Mr. SMITH. I wish to state to my colleague [Mia Hanmscl thatI had an interview with the SecyWar 11ion this very subject last summer and this fall, before Congress not, and he explicitly expressed it to be his opinion that that was the law, and that it was his purpose, together with that of the president, at some timetoa point this commission. 1 put the question to im, if the money contemplated by that act for the payment of these negroes was not in the hands of the Government for that express purpose, and could not be diverted. 2 He said that that was his opinion, and that it was the purpose of the president to carry out that law but for some cause or other the present Chief Magistrate had concluded that the time had not exactly arrived for the commission to be appointed in Kentucky. I felt it due, from the interviews I had with the SecyWar, to make this explanation. Mr. HARDING, of Kentucky. Well, sir, I suppose the SecyWar will return his thanks to the gentleman. But he has an opportunity to be heard himself, and it was not necessary for the gentleman to volunteer in his defense. He has had ample opportunity. Something like a year ago a resolution of the same character was offered and passed, and in response to that he simply said that he had appointed none, because the President had rected none to be a pointed. I do not understand him to say that the present Executive has authorized him to suspend that appointment at all. He does not say anything of that kind, nor do I believe it is the fact. He had some vague direction at some time, I suppose, and upon that he continues to act and intends to act so long as he is SecyWar. I have no idea that he intends to appoint a commission at all. It is a matter that can be got at in no other way. The law requires it to be done, and until it is done no man can submit evidence of his claim. The action of the SecyWar is, in a word, discriminatinfl against Kentucky and in favor of Marylan and Delaware; and it is doing it without any pretext for distinction whatever. it is inpal rdiable violation of law, and in contempt o his duty. Now, sir, our claims have been ignored long enough. It is high time some little measure of justice should be meted out to Kentucky. NO State in the Union has made sacrifices to the extent that she has done. Property to the amount of millions of dollars has been sacrificed by Military rule and by constitutional amendment, and even this poor pittance, which does not exceed $300 to the owner for the loss of his slave in a loyal State, is withheld, and the law disregarded by the Secretary, from some motive which it is very hard to reconed with a high and honest purpose to discharg iis duty. ask that the Clerk be directed to furnish the answer of the SecyWar to the reporters.