Mr. CRESWELL. I desireto state, in reply to the remarks of the honorable Senfrom Vermont, that having examined this subject with some care, I have no doubt whatever that the amount in the Treasury derived from commutations will be amply suiliCient to pay for all these claims in the States where the claims can be made, to wit, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri. The report of the SecyWar shows that there is a balance of that fund answerable to these claims amounting to $9, 614, 923 45. As I stated the other day, in Maryland there were mustered into the Army of the U.S. between 8 and 9,000 colored men, of whom about 1/2 only were slaves. In Maryland and the eastern shore of Virginia, which were organized into one division, there were claims presented to the commission sitting inMaryland amounting to 3803. Of that number, the board passed upon 1065, and awarded in payment of those 1065 claims, $222, 450, or a fraction over $200 perslave. Now, if all the 4,000 were allowed in the same ratio, there would only be required the sum of $500,000 to pay all these claims in Maryland; but the chief commissioner there goes on to make the remark, and he shows from his statement, that the sum of $702,000 would pay all the claims in Marland and the eastern shore ofVirginia that won d be allowed by that commission. That being the case, it would leave the sum of nearly 9 million dollars answerable to the claims in other States, which I am satisfied will be more than suliicient, because, if we take of the number of colored troops enlisted in those States the (usual proportion of slaves, we shall find that the number will be so far reduced that even at. the sum of $300 percapita the amount will not exceed $0,000,000. The diffieulty will be just this, if the settlement of these claims is postponed: we have now proposed a constitution. amendment in which there is a flat denial of any power in Congress to pay for slaves of any description. If the satisfaction of these claims is now rejected, you will make all those interested in those States who think they have been unfairly dealt with active against the ratification of the constitutional amendment, which is a difficulty that I want to see removed from the political field. I desire to have that constitutional amendment ado ted, butI know that human nature is such that where men’s interests lie directly in an opposite direction, you cannot secure from them that support for the amendment which might otherwrse be obtained. I hope, therefore, that the proposition will pass in the shit e in which it now is and that these claims will be at once disposed of.