Speech #440049532

R. No. 128) in relation to the payment of moneys due colored soldiers. sailors. or marines. their heirs and representatives. which was read a first and second time. The preamble of the joint resolution states that it appears from a. communication of the Secretary of War to the House of Representatives. bearing date June 7. 1876. that a certain provision made by joint resolution of the two Houses of Congress approved March 29. 1867. for the payment of moneys due colored soldiers. sailors. and maTines. their heirs and representatives. has in part been defeated of its purpose by a fraudulent contrivance of the late Bureau of Refugees. Freedmen. anti Abandoned Lands. whereby many such soldiers. sailors. and marines have been prevented from receiving payment of their just claims in the premises. that from the same communication it further appears that settlements covering those delinquent claims have been had with the Second Auditor of the Treasury by General 0. 0. Howard. late commissioner. and G. W. Balloch. late chief diebursing officer of the said Bureau. in which fraudulent vouchers and other false evidence of payments were filed and used by the said officers. whereby they obtained improper credits for money alleged to have been paid out by them to the said soldiers. sailors. anti marines so defrauded as aforesaid. and procured the making up of records of said settlement in the office of the said Second Auditor which wrongfully disclose upon their face the full payment of said delinquent claims. and that to remedy the evil thls shown to exist further legislation is required. The first section of the joint resolution authorizes and directs the proper accounting officers of the Treasury to settle the claims for pay. bounty. prize money. or other moneys due to colored soldiers. sailors. or marines. or their legal representatives. in cases in which. upon proper investigation by the War Department. it shall be established that they have failed to receive paymeut upon settlements heretofore made. and in which vouchers purporting to represent actual payments have been filed with the accounting officers of the Treasury by tho disbursing. officers of the late Bureau of Refugees. Freedmen. and Abandoned Lands. The second section provides that the investigation for the purpose of determining the fact as to the nonreceipt by any claimant of the money purporting by vouchers filed with the accounting officers of the Treasury to have been paid to him or her shall be made unuder the direction of the Secretary of War. and in each and every case in which the investigation shall prove to his satisfaction that the claimant or claimants have not in fact received payment of their claims. he shall so report to the accounting officer of the Treasury. who will thereupon settle the claim or claims to which such report by the Secretary of War shall pertain.