the United States, consols
of 1867, of the denomination of $500, $100, $50, and $50, and known as
five-twenties, said bonds having been destroyed by fire the 9th day of
July, 1872, and to pay to the heirs at law of said D. Fulford the amount
of said bonds, together with accrued interest from July 1, 1872, to the
date of the maturity of said bonds."

The bill further provides that the heirs to whom the payment is to be
made shall execute and file with the Secretary of the Treasury a bond
"conditioned to save harmless the United States from loss or liability
on account of said bonds or the interest accrued thereon, and to contain
such words as to cover any liability resulting from any mistake in the
designation or description of the bonds, so that in no event shall the
United States be called upon by a rightful claimant for a second payment
thereof."

The proposition is that the Government shall pay bonds alleged to have
been destroyed by fire nearly twenty-three years ago.

The Secretary of the Treasury states that an application for the
payment of these bonds, made by Mr. Fulford himself, was rejected by
the Department because he was unable to describe the bonds in such a
way as to permit their identification and because the evidence of their
destruction by fire was inconclusive.

The Senate Committee on Claims, however, in their report on the bill
under consideration, state that they are entirely satisfied that Mr.
Fulford was the owner of four Government bonds, one for $500, one for
$100, and two for $50, and that they were burned with his residence,
which was destroyed by fire on the 9th day of July, 1872, and that
while he could not furnish the numbers or descriptions of said bonds
he understood all these bonds were of the class known as consols of
1867, and that he had collected the coupons thereon for the interest
due July 1, 1872.

The particular class of bonds mentioned were dated July 1, 1867, and
were payable or redeemable not less than five nor more than twenty years
from their date. The short period expired, therefore, on the 1st day of
July, 1872. That was the date when the last coupons on Mr. Fulford's
bonds, which it is alleged were detached and collected, became due, and
only nine days before the supposed destruction of the bonds by fire.

A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury dated July 20, 1892,
attached to the report of the Senate committee made upon a bill similar
to this which was pendi