims
IN these cases constituted a liability
against the government were mistaken.
The court simply found certain facts. He
was perfectly willing, he said, to take
mp these claims separately and pass upon
their merits
Mr.. Richardson Oen., TENN, in advo-
eating the passage of the bill, called at
tenuon to the fact that % per cent Of
the claims submitted to it We're rejeced.
That was sufficient evidence Of the vigor-
Gus character Of the examination made by
hat court OF the original claimants re-
ieved by this bill, he said, S. per cent
were dead.
Mr.. Evans (Rep., Ky), in advocating
The bill said that the Republican leader
tMr. Dingley) set up a scarecrow to
brighten members when he alleged that
The passing of this bill would establish
Il precedent which would permit southern
claimants to loot the treasury He
pointed out that one of the first war
claims passed by the house at this SEES
sion was one to pay a citizen Of Maine
civilian S. Grant, $4,000. Mr.. Dingley's
voice had not been raised against that
claim. although 1t had. unlike these
claims. been rejected by the court of
claims and the rejection had been ap-
proved by the supreme court of the Unit
ID States. II was only when the southern
claims were brought in that the distin-
guished Republican leader cried out
against imaginary raids on the treasury.
After some further debate by Messrs.
nalzeH and Grosvenor against the bill,
and by Mr.. Otgen CRep., Wis.,, in favor
Of it. the reading of the bill for amend
ment began.
FILIBUSTER ATTEMPTED.
Mr.. Moody (Rep., Mass.) as soon as the
snacting clause had been read. offered
IS an amendment a bill containing the
French spoliation claims. The reading Of
the bill was demanded as a hlibustering
move. 1t contained A 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 spoliauon claims,
that IL an attempt was made to force
the reading of this amendment as 4 fili-
clustering move. the bill would eventually
pass. but he would take good care that
the French spoliation claims did not pass.
Mr.. Moody denied that he had offered
the amendment for purposes Of delay. He
asked that the reading be dispensed with.