Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-20
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

For many years after the organiza-
ton OF the Government all claims
against the United States
The Court were adjudicated by
of Claims Congress. Fifty years
ago a proposal was made
to create special court to consider
such cases. The Star Of March is,
1882, says:
In its direct effects, as well as in its
remote results, one of the most useful
propositions is the bill which proposes
to transfer the consideration Of all pri-
vate claims from Congress to the Court
OF Claims, It Is evident that Congress
can no longer afford to give the time
necessary to properly consider and dis
pose OF that class Of business. The
country Is too large and its general in
terests are too many, too important and
too diverse to allow the members
OF either House to spend their time and
energy in listening to the many and
endless stories Of everybody who has a
claim OF any kind, real or supposed,
against the Government, much less to
carefully investigate the facts in each
particular case and secure for 1t proper
legislation, whether favorable or adj
verse. 1t Is quite safe to say that pri-
vate bills now engross the attention and
consume the time of a majority of
members to far greater extent than
those measures which involve the gen.
eral welfare Of the country. If these
could be kept out Of Congress until
their character had been first inyesti-
gated and their merits passed upon by
a tribunal having adequate facilities for
taxing testimony and weighing evi-
dence, public interest could receive that
consideration and legislation which
their nature entities them to and which
1t IS simply impossible to give under
exlstlng conditions, Members of the
greatly reduce and simplify their own
labors, but at the same time effectually
promote and protect the interests of the
whole country by passing a properly
framed bill making the proposed trans
Ter without a moments unnecessary
delay. So far no well-grounded OBJ
lection has ever been urged against the
proposed measure and those most COM
petent to Judge do not believe that any
such can be found to exist"
whether he Is willing 10 admit Il or
not" says The Star Of March is. 1882,
e.. n Gen. Grant has
zen. Grant as doubtless realized
New Yorker. t before this time
grave mistake In not settling down to q
life Of dignified and elegant retirement
IN Washington after his return from
his travels abroad. It was once his In
tention to permanently reside here, ac-
cording to his own statement, and had
ne carried out that purpose he would
have escaped number of experiences
which, II not actually Improbable and
compromising must have been dis
agreeable. to say the least. The Ma
tional Capital Is the natural and gen.
eral gathering place Of the prominent
personages In civil, military and naval
life, and he was certain to find con-
genial friends, enough of interest in
current topics and public affairs to
keep on ennui, and such surroundings
as would have enabled him to keep up
q suitable establishment on a moder-
ate outlay. Other influences prevailed,
against his better Judgment
and In an unfortunate moment the ex-
President decided to make his home In
New York, where, instead Of the favor
able conditions existing In Warrington,
Al exactly opposite state Of things was
found TO prevail. There the leading
after money and an extravagant dis
play, whether the outlay required can
really be afforded or not. These things
we're foreign to the tastes Of Grant and
he was in nowise suited to them by
any experience of his past life. 1t is
not unreasonable TO suppose. therefore,
that he has found his new place Of res
dence uncongenial In many respects,
md himself placed more than once In
false and embarrassing position by the
greedy horde about him, and 1t Is easy
10 believe that he often longed for
something OF his old life and the COM
panR of old and tried compAnions.s