The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-28
COTTON SEIZED IN SOUTH
Money Speaks For Bill to REIN
burse the Owners.
CHANDLER OPPOSES. BILL LAID ASIDE
The House Breaks All Records by Passing
Nnety-0ne Private Pension Bills. The
Conference Report on Hawaiian
Government Bill Adopted,
Government Bill Adopted.

Washington, April 27.-The Senate
today voted upon the resolution de-
claring Nathan b. Scott to be entitled
to his seat in the Senate from West
Virginia. The number of votes In the
negative was only 3. Mr.. Chandler
gave notice that he would call up the
case of Senator Clark, of Montana, on
Wednesday of next week, but mt
mated that he would not press con-
sideration until Senators could have
time to read the testimony in the
case.
Mr.. Money. (Miss.), by unanimous
consent. called up bll to amend
an act to provide for the collection
of abandoned property and the pre-
yention of frauds in insurrectionary
districts within the United States. lie
offered an amendment in the form OF
a new section restricting the provl-
sions of the bill to the proceeds of cot
ton seized and sold under the act OF
1863.
Mr.. Money explained that the bill If
passed would afford opportunity to
owners of private property to 60 'Is>
the courts to establish their proprle-
torship of the cotton that fell into the
hands of the authorized agents of the
United States during the Civil War.
The doors would not. he said, be open
ed by the enactment of the law, to
general raid on, the Treasury. He ex-
planned that the amount involved
would be less than S5,000,000. The
cotton had been seized by the United
States military commanders, shipped
to New York and there sold. the pro-
ceeds being placed in the Treasury.
There it had been since held as
trust fund. He maintained that the
owners of the seized cotton had q
right to their pro rata share In TINS
fund because under the principles OF
international law and the law of civil
lied warfare the Government right
fully could not hold the proceeds OF
private property seized and sold dur
inc hostilities. He contended that de-
cisions of the courts entitled the own
ers of this seized property to lay claim
to their share of this property.
Mr.. Chandler said that half the
money which the Government had
realized from the sale of seized and
abandoned property had been return
ed in times past to the people of the
South. He declared his intention,
however, to do what he could to keep
the little pittance that was left in the
Treasury. 1t had cost the United
States Government $600,000,000 and
100000 lives. he said. to carry the
the Civil War to conclusion and he
thought it we'll to place this little pit
tance as a set off against the enor-
nous expenditure of $60O.000,000.
Mr.. Money said he had no doubt of
the position of Mr.. Chandler and fully
expected him to act in accordance
with his Judgment. but there was a
right in this case which no man ought
to disregard.
He concluded with an appeal to Sen
ators opposed to the measure to per-
nit it to come to a vote.
The bill was then laid aside and
consideration was resumed of the
Scott seating resolution.
Mr.. Pettus spoke in support of his
motion to recOmmit the resolution to
the committee with instructions to
investigate the case thoroughly.
Mr.. Turner, (Wash.), asserted his
belief that there had been duplicity,
double dealing and fraud in the elec-
ton of Mr.. Scott.
Mr.. Chandler, chairman Of the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections
gave warning that in the next Senate
the credentials of Mr.. Blackburn, of
Kentucky. would be considered and if
the doctrine established in the Turpie
case (of Indiana), which had been rec
ognjzed as binding on the Senate. was
to be over-ruled the Senate would be
called upon to go into the question as
to the competency of the Federal
power to go back of the returns of
duly and legally constituted legisla-
ture.
Mr.. Bacon, (Ga.), said that he be-
lieved the majority report of the COM
mittee was based on sound law and
that the United States Senate could
not enter into an investigation of a
Legislatures right to determine the
qualifications of its members.
Mr.. McComas, (Md.), defended Mr..
Scott's alleged rights.
The Pettus motion was defeated
without division. The resolution of
the Committee declaring that Mr..
Scott was entitled to retain his seat
in the Senate was then adopted 50 to
3, the votes in the negative being east
by Messrs. Morgan, (Ala), Pettus,
(Ala.). and Turner. Mr.. Scott who
was on the floor was soon surrounded
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