The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-18

bellion, and the act supplementary
thereto. passed March 23d, 1867, also,
| copies of all opinions given him by
the Attorney General of the United
States touching the construction or
interpretion of said acts, and all cor
respondence relating to operations OF
construction or the execution OF said
acts, and such as may have taken
place between himself and any such
commander, or between him and the
General of the army, or between the
latter and said commander touching
| said subject; also copies of all orders
issued by said commander in carrying
out the provisions of said act, or
either of them; also, that he would
| inform the Senate what progress he
has made in the matter of Registra-
ton under said acts, and whether the
sum of money appropriated for carry
ing them out be probably sufficient.
In answer to that portion of the
resolution whether the sun of
money appropriated for carrying
these acts into effect is proba-
bly, sufficient, reference is made to The
accompanying report of the Secretary
| of War. 1t will be seen from that re-
port that the appropriation of $500
600 made in October. approved March
30, 1867, for the purpose of carrying
into effect the act to provide for the
more efficient government of the
rebel States, passed March 2, 1867,
and the act supplementary, passed
May %, 1867, has also been expend-
ed by the Commanders of the General
Military Districts, and that in addi-
ton the sun of 81 ,645,277 is required
for present purposes. 1t is exceed
ingly difficult at the present time to
estimate the probable expense of ear
rying into full effect the two acts of
March last and the bill which passed
the two Houses of Congress a few
hours ago. / know the existing gov
eruments of these ten States of the
Union are to be deposed, and
their entire machinery to be placed
under the exclusive control and au-
thority of District Commanders, all
expenditures incident t. the admins
tration of such governments must
necessarily be incurred by the Fed
eral Government. 1t is believed that
in addition to the 50, 100, 600 already
expended, an estimate for the sum
which will be required for this pur-
pose would not be less than $4,000
600, an aggregate amount expended
prior to the rebellion in the admins
tration of their respective govern
ments by the ten States embraced in
the provisions of those acts. The
sum expended would no doubt be
considerably augmented. If the ma
chinery of the States is to be opera
ted by the Federal Government, it
would be largely increased if the
United States, by abolishing the ex-
listing State governments, should be
responsible for the liabilities incur
red by them. before the rebellion, in
laudable efforts to develope their
resources, and in no wise crea-
ted for insurrectionary purpo-
ses. The debt of these States, thus
legitimately incurred, when it is
accurately ascertained, will, it is be-
lieved, approximate a hundred mil
lions of dollars, and they are held not
only by our own citizens, among whom
are residents of portions of the
country which has ever been loyal to
the Union, but by persons who are
subjects of foreign governments. 1t
is worthy the consideration of Con-
gress and of the country whether, if
the Federal Government were to as
sumo such obligations, so large an
addition to our public expenditures
would not impair the credit of the
nation; or, on the other hand, wheth-
er the refusal of Congress to guaran-
tee the payment Of these States after
having disposed or abolished their
State Governments, would not be
u1ou-nI no n collation. of o2n1 4a,+b o-l
the reputation of the National Legis-
lature of the liabilities which these
States had justly and legally incurred.
, (Sirnadl NM IouNSoN