Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-09
AN ANCIEN'r CLAM,
Does the United states owe Virainia
and Maryland si9s,OO0 B"rr"H'c
Money, with Ninety Years I'm
terest i-iseport or Judge Poland OF


|
| Vermont.
Some thirty or fortyycarsa ago the States OF
Virginia and Maryland presented claims
against the general government, for the re-
turn to those States of the sums of $l20, 900
advanced" By the State of Virginia aud
S72 900 advanced" by the State Of Mary
land, nlnety-thrre years ago for The
erection of the first pubic buildings
at Washington. The claim has never
been paid by Congress, aud is periodically
revived by those States. A bill to repay
| those sums, with interest, is now before the
House, and has been made he subject Of two
reports from the committee Of the Juiin-
larry Committee OF the House. The mai Irity
report, made by Messrs. Mayhriry and
Broadhead, recommends the passage of the
hln. A minority report wns submitted Ivy
Hon. l.. p. Poland Of Vermont, dissenting
from the conclusion aud rpCummcn-
datiOn 0f the majority of the
sub committee. we cory Judge p.
lands report below, rs an interesting con
trlbutiou to the history Of the subj Ct aud
having carefully Rad both reports We have
no hesitation in SAVING that we thtu< lie has
altogether the b, ST of the argument.
Minority Report of Hon. J.. y. Poland.
Tho undersigned, member of me COMMITTEE on
the in lClarv, IL OF oni lion That the ~ teS o.
virginia and Mnrvland have no claim o he re-
imhnrsed by the United States for IN" suns
furnished hv those states tow RI me erection 81
the first nltional public buildings at washing
ION.
rtls well known that hoh before and after the
adoption of he Federal CONSTITUTION there was a
serious conflict OF opinion as 70 the over location
Of the naianrl ceptq. rrrs' nu'nrer or p'N's7
WeIe claimants FOR II. ana great variety NJ
considerations entered into the question. Some
might be ca he'd general or between the different
| sectors ot The country, bnt 70 . argH extent II
was strife between p.r ,cnlar l '. ,,a ,tG ::
10 their locality md tie special advaucemrni. The
snectal advantages o. snCh location within safe,
or In n,me1ia'e nifty to- u, were iar Vr'a'"t
At that dlv, vher the fartli''"s 'cr irTve' Hn1
sud Communication were 20 SLOW ana tedious han
thew would 10 nav when RAJ road and teleglann
lines have nearly ohler1ted timo and distance.
That virginia and MARYLAND should have tclf
great anxiety 70 have the na'inn' canitll located
unon the hanks Of the great navGaNle river rowing
bet vpen them wag vnlv natural Hu1 mat = secure
such g-ea' advantages they shou'd b. vii nv 70
hear something more than their sha-c OF tho
expense, And uee that az nm argumanf m tsVor on
their location. was slsr natural and nroh1h' q. In
the then ImrNverr shed condition NJ The "Opn'rV
necunary argument of ths sorl "onth nave al
influence ~ the question Of location that al ms
The st.to Of virginia. in i7ss land before the act
of congre.' Of july 1880 liking ne pnrmah,.hI en-
n 4
n advance t'2s.oso IN hs anpliei iowar me
erection Of public huIi1insa. an "a'' congress
shall neem 1t ek0eden 10 estahs n tnn permanent
seat Of Gavernment ~ the Cntod states on me
hanks Of the Potomac" and also that ihe assm1iY
NJ Mar,land sho1ld. on their part. advance nm
not les than iwo-ntths OF the sum ava 'c'l Nv
this state for the same purpo o. After ms ailnn
nv virginia Con ress passed. the OF Iulv, li"h
rxing tne set Of Government on the banks " me
Pntnrnac. Tho fourth see ION ~ fnaf Ar' AutNn"-
nc' the President to accent "grans oi n'ne -
"e used In defraving 'he evnense NJ pu-rha' NJ .
| site and erecting public hu'id q thereon.
