Mr. De Bow felt that he was not authorized to pay the claim and told him that he must a pyto Congress for payment, as there had eeu no money appropri' ated for that special service. The SecyInterior, as well as the head of the Census Bureau, after examining the claim, was satisfied that the services which the claimant rendered occupied about 1/3rd of each year for 3 years, and that the country has had the benefit of his labor. In 1860, finding that the Dept had no authority to settle his account, he made outyhis claim, for services rendered, charging simply the sum of $500 a year for the 3 years during which he was thus employed. The claim was recommended by the Dept as'just and one that ought.to be paid. It was examined by a committee of the Senate, who recommended that it be passed. A bill for the payment of the claim was passed by the Senate, and came to this House; and the only reason why it did not pass here was that att e close of the session of 1860 the House did not have time to act upon it. Then the war broke out; and this gentleman said that he would not press any claim against the government while it was strng bug to defend itself against its enemies. ccordingly the claim slept until the present time, when the gentleman has appeared before the committee and stated the facts. This gentleman is acknowledged by the Dept to have rendered most valuable service, having given a 3rd part of his time for 3 years, and he has received no compensation. It is true that, in, answer to a question of one of my colleagues upon the committee, this gentleman admitted that there was no contract made. The reason why a contract was not made was that in the 1st place the Census Bureau sent to him for information whether much or little he did not at that time know so that he could not tell. whether he would be obliged to consume in furnishing it only a few days or a considerable time. Accordingly, nothing was said about pay for his services until the lapse of 3 years, when the census was completed. Then e sent in his bill, supposing that the Census Bureau would pay him, as other officers had been paid for similar services. He sent in a claim for compensation for the time he had actually expended as nearly as he could calculate it, being about 1/3rd of each year for 3 successive years. The Census Bureau, as I have already stated, “'0 nounced the claim just and the charge low. But it was believed at the bureau had no authority to settle the claim. Hence the gentleman has presented his claim to Congress.