Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-01-14

Benno Speyer, Esq, Commissioner Of
Immigration, whose appointment was re.
ported to your predecessors, has proved
himself to be highly competent and suit
able person for the position. His Reports
herewith fully demonstrate the importance
to our State Of the organization of this De.
partment, and il is hoped that it will be
maintained and fostered by the Legislature.
The Board for the examination of Claims
against the State, growing out Of the war,
created by the Act to provide Board OF
Commissioners TO examine certain military
claims, and making an appropriation for
their payment" has, for want of time, but
port Of said Board herewith, it will be seen
that claims to the amount of sl36.0l4 Is
were presented, Of which the Board passed
upon sSS,l6l 73, leaving s47, 1852 46 undis-
posed Of The aggregate sum allowed, be-
ing $3S,746 70. should be provided for By
appropriation.
la addition to the several claims presen-
ted, and not investigated for want of time
| claims to large amount, growing out Of
the Morgan raid and other canses-are Ger
tain to be presented to you for liquidation,
unless relief in some other shape shall be
provided for the several claimants. For
full particulars, in relation to this new class
OF claims, | refer you to documents here
with, marked number 4. 1t will be seen
from these papers, that the estimated
amount of pay proper, for the militia who
responded to my proclamation, Is about
$250,O00-that the damages committed by
the enemy is estimated at 1895, 600, and that
the losses and damages occasioned by our
own troops are Sl52, 900 The pay proper,
to the militia, is provided for by appropria-
ton made at the last session; and the sum
of about 100000 has already been audited
and paid. 1t will further be observed, by
reference to document No. 4, that this pay
ment vas made upon the recommendation
of the Secretary of War, and is considered
by him simply as an advance by the State
to the General Government. The subsis-
tence Of our militia, called out in said ser.
vice, was at once assumed by the General
Government, and much, if not all of it, has
already been paid. The transportation of
the troops was also directly assumed by the
General Government. No provision, how
ever. has been made for the adjustment and
liquidation of the several claims for dam
ages occasioDcd by the enemy, or incident
to the movement of our owntroops Prompt
measures were taken by me, through the
several Military Committees of the counties
interested, to ascertain and have reported
to inc, these several claims; and bureau
was inaugurated, at the head of which |
placed Henry s. Babbitt, Esq, highly
competent person, for the purpose of ar
ranging and preserving the evidence of the
same. To adjust and determine, with any
, degree of accuracy and safety to the State,
the amount of these several claims, it i:
| thot n cpaoial ka
ated for that purpose. | therefore recon-
mend that you adopt the necessary legisla
ton to create and regulate this commission
giving it full authority in the premises, anc
directing it to report to you at future ses
sion of the Legislature. The reports of the
several Military Committees, made to me
should be referred to this Commission.
i | must not omit to inform you, how great
ly the people of the State are indebted to the
several county Military Committees appoin
ted by me. They have ever cheerfnIy respon
ded to the numerous calls made upon them
with degree of alacrity and generosity un
: bounded; without their efficient aid, the
!, best interests of the State would at time.
r have materially suffered. / shall ever Zee
grateful to these gentlemen, for their kind
t ness to me personally, as we'll as officially
lndU everything Vi lutcTeSt, Itldtlup u
!; the gallant men who have been or may bt
engaged in the military service of our coun
try, may be collected and perpetuated, re
p commend for that purpose the establishment
l of bureau, to be known as the Bureau o
3 Military Statistics. These statistics shoult
: contain the name, age and place ofresidenc
of every officer and private who was in an
|, way engaged in the service the date of hi
i enlistment the Company and Regiment t
y which he belonged; the term of service
the time and reason for his discharge
81 whether killed or wounded in battle; an
;; the time and place of death and burial q
d those who may die in services This dut
can we'll be performed by the Surgeon Ger
o eral of the State and, as~mudf of the il
!, formation will have to be gathered from th
Il records of the several hospitals, can. pei
c haps, better be performed by him than b
8 any other officer Should this duty
! thrown upon him, however, the salary al
l tached to that Office should be material
S increased, as a faithful discharge of tn
y duty would command all his time.
l submit, herewith, communications frou
Secretary Hoffman, giving in detail tn
:, items of expenditure from the Civil an,
= Military Contingent Funds, from the 13tl
day of December, A. d. 1862, date of las
years report, to the 18th day of December
e A. d. 1868. 1t will be seen, that from th'
g Civil Fund, there has been expended S92
Is &C, and from the Military Fund $69,9Sl 3S
st | ask for the appointment at an early day
o of Committee of your body, to examin
these expenditures. Large as the expen
u diture is, doubt not it will meet your ap
d proval, and urgently recommend that yo1
T place at the disposal of my successor, lik
d liberal contingent fund, that he may be abb
to meet all contingencies likely to arise. :.
q Our gallant boys in the field, and in hospit
Is ais, and en- route for their respective homes
n must have the fostering care OF the Stat
o Government In this connection, allow m
d to recommend that you keep upon you
e statute ST. book, the several laws now in fore
o providing for the appointment Of pay agent
,r and the agencies for the care of soldiers.
| The amount received by the several pa
r agents from soldiers in the field and deposi
,r ed in the State Treasury for distribution I
n their families for the past year. is s96l
s24 81, at cost to the State of S2,753 s.
g. III III bout any cost To the soldiers or the