Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-23


Mr.. President; | had hoped that after the
thorough investigation and consideration of this
subject by the honorable and able committee,
that have had 1t in charge, that upon their report
with statement OF facts that cannot be contra
dicted, that any discussion upon the same would
be unnecessary, and that should not feel it obi
gatory TO have anything to say. But as this is q
matter of justice, and one in which my constitu-
ents are somewhat interested, | beg the indul-
gence of the Senate while attempt some remarks
upon the subject now before US, and perhaps in
part II may be repetition of facts already pre-
sented by the committee and Others that have
spoken.
First In the year 1863, it is well known that
towns paid such bounties to men TO fill their quo
tas as was necessary to induce them to enlist, or
such bountes as they could afford; the State
bounty then was 500 dollars. Some towns, the
more wealthy, offered large bounty, more than
the poorer class could afford; therefore men
would go from the towns paying small bounty
to those paying larger, and ealist therein. 10
obviste this, the State enacted law, first of the
year 1864, providing that the men who enlisted
in the service should be credited to the towns
where they held legal residence and also assumed
the payment of bounties, paying $500. and the
towns paying no bounty whatever. The last of
July, 1864, the Adjutant General made demand
upon LAG towns and plantations for money in
ious sums claiming that it was "for deficiency
under call Of October II, 1868" naming certain
number OF men and charging certain amount.
That Is, to take the town of Lubec for instance ::
His charge was "town Of Lubec, DIR. for deficiency
under call of Oct. IL lS63-l4 men-S2, 500"
Thus cancelling the men claimed to be due, with
money. He accompanied this demand upon those
LAG towns with the threat that unless the demand
was complied with that is the money paid over, he
would cancel the credits OF men enlisted by these
towns, oveI and above a sufficient number 10 fill
the February call" The law forbade him doing
this, but the towns did not know but that he had
the authority so to do, and Il of the li6 towns
complied with the demand and paid the money
demanded of them into the State Treasury. The
question may arise, why did they do this
Because they had filled their quotas under the
call and had a surplus of men enlisted. More
men than was necessary to I'LL their quotas under
that call and they did not wish to lose them,
The same law already referred to, provided that
when the towns had filled their quotas under prior
calls, the surplus OF men should be credited to
them on subsequent calls, and for fear OF losing
their surplus OF men enlisted, they complied with
the demand The other 1875 towns utterly and
totally refused to comply with the demand for
money; but the charges made by the Adjutant
General stood against them until the bonds
awarded by the Commissioner on equalization OF
municipal war debts, were withheld from them in
1870 by the Treasurer in sufficient to cancel
those charges. Then they brought the matter
before the legislature, and the charges were ex-
amined by commission, found to be Incorrect
and were cancelled and these l2j towns received
the full amount Of bonds awarded them. Since
that date, namely since 1870, or in 1872, by re-
solve of the legislature, the charges against two of
the remaining Il towns which paid over their
money, were examined. found incorrect, and the
money paid into the State Treasury was returned
to them. The remaining 10 towns which paid
their money into the treasury of the State in said
year 1864 are now asking for justice at your
hands, and that their money be returned to them
on the ground that it was wrongfuy and Illegal
ly taken from them, that there was no money due
the State from them when the demand was made,
that their quotas at that time were full, filled by
themselves, by enlistments and re-enlistments OF
their own citizens hat they have never received any
benefit on account OF their having paid this mon
ey into the State Treasury, either by the credit of
men OF by the the payment back of money when
the assumption bonds were awarded by the Com
mission on Equalization OF Municipal War Debts
and because the State has had their money in her
treasury for more than IL years and had the
benefit of it, while these towns have been paying
interest on the same, it having been hiied by
them to meet this demand.
1t has been alleged that when the bounties
were equslized by the repay ment to the towns Of
SlOO each, for men enlisted those towns received
500 for each $500 they had paid upon the de-
mand OF the Adjutant General, thesame as they
would have received had they furnished the men
instead of the money" This is not the case.
These towns did not receive one dollar on account
of paying this money luto the treasury. They
have received and had right to receive had they
not paid this money into the state treasury. This
money did not take the place of men, nor was II
used TO procure the enlistment OF men. The
quotas of those towns under said call were full
when the demand was made. In fact some of
those towns claimed compensation for this money
from the Commission on Equalization Of MunicI
pal War Debts, in 1869, and was met with the re-
ply that "the names Of no men could be found as
having been furnished with this money" and
therefore they were not allowed compensation on
account of having paid it, These towns now
claimant did their full duty to the State during the
war in furnishing men to fight the battles OF our
countrywide as much as the other towns of the
State, without the payment of this money. The
State now has it, and we now claim it as a matter
of right and justice that 1t be returned to the
towns to which it honestly belongs. 1t may be
a'ked why this delay in claiming this money! In
answer, would say that these towns or portion
of them, have been trying to recover their money
ever since the report of the Commission on Equal
nation of Municipal War Debts, and 10 1875
resolution passed the House to refund it, which
was rely defeated in the Senate, and defeated
by Misrepresentation OF the facts. We are now
skiing, as have before said, nothing more than
to be restored to the same condition as have been
a the other towns in the State.