Year: 1879

on the 4th of July, 1865. Argument turned on
whether tho man was so tarin the United States
service as to be entitled to pension.
The bill to pay $4,000 to Asa Weeks for his
labor and expenses in perfecting torpedoes
and torpedo machiney, was laid over to be re-
ported favorably to the House.


Theu came up the 'war claim bills The
bill to pay John T. Armstrong, of Virginia,
$1S, GAO for the rent of wharf in Aleaxsndria
during the war.


Mr.. Conger opposed the bill, contending that
if the principle of the bill was correct, our
troops that marched across long bridge ought
to have been preceded by an army of wagons
loaded with specie to meet the enemy and pay
the owners of property which was to be used
for war purposes what they demanded fos their
property.


MIR. Shelly said he had no sympathy generally
with war claims. There were no confederates
presenting such claims.


MI. Butler said so long as such claims were
presented for damages done during the war, or
for property occupied during the war, SO long
sections of the Union. He was willing the
States should be put upon the the same ground
that the fathers of the republic had put them
on in the war of the revolution, by assuming
all their debts for raising and recruiting troops,
and after that let no claim arise out of the war
except claims of MANNED and disabled soldiers,
and with that determination on the part of the
people of the country, both North and South,
the time would not be far distant when q
feeling Of brotherhood would take into the
charge of the government the manned and dis
abled soldiers of the Southern army, remem-
bering their courage, their steadfastness and
their gallantry, and forgetting the mistaken
judgment which made them fight upon the
side they did.


Mr.. White opposed the bill as war claim
for use and damages to property in an insur-
rectionary State.


Mr. AiEan dooIaro1 1,;r,,olf a-..J
Southern war claims. The Southern people
should 90 back to first principles and go to
work and rebuild their institutions themselves
They had risked everything on the war, and
had no favors to ask from those who had
whipped them. They acknowledged they were
whipped, and were now willing to do their best
for the Union. He honestly believed that if
the Southern States had been represented in
Congress in 1S71-2-3, as they were represented
to-day, there would be no such cry as that
hundred million dollars had been drawn from
the treasury to pay Southern war claims
could say OF those claimants that grander
set of villains had never drawn dollar out of
the treasury. His own little State had been
represented in Congress by men who were now,
God only knows where. He honestly believed
the treasury was safer in the hands Of the men
hands of those who hold it to-day. Applause
on the Democratic side.) The people OF South
Carolina, no matter what their rebellious pro-
cllvities had been heretofore, were to-day as
strong and united in defense of the govern
ment as the people Of any State in New Eng
land or the Northwest.


MIR. Keifer criticised that part of Buffers
speech relating to pensioning confederate SOL
diers, and asked whether he understood him
correctly.


Mr.. Butler-I repeat that whenever the ques-
ton OF the depletion of the treasury by those
wal claims is over, think that the humanity
Of the North will take care of the manned men
Of the war; and if you wish to know it see no
more reason why ~ confederate soldier,s honest
in the discharge of what he believed to be his
duty, should not be pensioned. than awhy
confederate general who honestly believed he
was doing his duty should not be putt into
Republican cabinet. General applause and
clapping of hands on the Democratic side -


Mr.. Blackburn, KY, said the South had
staked her all on her convictions and had lost.
She had not complained. and would never COM
plain. She bore her losses, and simply pro-
tested it was neither generous nor LSnd. nor
manly nor merciful to drag her into this
question, and to make her the football Of the
passions Of men who seemed to have at heart
the serving of partisan purposes rather than
the advancement of the public good. ZAP
plause on Democratic side.)


Mr.. Reagan expressed a wish that some means
would be adopted, either wholly to exclude all
ouch claims, or to refer them all to tribunal
where they could be passed upon on their mer-
It's. He regretted his friends on the Democrat
lc side should have allowed themselves to be
placed in the attitude of favoring claims for
which they had no sympathy.


Without action on the bill the committee
rose and the House took recess, the evening
session for debate only.