Mr. Griswold rose and said, he should not hesitate to enter into the proposed engagement.
Mr. Lyon also rose and said, he was ready, as it was the wish of the House, to agree to the proposition.
The Speaker said, then you do accordingly agree to this proposition?
Both answered, "I do agree."
Monday, February 19.
Amy Dardin.
Upon motion of Mr. T. Claiborne, the following resolution was agreed to—45 to 40:
"Resolved, That a committee be appointed to bring in a bill for the relief of Amy Dardin."
[This claim has been long before Congress, and been several times the subject of discussion. It is for the value of the famous horse Romulus, the property of the husband of the petitioner, pressed into the service of the United States during the war. The case of the widow is evidently a hard one, and this is the second time a vote has been obtained in her favor, which has afterwards been reversed.]
The committee rose, reported their agreement to the three resolutions, and had leave to sit again. The House took up the two first, agreed to them, and directed the Committee of Claims to bring in a bill or bills accordingly. When the third resolution came to be considered, the yeas and nays were called for, and its adoption was strongly opposed by Messrs. Harper, Nicholas, and Bayard, on the ground of its throwing open a door to every claim which had heretofore been determined as barred, as cutting up by the root all the acts of limitation; that it was also setting aside these laws in the most objectionable way, by inviting every person, who had an unsatisfied claim, to petition Congress for relief, which would of course engage much of their time. If the acts were to be set aside, it would be much better and less expensive therefore to authorize the proper department to settle these claims, than that the time of the House should be engaged in investigating and settling them.