In nv Judgment there ~ no room Tor doubt ina
this nroviSiOn wa inserted in WOW ~ the action
Of Virginia and the eInrcfoi action OF m" sal" ~
| MARYLAND and shows IN the Colro pos Die
manner that Congress rndcrs' po1 zig" nru11I 10"
| To he one Of \ eft NJ money b! thoi t'ct. anu
| not q pronositi0n 70 make . 10 n.
| Two cnusid. r,iinns seem to tho un1n'H'Gn''
quite conclusive that the p-Nnosl'lon was u.c'de'
IS 9"e o, ci,' a"d No, ~ loan:
| FIRST. That the pro nsi'ion 10 loan such sum
| Of money to be rsra d. should OH I'd 80 '-
| nioned unon q c.rtarn lOcaton. UpNn - rs
fac it appears that m" m r. was cTp''''a H.
influence th' loc'iio' and II Il was ohy an on
Second II h" ornrw,s only Of loan n seem
,ingular t5at such Offer should be On condition 'ht
MARYLAND shond sl-o NIX, lesser, na, pn'n ,,,
tiona. loan Trea'ed rs q grant or 1.H ~ -" cor
iitions are harmonious ami reasonable; hl' on in'
~ o"y of loan Of money, 10 b" ~ aid they seen
| trivial.
| 'rnr maioi itv report az umes mat 'np word use
In the resolutions Of bah S'a'"s. rir1Hrs lmnori
loan. deny thi'. THAT IS not eli h"r ',' = u %
mo ley, to he repaid. the word j. n'vrr used
| factor or con ign OF goods ~ sale .vAn''s
len on the goods to h" u en- rom 'u
proceeds OF he ale. A man adva COS money u
the contractor VINO has con'ra"ed 70 -Nl.n 1I
house, 10 he reckoned - a art Of N" coMr1'
price a parent a,'v,' cos money - M. chilli. T.
| he reckNnc as mort ron % m rhtil' ehA'r II
his estate when divided. Put on "a % II 'n"'
| which creates 8 debt. 10 b. REPAID %" ~ ~
such use Of the word, and thnE II does nor la
port lOsn. ,--.
But whatever ma he the conservation O. IGy.
meaning OF the word "advsnce as u7"d nv VIZ
GINA and Marv'an IN their res lr' o1s, "r" l
no dOuNt or dispute as 10 the act OF .onrr"e- M
der which the money was paid. The Prts1r
was anthorl,ed ~ accent ''p-'urs Of money II
was not antnorized TO borrow mon-y or arceI
10 ms Of money.
| a PARTY accents money Of another he accents u a
offered, and that ne cannot clante t'e cntrac'
OF me transaction nv sayl"g n" accept ~ log a.
| fprent pprnOse or upOn n'her terms. TINS may u
true as etwren ind ividuas. hut when a pariV nav
money TO public on1cer who - been Hn'horz'
nv law to receive 1t FOR a particular purnos' AN
upon special terms he rn1st he held 70 accept NOS
, terms because otherw,s~ N otrcsr has n or1cN
authority 10 receive the money.
| The report OF Mr. Neigs, ref rred 70 in me m
io-ttv report. speaks nt hese m"nevsas "h" d"nn
tons ~ Firginja and Ndry'and" No'hi 'pn-1
IN a the early history OF ms matter IN lhF ~
Went, 10 show that anybody then thongW an
renavmen' of this money or that II was a'y''iI
but donation or gift,
The undersigned notwithstanding the s'alene'
Of this claim, wOnd not suggest that ne any bar
its allowance. II he rOull fee there was ever u
claim, II was nifty years hetO 2 Mary Land sci
any claim TO have this money r paid nm NJ a.
sixty years before virginia wascd M 70 her rlEh
| in this reSpCC,. u ls sald that durlNg ths u
the National Government was pr r. n 'hr
States acted the ordinary part OF rich am leule
l creditor TO poor deAtnr. But years before EN-
5 State male any claim 10 have tnts money renhl
f | the treasury OF the United STATS had hecoIn"
, plethorlc tina they had to resort TO the DOUBT
relief Of distributing il sGrn IA 70 me STATES
, think 1t may A. least he suggested tIal me lof
lay % asser this Claim these states arose from
), | consciousness that no such ella IN existed. wp
IA to the action of a former senate, ana tho uthi
e on ihs claim hv former eminent Senator'S, W
"a cOnclu lie AL desire TO say.
, Each OF the Senators who part 'clpl ed IN tni
u bate, stated that, IN mis- judgment, It male no 1t
n ference whether this money advanced 10y ne
II states, was as gift or loan, that IN th'r view
ought 10 he repaid. do not ag ee at hll W m mo
| eminent SenatG Rs. II the Government h1 TOW
q This money, and has not paid it, II Ougnt 10 90
is hut Il The money was given by heSr states 10
\, United States, and especially II II was given IN VI
OF securing greater benefits 10 thcmSelv"s iherr'
II as think II was, then there j. no obligation on
i part of the United states n return the money
a there IL no more Justice IN returning Il or com
- tutlOnal power to return II, than 10 make a g.It
T. any other State or person.