Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-06-05
FRANQULIA0 LUNA
AAD HIS CLAIM
House Report Tells Interesting
Story Of How Defeated Can
didats Failed TO Collect His
$4,000.

tspssial casseapoahaars g. sns rseralG)
Washington. p. ~. june 2.--The RAJ
yorable report 20 the house Of rep
.resentatlvea Of the eiaiu Of the widow
of the late Trnnqullino Luna. defeated
candidate for delegate from New
Mexlco, by Mr. Mott from tho conn
mittee on claims. ~ interesting. II IA
az follows
This committee on caima, 70 whom
was refeFred Tho bill (sf. r. ioS1o) TO
authorize the payment of s2.oee 20 the
widow Of the late Tranqulilno Luna.
IN full for his contest expenses IN the
contested election ease az Manzanares
against Lima. haYing considered the
same, report thereon with recom-
incubation that Il do pass
Tranuuiljno Luna, for whose WIDOW
relief ~ sought in this bill. was a ma
tive Of New Mexico, Of spanish line
age. and during his lifetime was n
very prominent citizen Of tho terri
tory OF New Mexico, In the year
i882 ne was nominated by his party
a. candidate for delegate 10 con-
grcNs. and al the election Ia Novom-
Der Of that year was elected and eiven
his certificate OF election by the acting
governor ~ New Mexico on Novem-
her ~. 1889.
on December %. 1882. r. A. Man
aanares. Aho had been the opponent
Of Luna in the campaign. filed a mo-
tice OF contest ~ his election 20 the
position for which he had received 4
certificate or election. or january
~. 1883, Luna filed an answer IN fall
10 an the eaaFEcs OF Manzanares, and
the Investigation was begun BY the
cectiou committee Of the house OF
representatives. which during the
course 0f It's Investigation found Ruf-
ficient fraudulent votes IA Valencia
county. NrN Mcxico, 20 cause Il 70
report a resolution unscating Luna
and seating Mnnxauares. who WAS
duly sworn Ia ON March 8, 1854, and
completed his term az delegate On
July Z. 1854, an appropriation of
$4,000 was made 10 pay the contest
expenses OF n. A. Mnn2anaree, no hav-
Ing aied a statement Of his expenses
and asked for the appropriation.
When Luna was unseated he left
Washington Immediately, and through
ignorancn oF anger tailed 10 file any
statement OF his contest expenses, FOR
an appropriation. az required By tho
law Of March 8, 1897. though Il IL
known bo had expended many thous-
ands 81 dollars In the defense OF his
election Alhdavits have been pre-
scented showing the payment Of more
than the amount claimed IN the bllI.
Tile records III congress show that
about ak years Inter blll III n.
i2sG2) for fhA relief OF Tranqullino
Luna was introduced IN tho nfty-Ilrst
congress by the then deiegete IN con-
gress from Nav Megic0. This bill was
referred 70 the COMMITTEES on claims
and 40 report ever made on II.
About 1859 Luna died. leaving a
widow. who IL now living IN santa re,
y. AZ. and she has mad a bin pending
before the iifty-elghth congress. but
the amount claimed was $4,000, which
- more than h allowed In similar
cases.
summing Bp the history Of this ease.
4 would seetn that under the statutes
a claim to the amount OF $4,000 IS abb
soiuiely valid aud incontestable, and
for the guidance OF the committee in
such matters as theae congress has
enacted directory and almost mandn-
tory statutes es ia payment Of election
contest expenses. II certainly vaildat-
ed the claim Of Luna BY paying $4,000
10 his opponent and has never paid
one cent 20 Lama Or his heirs. aa shown
by records Of the appropriations Of
congress.