Mr. TRUMBULL. I trust that amendment will not be adopted. It will open the Treasury to claims all over the southern country where our armies were in possession. They were in possession of different portions of the country during that whole period, and it would be very difficult to determine precisely what was within our lines. The whole object of this bill is to declare the sense of an act already in existence. The QuarterMGen and Commissary General have already put a construction upon that act, and they have decided in both depts that no claims could be allowed against the Government for quartermasters' or commissary stores which originated in States in insurrection against the Government. That is their decision, but claimants in rebellious States are not satisfied with the decision; they are instituting appeals and constantly Pressing claims of persons in the rebellious States who claim to be loyal citizens. When the Congress of the U.S. passed that act it was intended to confine it to claims originating in the loyal States. That, I think, is the legitimate meaning of the act, and in my judgment the Commissary General and the QuarterMGen have placed the proper construction upon it; but there is some question about it; or at least lawyers employed by claim agents make questions, and they are appealing to the War Dept and appealing to the President to put a different construction upon the act. It is to settle that question and to prevent a different construction which j".the Treasury to claims all over the U.S. that this bill, which originated in the House, is now proposed to be passed. Now, what does the Senfrom Maryland propose to do? He proposes to enlarge that act. I shall enter into no argument with the Senfrom Maryland as to the propriety of paying the just claims for commissary and quartermasters' stores which were taken by our Army and used when they were taken from loyal citizens. The Senator knows that I advocated at the last session of Congress the passage of a bill, under proper restrictions, that would allow such persons to be paid through the Court of Claims; but the Senate was unwilling to pass it, even restricted and guarded as the was which the ComJudiciary reported at that time. The Senate was unwilling to pass it, and did not ass.it. While the Present law exists I think it should receive the construction which has been placed upon it by the officers of the government who are charged with its execution, and in order to make.certain this bill was proposed. Now, the Senfrom Maryland offers a proposition which would open the Treasury to any claim which might sented from any portion of the rebellious States which was within the lines of our Army and so continued till the end of the war. I think it will be very dangerous to allow such claims to be brought in. It ought not to be done in this bill at any rate. Let us provide for these claims, not only in those localities, but everywhere else, if we can, in the general bill which is proposed for that purpose. I trust the Senate will not adopt the amendment offered by the Senfrom Maryland.