Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-19

Remarks OF Senator Stevens Of Somerset,
In THE MAINE SENATE, FEB l6, on the question
of the reimbursement of certain towns.

In THE MAINE SENATE, FEB l6, on the question
OF the reimbursement Of certain towns.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: did hope this matter was so
well understood BY the members Of this Senate
that it would need no discussion. 1t certainly is
not pleasant to me to enter upon the discussion of
matter an investigation of which has revealed
so much that is to be regretted by all correct bus
ness men. Whatever l may be led to say during
this discussion, hope no word of mine will be
construed to reflect upon any member Of this
body. 1t is not in this chamber, Mr.. President,
,it is not in these halls Of legislation, that this
wrong has been perpetrated.
In the summer of 1864, lag towns and planta-
tons were notified by the then Adjutant General
that "towns must reimburse to the State Treas.
urer $500 each, for men to fill their October quota,
otherwise all credits beyond the February quota
would be cancelled by transferring them to towns
ed by paying into the treasury between Aug.
and Sept. 10, 1884, the sums demanded Of them,
amounting to S2l 400. l25 towns refused to pay
the amounts demanded. In 1859 the commission
on the assumption of the war debt met. This
commission settled all matters between the towns
the Treasurer for their resumption bonds, the
Treasurer withheld enough to pay these sums
charged against them. 26 towns were thus set
tied with. Ninety-nine towns refused to settle
IS required BY the Treasurer, and went be-
fore the legislature for relief. The legislature,
by resolve in 1870, chapter two hundred and two,
referred the whole matter to the Adjutant General
and the Commission on Paper Credits" They
were directed to examine pay rolls, receipts and
all papers bearing upon the subject to ascertain if
errors existed in the accounts the books Of the
Adjutant General. They made this examination
and reported that all the charges made against
these towns were errors, and SO certified to the
Treasurer. (Adjutant Generals report for 1870.
Whereupon the SO towns that refused to submit
to the Treasurer's demands, received the full
smount of bonds awarded them by the commits
sioners.
The bond. withheld from the 26 towns to pay
the sums charged against them, had been by the
Treasurer converted into currency. which obliged
him to call on the Legislature IN his report Of
1870, for an appropriation of $lo,4S9;H to reim-
burse said towns. His report for 1871 shows this
was paid that year. In 1872, the towns OF Houl.
ton and Columbia Falls, two Of the towns that had
paid money, came before the Legislature and
asked for legislation to refund to them the $4,000
they paid on demand Of the Adjutant General.
Their claims were referred to the then Adjutant
General, by Resolve, Laws of 1872, chaps. "a and
he decided the charges of such Indebtedness were
an error, and these towns were reimbursed.
In 1873, the claims of the towns now asking
legislation to enable them to receive that justice
granted to all other towns on this list, were re-
ferred to the Governor and Council, and Adjutant
General, by Resolve in the laws of 1873, chapter
206. The Governor and Council did not act upon
it, but reported it back to the Legislature. The
Adjutant General has ever been ready to report,
so far as he is concerned, that the call for this
money was an error, that these towns were in
no sense indebted, and that the money should be
refunded
Thus, we see, that l46 towns were called on for
money; 81 paid the money, and l25 refused to
pay Of this number 26 did finally pay in resump-
ton bonds, and SO refused to receive their bonds
until it was decided this charge was an error;
then the SO towns received the full amount of
bonds awarded them by the Commissioners. The
26 towns have been paid in money the amount OF
bonds that were withheld from them to satisfy
this charge.
Two towns that paid the money when demand
ed have had the money refunded, $1,000, by leg
islation, after the fullest Investigation. Now we
ask for the same justice for these 9 towns that the
legislature has given to the other 10 towns. And
must be patent to every one that these IL towns
that paid their money when called on, stand pre-
cisely as did the two towns that have been reim-
bursed by act Of the Legislature, and as did the
26 towns who paid the amount demanded IN
bonds, and have been reimbursed, as the Treas
these 10 towns hare paid the money, and the State
has had the benefit Of it for ten and ons-hdT gears.
The 26 towns that paid in bonds, as appears by
the Treasurer's report, were reimbursed in money
by an appropriation BY the Legislature.
The stoppage of these bonds, and the difficulty
that grew out of it, was the cause of the Commis-
sion on paper credits. 1t has been remarked, this
commission, together with the Adjutant General,
passed upon the charges against these towns, and
pronounced them all errors and so cerfyhed. All
legal pretense to assess these towns. was aban-
doned long ago; one reason after another has been
given, and as often abandoned. The last is, that
at the time of the October call Of 1863 the State
bounty was but 500, and that in 1864, when these
towns completed their quota OF men for the Octo-
ber call, the bounty had been raised to $500, and
that this call for money, was to pay the difference
In the first place. those towns that were deficient
on the Oct. call of 1868, were called on IN the call
of Feb. 1854, for men enough TO make up that de,
fciency, and in filling the Feb call, they also filled
the deficiency in the Oct call, and in many in
stances the men furnished were largely in excess
of both calls as the books in the Adjutant Gener-
ais office show. But to put to rest that theory
without argument, we have only to turn to the
following language "This bounty shall not be
paid to any enlistment upon any quota due from
any town under any call prior to February first,
1864 not heretofore assigned. Nor for enlistments
from anv town beyond the quota required OF such
towns to meet the call of FEB. first, 1864, unless
that to,rn shall hare previously filled the quota as
s,qned to it under the call Of oct. l7h, lS63.' All
the Adiutant General claims to base his call for
money on, is deficiency under this oct caH, which
the law made at the time OF the Feb. CALL distinct
ly torbids paying more than one h"ndFed dollars
State bounty.
The towns in the county have the honor of
representing put in on this October CALL live men,
flesh and blood, paper credits connected with 1t.
These calls were among the most trying OF the
war. These towns had enlisted many men and
sent them to the front; they were largely repre-
sented iu that gallant response to the Presidents
call eve are coming, Father Abram. with three
hundred thousand more" Many had fallen, and
had been buried in Southern soil, and when those
calls came so often in those dark days Of the rebel
lion the anxiety of the fathers, and the anguish of
the mothers caused these towns to respond to this
threat to cancel the credits they had on this CALL if
they did not pay. They were ready to do any
thing in their power to keep as many Of their sons
at home as possible.
II the people of the State could know all about
this matter, how the money was called for, how
paid, how the resumption bonds were withheld,
how these matters had all been investigated and
settled and the influence that is now at work to
prevent the payment Of these claims, they would
feel like rising in rebellion against not only this
influence, but against all men and all power that
fosters it. hope the Senate will wash their hands
of all completely in this act of injustice.
Augusta Laundry
winthrop street. Opposite