Mr. WILLIAMS. This resolution is simply intended to remove doubts as to the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims over a case now pendin in that court referred b a resolution of the Senate to the Court of laims. I do not know that it is advisable to proceed with a statement of the merits of the claim now. It is an old claim. The heirs of Richard W. Meade Captain Meade, General Meade, and others simply desire to have the question settled as to whether the Government is respoii sible for this claim or not by an adjudicatipn of the Court of Claims; and then by an adjudication of the Supreme Court; and if it is eventually decided that the Government is not me onsible for this claim they des 1re, u nder sue circumstances, to make application to Now. in order the Government of Spain, as this is. a claim which originated against the Government of Spain; and when the treaty was made between Spain and the U.S., contrary to the protest of Commodore Meade, the Government undertook to discharge Spain from the payment of this claim and assumed its payment. Since that time it has been litigated in various ways and forms, and there have b on reports for and against it; but there has never been any final determination of the matter. The parties interested simply desire to have the question submitted fina Iy to the SCOTUS. There is nothing in this resolution indorsing the correctnessof the claim. I have examined the claim thoroughly. I do not care to express my opinion upon it; but I am satisfied that if the claim is not paid the Government will do an act of rent injustice to the parties concerned. T ie merits of the claim, however, are not now particularly involved. This is simply a resolution to enable these parties to have the question finally adjudicated by the courts of this country. They hold from the Government ofS uin an absolute acknowledgment of iliisi ndebtedness; and if the Government of the U.S. had not interfered, contrary to their wishes and contrary to the protest of the holders of the claim, they would iave been paid long ago by the Government of Spain; but this Government havin interfered the payment was prevented, and the Government, upon one quibble and another, since that time has refused to make payment. I do not see any particular injustice in allowing these heirs who are interested in this claim to have it, litigated before the courts of the country and finally determined. That is all this resolution proptises to do. If the Senate is disposed to vote it down, ofcourse I have nothing to say; but according to the examination I have made of the matter, I believe it is no more than right and just that this resolution should pass.