The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-01-11

will be allowed without some legislation
by Congress. Same portions of these eN-
pcnditureS, thus made, are also objected IN
rs not coming within the letter ofcNisting
laws of the United States. Among these
are the sums paid by the State for the sub
! sistepce and pay Of the troops that Went
from this State To Missouri. AT the request
ofthe United States Officers. under the
command OF Colonels + lwartls and Nor
ledge.
'''rhere is. also, an unsettled claim
against the United States, for expenditures
by the State, for the protection Of our. peo-
pie during the two winters following tie
massacre on the north west EN- frontier, by
Inll-pa-du-tah and his band. The United
States are also, i'm my Judgment. justly IL
able for the amounts expendel bv this
State in protecting our people on the north
western and southern borders since the
commencement of the rebellion. Irecom-
mend the appointment of an agent of the
State to proceed to Washington to press
the adjustment of these Gains. and to Sc
cure if necessary, additional legislation by
Congress for that purpose
fully concur i'm the opinion that the
United States is under obligation tn reim-
burse this state for money expended in
defending our frontiers from Indian dep
relations. The General Government hav-
ing assumed exclusive jurisdiction over
the Indian tribes. and. being therefore re-
sponsibe for their conduct, should will
ingly refund all money necessarily ex-
pended by this State in protecting its bor-
ders against their savage incursion. The
claim for money expendended in main
tanning the Northern Border Brigade rests
upon this ground. The organization of
the s Southern Brigade WIS rendered neces-
sarv, i'm the opinion OF the General Assem-
BLY, to protect the border counties from
the depredations Of guerrilla bands exist
ing in the adjacent State of Missouri.
These expenditures, though constituting
just claims against the United States, in
the absence ofany general law covering
the case, will not probably he secured to
us without further legislation by Congress.
This matter is respectfully referred to
your consideration.
In compliance with tho provisions Of
Chapter 81, Acts of the last session, visit
ed Washington and found the military
claims of the State in very unsatisfactory
condition. But little progress had been
made in their examination. and u nder the
regulations above referred to. most Of
them were necessarily suspended as the
examination advanced. pointed ont the
gross hardship ofthese regulations to the
Secretary of the Treasury, and repeatedly
solicited their modification. 50 IS to make
them conform to the laws Of this State, I'M
der which our claims were allowed and
paid. Failing in this. presented the mat
terto the President, who readily perceived
their injustice, and gave his opinion to the
Third Auditor of the Treasury, that under
the circum stances, they should not be rig
orouslv applied in the e,otmination Of
Iowa Claims. Although this opinion was
freely expressed by the President, vet he
declined to make any positive order for
modification of these rules. on the ground
that the subject was within the peculiar
province of the Secretary ofthe Treasury.
self and others for a suspension or change
ofthe regulations mentioned, so as to pro-
cure a favorable examination otourciaims
but so far the labor has been unavailing.
On the 1st ofOctober last I was advised
by the Third Auditor that the preliminary
examination Of the iowa claims had been
concluded, and a Statement of differen-
cd tot
now in the Executive office, it appears
that tho t,tnI ~ r,unG or iowa claims
file in the Treasury Department is about
S6ls, 739.O7. OF this amount, $2O.s25. 90 have
been allowed: s43e,s2e.7O suspended, and
$lo5. 1929 disallowed.
To have a full understanding of the sub
ject, it will be necessary to bear
in mind that this total ofS6ls, 7s9. OF embra-
ces the entire amount of our Military lex
penditures for "a given period, including
expenses. of the Adjutant Generals Office.
Governors Aids, interest on money Dor
rowed. State Agents, duplicate payments
to troo ps, &C., which do not come within
the provisions ofthe Acts of Congress, and
for which we cannot reasonably expect re-
endorsement. This class of claims
amounts in the aggregate to 1855, 1923,
stated as disalowed. The sum of $780,
326,7O, stated as suspended, is money le-
ultimately paid on behalf of the United
States in recruiting and getting troops in
the field. This sum has been merely sus-
pended for want of the technical proofs re-
CURED by the Treasury regulations above
referred to, and is subject to re-examina-
ton and allowance. This is the entire
amount in dispute between the State and
the General Government under the Acts of
July, 1861.
Upon this claim the United States is en-
titled to credit for 1884 ,774.S0, being the
quota of the direct Federal tax appOrtion-
ell for the year 1861, to this State by the
Act of Congress approved august, 1861,
the assessment and collection of which the
State assumed by act Of the General As
sembly, approved January 81. 1852, and al
so to the further sum of SlO0, 10000 paid
the State from the United States Treasury,
in advance of settlement on our military
disbursements specified above-making
total credit of S4s4, 274.sO
Subsequent levies of this direct tax up
on the States were abolished by Act of
Congress, approved June 80, 1864, but
Leaving them still liable tor the apportion-
ment of1S5l. Section 53 of the Act Or Au-
gust 5, 1851, and the Act anendatory
thereto, approved May l3, 1862, provide in
substance for allowing such portion of
this tax, due from any State, to be paid
AMI satisii I'd in whole or in part by the re-
lea Sc Of SI eh State. duly eXacnted to the