Arizona republican., 1902-02-24
UNCLE SAMUEL
 DILAT0RY DEBTOR
Vast Sums Due American Citi-
 zenS For Many Years
Congress is the Only Lawful Collec- tion Agency for Just. Claims of Many Millions Against the Gov ernment.


 consid =ration is never given to d large volume of floating indebtedness. the total of which runs into millions of dollars. The government owes this money to it's citizens and many of these debts date back to the founda ton of the government. The United States is an elusive debtor. and it has often been said that if the government Were an individual and conducted its business as it dogs as a government it would soon get into the penitentia~y. Claims gainst the government are proverbially hard to collect. The United States car net be sued under the ordinary forms of law for the collection of an account against it. and the machinery for such collection through legislative channels is so Complicated that vexatious delays are inevitable.
 The number of claimants who have accounts against the United States and who are seeking relief through legis- lation and who have bills before the Fifty-seVenth congress exceed those Cf any prior congress since the close of the civil war. Although the session has but fairly commenced over 1.1O0 bills have been presented in the senate and referred to the committee on claims fGr action. An equally large number. most
 
 the senate bills. have been introduced in the house. These bills embody the claims of several thousand individuals, the claims of nearly every state in the union. claims Of q large number of schools and churches, and of many cor porations and aggregate in amount over S1S.oOO. GOO. These claims are classified by the claims committee into seven classes as follows: State claims. French spoliation claims. chyrches and schools. personal injury claims. claims under Bowman and other acts. SeIfridge board findings and miscellaneous claims.
 This Sl3.O00. 900 represents only those claims which have been put into the form of bills and presented to congress for consideration. The claims growing out of the recent war with spain. tife Chilean war claims and others not yet before congress represent an additional alleged indebtedness of the United States amounting to probably S25.00O,- coo IL is probable. therefore. that the United States has q floating indebted ness. not yet adRlicated. and same of it of doubtfpl lpIeeality, amounting to nearly SO 0O50, GOO. In the business of a private corporation the floating debt is always included in a statement of Ha- bilities. but not so with the United States. II is also true that in the case of an individual or corporation. the floating debt causes the most trouble and Is the liability which generally leads to bankruptcy. The United States government, however takes into ac- count it's bonded debt only. and lets it's creditors do the worrying over the floating debt.
 The greater number of claims and
 
 attention Of congress has been called. come under the classification of the Bowman and other acts. These are claims for use of stores and supplies. the occupation and destruction of prop crty and other obligations incurred by the government during the civil war and not immediately paid for by the army of the United States. The claim ants are mainly residents of the south crn states. and much of the testimony introduced in their support is for the purpose of proving the loyalty of the claimants to the government at the time the property and stores were taken.
 Tha history of legislation under which claims for property and stores taken by the government during the civil war are and have been collected is of i'm terest. The supreme court Of the United States decided in 1862 that the war be- gan with the presidents proclamation of blockade, April 27. 1861. consequently all claims growing out of the war have been incurred since that date. Under act of congress approved July 1. 1S64 claims of loyal citizens for stores fur nished the army were referred to the qUartermaster general and the com missary general of the army for adjust ment. Under this act 5S.2S3 claims. a g. Gregating $i0 135. .16O.55. were filed or these 19,635 were approved and paid the amount being $6.01O. .745.33. There were disailowad sG.SS2. .O3S.64. and left unad- iudicate1 3S,64T claims amounting to over S27. coo GOO.
 It was found that the quartermaster general and the commissary general had not the proper facilities to properly adjudicate the great number of claims presented, and on March 2, 1871, con gress created commission known as the southern war claims commission, which was given powers of investiga- ton, and was required to report its findings to congress. In all claims for stores, supplies, etc. not exceeding Sl0,000 testimony was taken by agents of the commission in the state where the cla imant resided; in claims over that amount the claimant was required to come to W NaSnllSlpn 10 testiIy orally before the commission. This commis- sion disposed of many of the claims which it inherited from the war de- partmert. but it's term expired by linn itation on March 10. 1882 On March 9. 1882, congress passed what is known as the Bowman, act, providing that when any claim or matter is pending before either house of congress or any committee which involves the investi gation or determination of facts. the same may be transmitted to the court of claims for hearing. The court con strued this act in such a manner as