Mr. WASHBURN, of Indiana. Mr. Chair man, this case originated under a certain contract, or rather certain contracts, entered into by parties with the Government for the delivery of about 11,000 horses by different parties. The larger part of the contractors, owing to a rule which was established by the Dept after the contracts were entered into, refused to deliver the horses. This man came here from Iowa, and under the instruction of the quartermaster and of the Senfrom his State, as well as of other parties, went on and delivered the horses in pursuance of his contract. The other contractors, upon an appeal to the Judge Advocate .obtained a decision as to the point in controversy, releasing the binding force of the contracts. That decision is as follows: “Where, after a contract for horseshad been for ointo, a circular was issued by alry Bureau requiring horses offered for intshpeecCtaiovn to be detained 24 hours at the expenseof the owner, and then, if not accepted, to be branded R' for "rejected’ held that this circular introduced new conditions, and conditions contrary to law, into the agreement; and as it was thereafter almost impossible to obtain the same supply of horses as before, prevented, the porformance of the agreement on the part of the contractor; that branding in the manner proposed by subjected the new circular would have thosewho engaged in it to an action at law; and that the Government could not force a contractor to deliver up his property to besubjected to a wrong.” The ComClaims found that out of the 11,000 horses contracted for only 600 were delivered 500 by the party here claiming compensation. He went on and executed his contract at a large expense to himself, relying upon the promises made here that he would be indemnified. He claims that he expended more money than this bill proposes to pay him. The committee inquired whether i. had any other contract for horses, and found that this was the only contract in which he had ever engaged. He faithfully delivered the horses, fulfilling his contract in every particular. He furnished the horses below the market price, while the other contractors, refusing to carry out their original contracts, obtained high prices for the horses which they furnished.