The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-09
ESTABLISHED. 1881.

De required. / therefore recOmm mend
that these rates be established
for the years above mentioned,
respectively, for State Debt Sinking
Fund purposes, and that the levy of
twenty ceHts on the one hundred dol
lars of value for the same purpose
for the year 1868. be legalized, to she
end that there may be no question as
TO the collection of the unpaid taxes
for these years. Unless your appro-
priations shall exceed what now an
ticipate, the State tax proper can also
be reduced to fifteen cents on each
one HUNDRED dollars taxable property.
If the Committee of Ways and Means,
or any other COMMITTEES, or member
Of either branch Of the General
Assembly, shall desire to inspect the
estimates upon which / base the
opinion as to the rates of taxation
necessary for State Debt, Sinking
Fund, and for general revenue pur-
poses. il viii afford me pleasure to
furnish them.
WAR CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES. 3 ni
It will be seen by references to the
Adjutant Generals report that since
the commencement of the war, claims
against the United States have been
flied at different times, as follows:
IN the office of the third Audit
or lof the Treasury claims were
hled tOr advances IN raising,
organizing, equIpping, sub
sisting- arn1ng and transports y H
49g yoIlntserS, s amounting Q ss2i9,lsi II
nor of the Treasury claims
were flied as follows, viz.sr rs
1st. For ammunition furnished
by the Indianapolis Arsenal,
esfabl1siled and carried on by
Gov. Morton 7SI 652 81
ID. For expenses for taking care
of and repairing United states
Sd. For pay ofindiana LEGION. '''O ''
paid bY the State, through the
State ymaster.-......-.............. 5ls,03S "a
Making I'm ali the large sum or 81, ,37s, 81 81
OF the above amounts, the second
item of 1871 ,652 81 had been fully
settled and adjusted by Governor
Morton during his administration.
The third item above stated
$23,9l6 90. was audited in the Fall
of 1867, and $23, $50 28 allowed there
on, which last-named sum was re.
ceived by me December 26, 1867, and
then paid into the State Treasury
After deducting the sums thus ad-
justed, there still RETAINED pending
claims amounting in the aggregate tc
$3.56S, ,O82 30. The greater portion
OF the claims going to ma ke up this
amount were suspended, ana some O.
them had been disallowed l"he Ad
jutant General of the State did every
thing in his power TO supply th'
lacking proof aud explain va.
the objections upon WHICH the vario VI
accounts had been suspended, and | =
procure proper and final adjust
ment of the claims. BY my direction
he made several trips TO Washington.
and was seconded in his efforts by the
personal influences and exertions of
Senator Morton. I was determined.
ii possible, to have the claims prose-
cuted and adjusted without employ
lag an agent resident at Washington,
and promising or paying him a per
ce11tUat, as | was informed other
States were compelled to do. Ulti-
mately l was advised by Senator Nor
ton, Adjutant General Terrell, and
others, that unless ] yielded in this
respect the prospect OF getting the
claims adjudicated was very remote.
l therefore consented that the Adiu-
tant General might employ such an
agent, at compensation not ex-
ceediog two ~ per cent. on
the amount which should be allowed
70, and realized by the State through
his Efforts; but that no part of this
per ceatuns should be paid until It
should be acted upon, and the ar
rangement approved By the General
Assembly. The Adjutaut General
made written contract with Mr.. j.
A. Ceburn, In pursuance of this au-
thorIty from me. 10 the effect above
stated. promised 20 report the arr
rangement 10 the General Assembly,
and recommend its approval, which /
now do; but / desire it to be distinctly
understood that the whole matter is
open to your Investigation, and must
DO decided by you. / have paid Mr..
Coburn 81 ,250 to meet his expenses
while engaged in this service, which
SUM is TO be deducted ont Of the per
celttnnl you may allow him.
The GGVernment held large claims
against the State, upon which interest
was accruing, while our unliquidated
claims against the Government drew
no interest; hence my great desire for
speedy adjustment OF the accounts.
The written agreement made with
Mr.. Coburn is embodied in the Adju
tant Generals Report, to which L re-
fer you for full information on that
subject. Since the making Of this
arrangement, and through the efforts
Of the Agent So employed, allow
ances have been made 10 the
State on claims which had pre-
viously been suspended, disallowed
or not examined, to the amount
of 81 ,653, ,497 05; end prior thereto,
claims had been allowed amounting
to $305, ,719 &c. the aggregate o. the
OF this / received, on the 4th day of
December, 1868, the sum of $91 ,730 80,
which / paid into the Treasury of the
State on the same day; and the resi-
due of the amount so allowed, viz,
81 S67, ,187 80, was applied as follows,
viz:
Advanced to the State by the
United ~tsAtes in lS6l............... Sl5O,0OO 90
Paid into the Treasury of Slate
by Q. N, General ElEin..:........... l0s.l2s Il
Advanced to the state by the
IN ted States in l663...-............ l33302 81
Balance OF dir ect tax of l862........ 700 Az 48
Paid By II. >. Mastering officer
"a AZ 55ndlanapoils q IN S.,5-4--..... tO,5O0 IL
l4l Bonds Of the Stale suIrsn-
dered ............. 14i 600 90
Interest Uhereoa, Noy; !, 1865. I56.50J 70
Interest on S69.000 other bonds
mot yet due to July !, 1s68..... 46 SIS 90
Two coupons OF lost boBd........... so 90
Allowance on account or lOO-day
men net yet paid because Of
eencit OF appropriation.......... SSS 90
Total.....~.........................sI.se7is7 is7 s.
And for fuller exhibit of the con-
dition Of our war claims, refer you
TO detailed statement which I have
prepared and will submit with this
communication, as an appendix
thereto.