The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-20

t above mentioned discrepancy, OF Whlcl
{ the Auditor had no account, and o
: which he could not therefore report
The report of the Secretary of State
showing the items of the disbursement
of this fund, is herewith presented.
AS may be seen, the Auditor esti
o mates the receipts and disbursements o
the revenue for the current year as fol
lows:
Receipts. s525, $50
Disbursements Observation-Disclosures. 579,2l5
Estimated charges on the Treasury
over receipts. Observation-Disclosures. s5i,e65 6
Thus it appears that there will be {
deficit in the Treasury at the end of th'
current fiscal year; and It will, there
fore, not only devolve on the Legisla
ture to provide therefor, but also to
supply the small amount of means neces
sary to prosecute to completion the pub
lie buildings now in process of con-
struction.
1t may not be inappropriate to re-
mark here, that this deficit is not at,
tributable to any excess of expenditures
during the year for ordinary purposes,
but is owing to the reduction of the
rate of taxation by the last Legislature,
by reason of which, as it appears, the
amount of taxes assessed for the current
year is less by 100000 than the amount
assessed for the year 1867, and to the
expenditure incident to the protracted
extra session of the Legislature, which
was necessary TO the completion of the
Code.
1t is true, as will hereinafter appear,
that there is a considerable balance in
arrear on the War Claim of the State
against the United States, which-or a
portion of which-it is hoped, may be
obtained within the current fiscal year;
vet it may not be well to rely on this,
1fnasmuch as you will perceive that it is
retained with the view of applying it
elsewhere in discharge of what is assum
ed to be a liability existing against the
State, and it is uncertain when the
right or propriety of doing 80 will be
settled. At all events, while it is our
duty to provide means for prosecuting
the work on the public buildings in pro-
cess of construction, we are admonlshed
that there is necessity for the strictest
economy in expenditures, and that we
should not readily yield to the many i'm
portupites for relief from the various
| liabilities TO the Treasury of the State.
MILITARY CLAIM AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES.
The Commissioners appoiated under
the act of Congress of June 2l, 1866, to
adjust the claim of this State against
the United States, for moneys expended
in paying and supplying military forces
organized and employed for the sup
preston OF the rebellion, made their re-
port to the Secretary of the Treasury
year since, and directly after the ad-
iournment of the last annual session of
the Legislature, | went to Washington
for the purpose of obtaining the money
reported by the Commissioners as due
the State. On making application to
the Secretary of the Treasury for the
sum thus appearing due, he declined
paving on the ground that he had re-
ceived n communication from the Sec
retary of the Interior informing him
that the latter Department held large
amount of Virginia State bonds in
trust for certain Indian tribes, on which
only a small part of the interest had
been paid since January l, 1861, and
requesting that payment of the sum
found due the State of West Virginia be
withheld until, through her authorities,
she should make q settlement with the
Department of her just prop 1rtoh of the
Liabilities incurred by the issue of said
bonds. At my request, the Secretary of
the Treasury furnished me copy OF
this communication, and |, at once,
prepared and presented to him a state
ment in writing, containing my views
on the subject, in which | objected to
the withholding of the money of the
State for the purpose eldicated, and, on
the grounds therein set forth, contro-
verted the right to do so. At the re-
quest of the Secretary of the Treasury,
the Sd Auditor and I'd Comptroller each
prepared written opinion on the sub
| iect-the former sustaining the position
taken by me-the latter contending that
the United States "should withhold
such proportion of the amount due as
the real property of West Virginia sus-
tains to the property of both States"
| submit copies of these several papers
for your consideration.
examined, in person, the bonds re-
| ferred to, and made complete list and
description Of them, which / here pre-
seat. 1t will be seen that the aggregate
principal of these bonds is S796, 800,
and the unpaid interest accrued, at the
date of the examination, March, 1868
was 1894 $50, upon which, as l was Off
cially informed, but about s23, 900 had
been paid since January l, 1861. There
are a portion of these bonds for which
there may be slight pretext to hold
the State responsible, on the ground
that the corporation which issued them
is within the State. These are the bonds
of the city of Wheeling, guaranteed by
the State of Virginia, amounting to
Sl65, 900 of principal, and on which no
interest has been paid since January,
1861, until recently, as / am informed,
the city authorities have paid about
half of the same; yet | deny that
there is auy thing in this matter that
should render the State liable for these
bonds.
The Second Comptroller having ex-
pressed the opinion, however, that the
State was entitled at all events to con-
siderable portion of the sum reported in
its favor by the Commissioners, the Sec
retary of the Treasury, at my request,
about the lst of July last, forwarded to
me draft for Sl75,0O0 to be credited
thereon, which, as may be seen from the
Auditors report, l at once paid into the
treasury of the State. But, notwith-
standing l thus succeeded in getting a
part of what is due the State, it may be
seen from the statement below that
, there is still considerable sum with
held on account of the failure of those
liable therefor to pay the interest refer
red to. And, although we controvert
, the right to withhold the money OF the
State for the purpose indicated, never
theless it is done, and, if persisted in
| and the interest in arrear, as above men
} toned, is not paid, it may become Deces'