MORGAN RAID CLAIMS.
Mr. CRAVENS moved that the $413,599 48 Morgan raid claims bill [H. R. 119] be taken up and read the second time for the purpose of reference to a Committee.
The motion was agreed to by yeas 26, nays 13.
Mr. BRADLEY, without desiring to indicate opposition to the bill voted "no."
Mr. CARSON voted "no" because of his opposition to hasty legislation.
Mr. CHURCH voted "aye" solely with a view to having the bill referred to a committee.
Mr. GREEN voted "aye" because it is better to suspend the rules than to have a controversy over the question now.
So the rules were suspended, and the bill [H. R. 119] appropriating $413,599 48, to pay the claims of sufferers by the Morgan raid, was read the second time.
Mr. CRAEVNS moved to refer the bill to a special committee of five.
Mr. WOLCOTT moved that the bill be referred to the Standing Committee on Claims.
Mr. CRAVENS objected to this motion. To be frank, his object was to send the bill into the hands of its friends. There is nothing to be investigated in this matter-we know the facts-they are patent to the whole country.
Mr. GREEN took a similar view. The bill ought to have a fair chance, and should be placed in charge of its friends.
Mr. WOLCOTT thought a bill like this-ought not to have any special friends. It appropriates nearly half a million of dollars, and it should go to a fair, impartial, uninterested Committee. The Committee on Claims has shown itself to be an impartial and fair Committee; that is the proper Committe to consider claims presented to this body, and why should Senators object so strenuously to the pending motion?
Mr. FISHER said the strongest argument in favor of this bill is that if the State pays these claims it will be reimbursed by the general government, and that similar claims have been reimbursed to Ohio. This he regarded as a mistake. The general government reimbursed Ohio only for money paid for property destroyed by United States troops. The property destroyed by the Union forces only will be reimbursed by the general government, and; that amounts to only about $50,000 of this $413,599 48. This is a serious question. page: 186[View Page 186] And then if this claim is to be paid by the State, the Treasury will be bankrupt, and additional taxes will have to levied to meet deficiencies.
Mr. BELLAMY favored the reference to a special committee. A similar bill was in the hands of a standing committee of the Senate last session, and was kept by them five weeks without being reported back.
Mr. FISHER and Mr. KINLEY explained how the delay occurred.
Mr. HOOPER entered his protest against referring a bill of this character to its friends. Bills proposing to make large appropriations from the treasury should be referred to a regular standing committee. A bill such as this, monstrous in its proportions - proposing to drain the treasury and bankrupt the State, should be referred not to its friends, but to a regular standing committee, appointed with especial reference to the consideration of just such subjects as the one embodied in the pending proposition.
Mr. TURNER regarded this matter of reference as a question of but little importance.
Mr. HANNA made the point of order that the question to refer to a select committee takes precedence under the Senate rules.
Mr. SCOTT inquired if the claims are to to be allowed on the faith of the Morgan Raid Commission, why refer this bill at all? It is too late in the session now for a committee to investigate the truth of the report of the Commission.
Mr. CARSON remembered a report from a committee of the Senate last session which showed that there was no liability on the part of the State for these claims.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR said the rule did not require the precedence of motions, in the order in which the committees are named in the Senate rule referred to, and therefore, it does not conflict with general parliamentary law. He preferred that this claim should be presented to the United State Commission appointed to adjust such claims, now in session in this city, as provided for in a House concurrent resolution just reported here, that we might have the opinion of that Commission as to how much of this claim the General Government would allow.
Mr. BELLAMY moved to lay the motion to refer to a standing committee on the table.
The motion was agreed to, upon division, affirmative 23, negative not counted.
The LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR remarking that the vote of the Senate clearly indicated a desire that the Morgan raid claims bill should be sent to a committee of its friends, made that committee to consist of Messrs. Cravens, Huffman, Bellamy, Denbo and Rice.
