St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-10-21
vERMoNTs INDEBTEDNESS.
The State Heavily Indebted to the Unit
ed States.

Third Auditor Williams last week
sent the following letter to the secre-
tary of the treasury: Under an act OF
congress, approved July 9th, 1861, to
indemnify the states for the expenses
incurred by them in the defence of the
United States, the state of Vermont
filed her claims in this Office at differ
ent times amounting in the aggregate
to S924,735, of which 1857 ,S45 has
been audited and paid, leaving sus-
pended balance of $66,89O. The
state is now asking for settlement of
this balance. Pending examination OF
accounts, was informed that the rec
ords of the war department would
show a considerable Indebtedness to
the United States for arms aud equip
ments furnished the state of Vermont
during the years 1868 and 1864, which
had never been returned or accounted
for. Accordingly | made inquiry in
the ordnance Office of the war depart
ment, when the fact was disclosed that
in the years 1863 and 1864, the war
department furnished to Vermont
arms and equipments of the money
value of $640, 644. In 1875 the state
was credited with $4250 enormously
Decent Der 81, 1864. In 1867 there was
further credit of 1855 value of
arms and accoutrements and ammuni-
ton lost, expended, issued and burned
between the years 1861 and 1865, cred
it therefore being given under the act
of March 3, 1875. There is further
credit of $64 ,076 for arms retained for
the United States, to which the state
,~cU o,rlA hn oil don
the act of April %, 1908; balance
thus standing as its debtedness against
the state on the books of the ordnance
Office amounts to $543,70O. On the
Odd of June, 1886, congress passed a
joint resolution that the secretary OF
the treasury be authorized to pay the
state of Vermont any sum that may
be found due, after the same shall
have been audited by the proper Off
GERS of the treasury department which
was expended by the state of Vermont
for the defence and protection of the
frontier, and from the invasion from
Canada in 1864, not exceeding the sum
of $40, AGA, which, l am informed, had
previously been ascertained as the full
amount of her claims. Acting under
this joint resolution the third auditor
allOWou CnlS sum Ol SlO,fOf, anu bIlc
same was paid to the governor of the
state out of the national treasury. 1t
will be observed that the money was
paid to the state of Vermont at the
very time when this Indebtedness was
standing against her on the books of
the war department. In this connec-
ton l deem it proper to add that l
have information received from cred
liable source that the state sold the
greater portion of these arms and
equipment, out of which she realized
about $4,000 and that was deposit
ed in her treasury. The legislature of
Vermont is now in session and l have
therefore deemed it proper to give you
this information at this time, in order
that you may take such steps to bring
the subject to the attention of the
proper authorities of the state as you
may be advised and as may seem re-
quired. In the meantime the claims
of the state under the act of July q,
1861, will be suspended in this Office.