The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-03-05
UNCLE SAM HAS
S|O,oOO,oOO He WANTS
TO Give AWAY
This Money Has Been in the
Public Treasury for Over,
Forty Years.

Washington, March 4.-There is $10,-
ro2S, S51.sS in the United States treasury.
which has been there something over 40
years. for which the government is
anxious to find an owner.
The money was paid into the treasury
in cash, and has been there since the
civil war period. Nobody has been ask
ing for it, and latterly the legal condi-
lions have been such that nobody could
have secured any of it ever by proving
that he owned it. 1t represents the pro-
-oeeds Of captured and abandoned
property taken by union soldiers dur,
ing the war, sold for cash, and turned
into the treasury.
Many millions of claims for this sort
Of property were paid out in the years.
immediately following the war; but
there is still left Over $40. 600, 900 in the
treasury. and it is now proposed to
pass a law under which opportunity
shall be provided for the people en-
titled to this amount to get it.
There is. still maintained a committee
on evolutionary claims, which doesn't
often have any business; but there is
record of that committee meeting in
recent years, and it is we'll known that
a number of cases are pending, involv-
ing claims for losses during the revolu-
%tionary war. 1t is likely that so years
hence there will Still be occasional bust
ness for a committee OF evolutionary
claims.
Another Century.
But at the present rate of progress
toward settling claims growing out of
the civil war, another century will
not nearly mark the settlement of the
last of these claims. Not a session of
congress passes without a good deal of
legislation to satisfy such claims Thus
the last session passed a large number
of claims relating to damages to
church property in the Couth, and more
of the same kind constantly find their
way to the bill files of the two Houses.
Many millions Of claims are still pend
ing, relating to destruction of property,
use of vessels and other property of non
combatants, etc.
In 1863 a bill passed authorizing gov
agents to collect captured and
abandoned property in the rebellious
states, sell it. and turn the proceeds
into the treaSury as a trust fund for
the owners If they should eve claim
1t. All c~ontraband of war was except
ed, and all articles which could be used
in waging war-furniture, forage, etc.
Altogether about $50, 900, 900 was turned
into the treasury under this act. OF
this there is still about So 600, 600 left.
Just Reported.
The House committee on war claims
has just reported a bill to per-
nit persons holding claims of this
sort to carry them to the court Of
lain for final adjudication. In it's
report on the bill the committee tells
d most interesting STORY OF lne EFFORTS
to settle these ancient claims. Con-
gress after congress has taken some
step toward it. but for various reasons
Qualities have not been eached. and
the present report insists that it is a
outy of ongre to attend to these just
claims. No persons who were engaged
In rebellion are to be paid any of the
money. At one time congreS gave the
court of claims jurisdiction of a class
of claims, and then the court Of claims
itself construed that act so that its
terms expired five years before the date
Of its passage. This ridiculous per-
formance is referred to in feeling terms
In the present report. which intimates
broadly that the court of claims has
seemed to believe that it's function was
TO keep people from getting money
away from the government, by decid-
ing rigidly against claimants wherever
possible.
If the present bill passes it will be
a long step toward the settlement Of
one class of claims; but there are thou
sands of other still! pending which
would not be affected by his bill. and
further legislation would be needed to
reach them. 1t must be understood
that when the court of claims reaches
a verdict against the government, tina
does not assure the matter
must then go to congress and an APP
preparation be secured to make the
payment in accordance with the award
or on some other basis. Congress is
therefore made the real supreme court
of claims. 1t is small wonde in view
of the complications of the matter.
that it takes centuries to close UP the
claims arising out of a great war.
~"