The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-17
THE SOUR LAKE FIELD CIVIL WAR CLAIMS.
Hard Fight for Allowance Pronounced
Fraudulent in 1868.
THE REVELATIONS OF THAT PERIOD
Withheld from Publication Because Presl
dent Lincoln Believed They Would
Make the People Despair.

Washington, January 10 The house de-.
voted the day to prlyate war claims pass
Ing about twenty The two features Of the
day we're the defeat OF claim Of b. L.
Moody Go. Of Keokuk. Iowa. for tho pay.
nicnt Of the amount deducted from their
contract for furnishing equipment to the
Ihlrd Iowa cavalry By the famous com.
mleslon which unearthed the army contract
frauds in ST. Louis In 1868; and the light
of Mr. Payne, the door leader Of the ma
jorlty, against an omnibus resolution to re.
fer ninety Southern claims, asgregating
saoONO, for stores and supplies u ken by the
onion army durug the CIVIL war, 10 tue
court or claims tor nndlng " tact uudet
the Fucker act. The former bill led to
lively controversy between two Iowa mem.
bGibi Messrs Smith and Hedge Mr. Hit
tllLl, the chairman of the foreign affairs
committee, was the stcnographor OF the
commission, and was able personally 10
cofroborate Mr.. Hedge In his opposition to
tue Dill the combination In favor OF the
omnibus c!aims resolutions was too strong
quorum failed AS the previous question
mad been ordered, the vote Oh rhe adoption
of the resolution viii be the hrst thing In
order on next claims day
Mr.. smith (loWal was in charge Of the
claim Of y. +. Moody y CO. The original
amount exceeded $4,000, but 1t was sCnled
down by the pou,miitee 90 Ssl46 MIR,
the contract having beeu executed under
the authority OF General John Fremont,
through his agent, General Cyrus Bussey.
Mr. Hedge uowuD, Mr. Smiths colleague,
lmpcached the claim, nrst the ground
thAt II had been allowed to slumher for
thirty Years without being presented 10
congress, and tncn proceeded TO point out
that 1t had it's origin IN the action Of the
famous commission consisting Of David
Davis, Hugh Campbell aud Joseph Holt,
which unearthcd the alleged frauds In
don go .at fsf tnn
Louis, in 1853 lie declared that General
Fremont had been suspended because of
the iutoIorablc conditions that were found
TO exist
The report Of that commission" he said,
was never printed, because Lincoln be
licved that its reycla lions would make the
people despair.
Il have thst record, said Mr smith,
raising alott a package of papers, musty
aud yellow With age.
But it was never printed" insisted Mr.
Mr. hit chairman OF the committee on
foreign affairs, who had been the Stenog
raphcr of tho St Louis commission, cor
Witch Mr. Smith had displayed had 6eeu
written by bis own hand He told Of the
gigantic frnuds unearthed IN that inyeSti-
CATION aud of the unwilinGueSs Of the Hu'
thoritles to permit the complete story to
become public. owing to the dishcarteninE
effect 1t might produce on the people lie
dId not rGmemhGr me details iG OF the par
Mr.. Smith insisted that the claim was
not fraudulent In law or in fact The
house however voted the bill down. 80
to 20
Among the hills passed was one to pay
S5s3 10 Mrs. Flora A. Darling for damages
growing out of her arrest by the military
authorities of New Orleans, In lSbi, while
she was on nag of truce boat under safe
conduct MIr orno tna soor lender q, tno MA
| joilty, led stormy dght against an omnl-
4 la a of