Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-05-03

appropriations expended. but the ac1
authorizing it, and the acts of 18th Of
April 1861, Of 18th of May, 1861
and of the 4th of May. 1894. furnishes
evidence, most distinct and emphatic,
of the extraordinary exertions Of the
State to protect her citizens against in
vasions. 1t is equally clear that these
efforts were rendered unavailing by the
necessities of the national government,
which not only failed to keep its guar
anty TO the State to protect her against
invasion. bat stripped the State itself
Of the means of self-deftnse.
AMOUNT OF CLAIMS.
The losses which are the subject of
the present inquiry were caused by
successive raids in 1862. 1865 and
1864, by the advance and operations
of Lees army in 1868, and by drpre-
dations and appropriations Of property
at several times. by Federal troops
As to the latter it is to be noted that
the militia by whom some of the dam
ages were Occasioned were mustered
into the United States service before
their advance to. the border. and con-
stituted part of the Federal forces.
The aggregate amount of the ella ms
cannot, with the means of information
at hand. be exactly stated. In the
official reports on file in the Auditor
Generals office. some of the claims are
duplicated; some of those reported
upon under the act of 1865 being con-
tanned in prior reports. But the sum
total OF the claims will not exdeed two
million eight hundred thousand dollars.
and they will be subject to such re-
vision as may be thought proper in
case of, and whenever their final pay
ment and settlement shall be provided
for it is believed that they are held
entirely by the original claimants
that they have not been assigned or
transferred to other parties.
DUTY OF THE STATE.
The duties which the State owes to
her own citizens in the present case
may be made the subject of debate
That she should take prompt and ef-
fectual action, to afford or to secure to
them a reasonable indemnity for their
losses, ought to be admitted by all ;
but the particular line of action to be
pursued by her may be open to ques-
ton. She has already advanced or
paid half million dollars upon the
claims under the act of 1866, and has
therefore direct pecuniary interest to
that amount in enforcing them against
the Federal Government. But beyond
the interest of her own, it is believed
to be her duty TO provide tor or to OBJ
tain further indemnity to the people.
She owes protection to them, and she
alone can claim on their behalf and on
her own the guarantees of the Fed
eral Constitution
1t remains to inquire what immediate
or direct relief, if any can BE- furnished
by the State to her citizen claimants.
She cannot assume the payment of
their claims and place those claims in
the form of public debt to be met
by the State hereafter. because the
State Constitution torbids the creation
of debt of such magnitude. Nor
(by reason of any other provision of
,he Consiitution) can she loan her
credit to them in any way whatever
But she may appropriate money
from her treasury to pay the claims, III
whole or in part, or may divert any
part of her revenues. not pledged to
the Sinking Fund. and apply it to the
same object. Pending the application
to be made by her upon the Federal
for indemnity. and before
application shall be complied with. she
may appropriate money in aid of the
claimants or in extinguishment of
their demands The power of the
two houses to do this is complete. and
their exercise OF the power is wholly
within their discretion 1t is a clear
power. but one to be exercised, if ex-
rrcised at all under full sense of rep
resenta,ive duty. and in full view of all
those considerations OF expediency and
Justice which pertain to the question.
But either as the representative of our
people or in her own right as the holder
Of the claims, the State Government
should promptly press upon the Fed
eral Government the recognition and
allowances of these claims-as a mat
ter Of Justice to the State, and of Fed
eral obligation under the Constitution
Of the United States.
A. II. Dill,
G. K. BUCKALEw,
GEO. CoNNELL,
G. VI. DUNCAN.
The special committee on the border
war claims reported the following bill:
An ACT to authorize the liquidation of dam
ages sustained by the cItizens of Penn
sylvania during the rebellion:
SECTION l. Be 1t enacted, etc. That
he claims of the citizens of the coun.
les of York. Cumberland, Adams,
franklin, Fulton, Bedford and Perry
or extraordinary losses sustained dur.
ng the rebellion, as adjudicated by the
several acts of assembly, approved 10th
A pril, A. ID. 1862; 22d April, A. ID.
1868; 18th February, A. ID 1866,
md 9th April, A. ID. 1868 be subject
ID to careful revision by two com
nissioners in the county of York, two
n the county of Franklin, two in the
county of Adams two in the counties
If Cumberland and Perry, and two IN
he counties of Fulton and Bed ord, to
,e appointed by the courts of common
Pleas of saiG several counties, aud the
Governor shall appoint competent coun-
el to represent the government in the
evasion of said claims before the sew
raj commissioners, and SAID commits