Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-01-24
REPORT OF COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO EXAMINE THE
MATTER OF REVOLUTIONARY CLAIMS &c. UPON AP-
PIICAT[ON OF HENRY STEVENS


ouon Of the General Assembly passed the October session. ~ ~
i0 s, Ig BIZ e n wG% nsS Hons of Representatives, That
OF this State be requested to make or cause to pc na an %
relating early revolutionary history this State and to take
such he shall Judge will be most beneficial to the interests
the State in procuring and preserving said papers
geher with all such revolutionary rolls nave oeen collected by u
at bennington in State at the city of Washington
Have attended, to the duties assigned em and now submit their report
On the 25h of October isi the Assembly passed reso
s S TfH"Ssss aaa SS Te the s"e had just upon
United States expenses incurred during the evolu
onary and authorizing the Governor in his opinion the interest of
the State requredi, to present such claim to Congress
6 ne the vo o r n p n G" IN & % of b Secretary of State
and Treasurer this State and to collect documents relative to the part
taken by Vermont the revolutionary struggle from the public offices
made detailed report of his proceedings the Governor under date
erno October s42, will be found the Appendix
to the Senate Journal of that 81 Mr. Stevens under the adj
paid by the State for his services and expenditures up to that date The
and
Governor which report transmitted by the Governor the Assembly
Houses the resolution by virtue undersigned acting,
pissed This second report Mr. Stevens will be found in the APP
The Governor this having become satisfied that the interest
ofhc State required the presentation of claim against the General Gov
eminent has been preferred appears however, by the
ports Of Mr. Stevens that he deems the presentation of such claim odya
have deemed their duty to consider and report upon it
power taxation obliged and for
meeting the constantly accommodating the These expn
MES and in BY the several states contemplation Of
to equzod among States conformity proportion
be afterwards agreed Various modes of were from time
the present Constitution On the 5 August $780, passed
by Congress constituting board of three Commissioners by whom the
bI m e e states were TO De eXamned ana passed upon ana
rule prescribed by tie Constitution the United States for the appoon
mn 3 sa S nn direct w aT' and ccop the 1U
were in the of presentation the Commissioners under the fore
going acts Vermont the 18th oFe6rary l79 admitted into the
had been incurred in the revolutionary struggle
paon Of settlement to be made with the United States passed an act
appointing Isaac rcheno Ira Allen and Benjamin Greene Commission
collect all the the expenditures occasoned
by the and on the M January 1902 of Congress
counts between the States and the United States were authorized
to o the % @ state This act allowed Vermont
cannot now be sceraned that the Commissioners appointed by the
account of this State and claim presented the Commission
1'sa cgan S f a that our
IN Congress though they had formerly been favorable to the presentation
not be benefited by peg such claim In conformity with this
ee~on % 5 e Of mn b i' % %
without strong opposition the eth February 1893 procured
uay 49, which auhozd he the Of vermont
u between states an o a states Tr woo n @
completed June 49, 1888 The undersigned cannot but consider this vol
nishg strongest presumption balance against the
United States could then have been established.
consideration of the circumstances under which the claim must have
been made induces the undersigned to believe that the authorities of this
from the capture ofTiconderoga in the spring Of 75 until the year Tvs
our people od % State wes t aq r ogand %
eruen government went into operation
to the keeping of accurate accounts of expenditures The accounts
of this State from these well from their having been kept
like States with view to future remuneration
eessa have imperfect and there would have been great d
State
principles the other States ad
used pecded all that balance could have been found
favor of Vermont During the revolutionary the average population
ooo scoy @ado " ali the expenditures the But
the cessation of actual hoies 1884, the influx of emgnns
the State that when the taken 119
pie numbered $3.50 BY the ratio of apporoent adopted by Con-
Vermont would be obliged for the expenditures which
actual revolutionary population of 5000 had expended than three
times the equal number of people the other States there
the proceedings of the Commissioners for settling the accounts of the
several States found volume entitled revolutionary claims published
pages 80 &c. have by computation that the
cpes adjustment necessary this State
have obtained balance the United States Mr. Stevens
the that he discovered evidence expenditures the
the State 3coud have shown still larger The evidence that
could be produced would doubtless be sufficient establish the fact
the revolutionary struggle though not sufhclem to prevent
balance from being found against the State the principles OF the
adjustment in 1888.
has been objected that the principle apporonnent adopted the
settlement of 1893 unjust this State As rule for ascetainng
people undoubtedly
But remembered that the object the adjustment
tune oil the Adjustment ought pay and perhaps no more Just RUE o
that could have been formed than that which the Constitution had
prescribed for the appOonnnt of and Besides
neither the comparative wealth population of the States during the
had asceaned
rule could adopted should back the appoonmen the
comparative ability ofthe States that period
1t has been further sad that this State frontier for several of the
ncurns OF the enemy thereby enabling the General Congress make
successful exerons against the enemy produce avoa
Die termination OF the war; and that the expenditures of the State having
been made by her as an independent the time recognized by
Congress the other States the State has just upon Genera
the other States This presents Vermont in the
light OF foreign ally rendering aid to the General Government fol