Mr. JOHNSON. Nowpit '18perfectly certain, I think, that thatomount will be much more than suficient to meetall the demands that can be made under the provisions of this section, with the aid of the amendment suggested by the honorable member from Massachusetts. The condition of the slaveholders in Maryland, whose slaves have gone into the service, is that commissioners were appointed to ascertain the amount that each was entitled to, and the commissioners have long since reported, and the amount would long since have conpaid to the Maryland slaveholders if the U.S. had not abolished the commission and for a time used the fund for another purpose, or, rather, directed that the fundshould not be used for this particular purpose under an apprehension that the wants of the U.S. might require it to be used for n different purpose. This fund bears no interest; and I appeal to the Senate to know whether, under the circumstances, when there can be no possible danger that a dollar will be taken Out of the Treasury, except from the particular fund set apart for the purpose, it is not just and proper that the loyal men of Maryland, who not only consentedbut urged their slaves to go into the military service of the U.S., (and who are the only class who can be paid under the provisions of this act,) should be paid new. If you will agree to pay interest on the amount from the time their servants went into the service of the U.S., there would be some show of justice in delay; but they have lost the labor of their servants; the are obliged to employ hands at from ten to 15 and 20 dollars a month; and many of them are actually ruined by the failure to collect the sum which you proposed to pay them out of the fund now in the Treasury, more than sufficient to meet, notonly whatever demands they may have, but whatever like demands the State of Kentucky or any other State in the Union may have. I say, as my friend and colleague said the other day, that if there are any men in the U.S. who should be treated with generosity, to say nothing of justicc, it is the men who remained loyal to the Union and true to their duty and the flag of the Union in Maryland, who were slaveholders, and who were willing to let the institution go rather than see the Government of the Unio. but at hazard. Many of them contributed of tfieir funds, as well as provided for putting their nevroes into the service of the U.S.; and, many of them are now in actual want because of our failure to do what by the act of 1864, more than 2 years ago, we promised to do unable to receive the pittance, (for it was but a pittance, looking to the value of this kind of property, if property it can be called, before the war commenced,) the pittance not to ex. ceed $300, and, in many cases, not $100 or $150. There are a great man very poor men and some poor women who ha 2 or 3 negroes, upon whom they depended for their support, and they are now left in a measure pen niless. Isubmit, therefore, to the Senate that it would be not only just but grateful, grateful as a duty, that the U.S. should at once do what it can do now without danger, having promised to do it as far‘ back as 1864.