The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1908-03-11
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, March II, 1908.
South to Get Its War Claims.

A dispatch from Washington to the
News and Courier says:
'.The war claims committee of the
House has just submitted a compre-
hensive report on bills which have
been introduced in Congress author
izing the Court of Claims to adiudi-
cate claims for captured and aban-
doned property, without the permis-
sion of Congress, which has been nee
essary heretofore. The committee
recommends that the bill pass.
During the civil war property
amounting to approximately S20,OO0,-
600 was either captured by or aban-
doned to the Federal troops, and the
proceeds thereof were placed in the
treasury of the United States.
"By the Act of March -, 1868,
known as the captured and aban-
doned property Act, the Secretary of
the Treasury was authorized to ap-
point special agents to collect cap
tured and abandoned property in the
States then in insurrection, the pro-
ceeds thereof to be paid into the
Treasury of the United States. Nine
districts were established, and an
agent appointed for each. A large
amount of property in the States in
insurrection was seized, and the pro-
>ceeds, amounting to over $40, 900, 600,
reported to the Secretary Of the Treas
ury. The money was treated as a
trust fund under the control of the
Secretary. Already about one-half
of this fund has been paid out, leav-
ing at this time something like to
SIC, 1000, 900, still belonging to the peo-
ple of the Southern States.
''The purpose of this bill is to ex-
tend the limitation upon the Court of
Claims for the period of two years to
entertain suits to recover the proceeds
of the property of claimants where it
can be established that such proceeds
were actually covered into the Treas
ury of the United States. This money
does not belong to the Government,
and the members of the committees
who have investigated the question
from time to time are convinced that
nostone should be left unturned which
would help the people Of the South
sern States to recover for what was
Wrongfully taken from them.
1.-The question Of 'loyalty' has fig
ured largely in this matter. In De-
cember. 1859, the Supreme Court, of
the United States decided that the
rebellion" was suppressed August
20, 1866, the date of President john
sons proclamation of pardon and
amnesty, with restoration>of civil and
political rights and the Limitation OF
The right to commence suit took eIect
or expired August 20, 1868. Various
other Acts bearing on the subject
were passed from time to time.
''In closing the report the commit
tee SAYS: 'If the title Of the owners
of the owners Of the property seized
and sold under the captured and aban-
doned property Acts has never been
divested, if the Government holds the
net proceeds of the property thus sold,
without any legal title thereto and as
trustee for the owners, and If the
Presidents proclamation Of pardon
and amnesty was decision on the
part of the Government which decid-
ed afnrmatively the right of all the
owners of the property to the pro-
ceeds thereof in the Treasury, then in
equity and good conscience it ought
not to retain the money and provis-
ion should be made by which the
claimants of the fund may be ena-
bled to enforce their rights in the
NATTER"