Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-02-17
Report on Equalization.

The Report of the Commissioners on
Equalization of the Municipal War
Debts has been laid before the Legi.la-
ture. The Commissioners labored dill
gently and carefully in the discharge of
their duties. adjusting the claim pre-
sented 10 them according TO the best
knowledge and Judgment they possess
ed
Aside from the table, of reimburse
ment which show the sums allotted 10
the several towns, the most interesting
part of the report is hat in relation 10
naval commission men" and paper
credits" about which there has been
considerable discussion, anl in regard
to which. after full investigation. the
Commissioners say they ''.ire only pre-
pared to explain i'll part" u, the naval
commission men they speak as follows:
l. seems that Of the twenty-five hum
dred or more naval men allowed by tine
War Department To the State oi Maine.
a. before stated, poriion-how large IA
portion we know not-were left un-
claimed by any municipality, after the
blanks sent out BY The Naval Commits
sioners for that purpose had been re-
turned, or after sufficient time had
elapsed foR them 10 have been returned.
OF these unclaimed men, il is said that
a part were assigned TO some towns and
plantations upon whose people the draft,
from peculiar train of circumstances.
was bearing with more than common
hardship. But even Yet considerable
number seem TO have been left. How
these men or names should have been
disposed of, II is no part OF our duty TO
say. One gentleman OF some note and
prominence in the State has publicly
stated that he was permitted by the
officials having control OF the matter, to
sell some eighty or more OF these names
ID various municipalities in order 10 get
reimbursement for money he had paid
out in Washington and in Virginia for
bounties to men whom he had induced
TO enlist or re-enlist and whose names
be had forwarded to the Adjutant Gen
eral here, expecting them TO be credited
to certain towns whose quotas he had
contracted to fill, but who on his return
home, he found had been credited to the
places Of their residence. He further
states, if we have understood him cor
rectly, thatin every instance where he
sold these naval commission men to
towns or cities, he wrote the names SO
sold, or caused them to be written, up
on one OF the printed blanks such rs
had been sent out by the Naval Com
missioners, and had the municipal Off
GERS execute it as return TO the Naval
Commissioners, thus certifying i'm their
Official capacity that the men SO bought
were residents Of their town or city.
So far as we have examined the files,
we have seen no reason Tor doubling
the substantial correctness OF his stale-
ment in this respect. But the eighty or
whereabouts which this gentleman ac-
knowledges to have SO sold, by no
means account for the many that we
have found claimed and bought, rs we
have before stated, and allowed by Ma
val Commissioners in much the same
manner. That any Of the men whose
names were thus sold out in Maine a.
serving or having served in the navy,
received any Of the money paid to the
men VIM assumed to cell their names, is
MOI " oil proosDle. How many VI this