Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-08
VERMONTS WAR CLAIM,
AN INTERESTING STATEMENT BY
STATE AUDITOR POWELL.
Gives Few Facts About the state war
Claim -. The Present Standing of
the Claim.


inst, calling my attention to Il Cali for
Il meeting of your board sent out by j. j.
Deavitu of Montpelier, is received. | saw
it in the FREE PRESS AND TINES of Nov.
20, and thought of writing to you about
it but concluded that the purpose of that
letter, and his letter to GOV. Barstow in
August, 1854, must be apparent to all, and
that his structures would probably be
taken for about their true value. AS you
ask for the present standing of the claim
/ will give it to you in general terms.
What was known as the WAR claim
of the State, was made up by Dugald
Stewart and W. G. Ferrn, with the as
sistance of II competent accountant, who
was a clerk in the uuartermastcr generals
office during the war and had thus be
come familiar with the whole subject
matter of the claim. During the admins
tration of those two officers the claim was
thoroughly examined and passed upon at
Washington, and all that was allowable
under the rules, was then allowed The
claim was very literally made up, the
large bulk of the amount now standing
as "suspended," being estate pay of seven
dollars per month"; part of which was
embraced in the claim as preseuted-I
presume for the purpose of getting
ruling from the treasury department up
on that point. The early organizations
from this State were literally furnished
being supplied with many things not al
lowable by Army regulationS' at the
public expense. Officers were furnished
in some Instances, with uniforms, side
arms and horses, and the men with sus
penders. combs, brushes and other trim
kets not furnished by the government
All this speaks well for the patriotism OF
the times but no one need be surprised
that in making reimbursement the gov
eminent should insist upon following the
line of the law. While the last state
ment of differences" from the treasury
department upon the vermont war
claim" shows as suspended between 500
600 and $4,000 us | remember ii, there is
hut very little that ever Will be paid, or
that ought to be paid.
In 1876 or :. Gov Fairbanks and Auditor
Iadd commissioned John Trimble, a for
mer chief of the division i'll which such
accounts are a0 juSted, as State agent, and
placed that suspended claim in his hands.
MIR. Ladd, in his report of 1878, reports as
collected by HIM little more than $1,000,
upon which, | suppose, he received com
mission of twenty-five per cent While
this looks eXorbitant, from such investlga-
ton as have made within the past year,
it seems very probable that Mr. Ladd
could not, through any effort of his
own, or any one he could have employed
here, have realized as much rs he did. |
have fully examined the claim, aud the
only class of expense cut Otl--the dSalOw
ance of which surprised me-waS the eX-
pense of recruiting men who We're finally
rejected and not mustered in the United
States service. This would seem to he II
legitimate and necessary expense OF rails
ing troops, and one for which the state
should be reimbursed. Mr.. lrimhle says
he has been laborlnG, with others, in AL
effort to get a change of ruling upon that
question and is hopeful of securing it, and
lie claims that he has IA right to a COM.
nilsson upon whatever l. secured through
his efforts in that direction.
Prior To the last session of the leGiSla-
ture Mr.. DeaVjtt III an open letter to GOV.
BarstoW, propnSed-if he could be author
lied To do So-to prosecute the claims
against the government Without CpmOcn-
satiou, provided the sums thus secured
should he appropriated Tor Il soldiers
home" A. It result This proposition, rs
! was informed by the chairman of the
committee on military affairs, IL bill or
resolution was introduced and referred to
his committee, providing for the appoint
ment of Mr.. Dedvitt ~ State agent, and
directing the auditor of accounts to fur
niSh him with certified copies of
such vouchers as he should call for.
The chairman asked me if it was
not part Of the duty of my office to look
after such claims told him Ii was, but
/ had no objections whatever to being re
lieved from that the trouble was in furn
ishing copies of vouchers, rs there were
no such vouchers in the office told him
too, of Mr.. Trimble's appointment, tina,
he held a commission from GOV. Fair
banks and Mr.. I.add, that he had the
claim and probably such vouchers as were
in this Office ut the time Mr.. Iadd appoint
ed him Agent 1t was thought best by
all, that no action be taken by the Com
mittee providing for the removal of the
Agent and No. lGI, Acts, 1854 WAS the re
result Mr. Deavitt says the auditor in
formed the Committee that if they woul(
take no action that he would see that tn,
was revoked, etc. " (which he has falet
to do" He sees Il trade in tins matter
and Il broken contract upon my part.
was not aware from the action taken o.
talk had, that it was considered by amy
one that my course was absolutely fixed
As this money--if there was anyways by
common consent to go to the SOLDIERS
home, if one should be founded, | eX
pressed the wish to be governed in my
action relative to the claim by the friends
of the scheme, and asked the Chairman
to get an expression OF the Committee
as to putting the claim into Mr.. Deavitt
hands. He told me they were favorable
to that idea. ! went to washington fully
intending to do just that, looked up th'
matter ms thoroughly as ! could, both a
agent, satisfied myself thai there wa,
very little indeed if anything in it, anC
that there was force in Mr.. lrimble'
claim about it, He was perfectly cOurte
Gus in the matter, willing to give up tn
claim if | said so, but thought his com
mission already earned upon any
thing realized upon the claim.
was so impressed with his view o
it, that | determined to see both tn
chairman of the committee and Mr.
Deavitt before taking any action further
| saw and talked with each, and each toll
me he should let it rest for the present
MIR. Deavitt's CALI is the first | hav
heard from him since, The desire of tn
trustees for change in the agent will st
cure it,
While some little more may possibly b
secured from the general government, tn
State has been already well treated, an
has no caused for complaint. There ha
been talk of refunding to. the. state
all interest paid for, monies hired
lao lad l,Nr