Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-26
VERMONT IS ALL RIGHT.
A Decision from the United State
Attorney General
Holding that the state Is Entitled 10
Money, aud that the Governments
CInim Of sJI9,SSO Cannot he Offset
Against IL.
\ CAREFUL AND EXHAUSTIVE EXAMINA-
TIoN OF THE WHOLE SUBJECT.

4 CAREFUL AND EXHAUSTIVE EXANTINA-
TON OF THE WHOLE SUBJECT.
United States Attorney General Miller
has rendered an opinion, as expected, in re-
laton to Nermont's share of the direct tax
money and the governments counter claim
for arms and ammunition furnished the
state at the time Of the st. Albans raid.
The opinion is favorable TO Vermont, and
the state will undoubtedly receive the $179,-
600 of direct tax money which is due it
under the act of Congress, the Attorney
General holding that, whether or not the
governments claim against the state is a
just one, it cannot be offset against the
sum due on account of the refunding of
the direct tax. The opinion is of cOnsid-
cradle length. In its first part it states in
detail the circumstances under which the
governments claim against the state for
the sum of S543, $50 grew up. The second
comptroller of the currency, in a communi-
cation to the Attorney General on this sub
iect, said: at appears that the indebted
ness arose from the fact that the United
States government loaned to the state in
October 1864, ordnance stores for the pur-
pose of enabling it to arm its militia in or
der to be in readiness to defend the state
against any invasion across the Cana liam
border in aid of the rebellion. 1t is alleged
that the state sold large portion OF these
stores, and that the money received from
the sales was paid into the state treasury
and has ever since been retained by the
state In second communication on
this subject the same officer further said :
Il feel by no means satisfied of the legali-
" of the charge reported by the war de-
partment, hut think there is reasonable
doubt a. To whether the advance to said
state of the large quantities of arms and
ordnance stores did, under the then exist
ing circumstances, constitute such an in
debtelness on the part of the state to the
general government as 10 bring ii within
the operation of the act Of March ,, 1873. '
The arms and stores furnished Vermont
in 1864 consisted of field batteries of artil-
lery, infantry muskets and rifles, ammuni-
ton, cavalry equipments, etc, but did not
include any clothing or quartermaster' ;
stores. They were ordered TO be delivered
to the state soon after the ~. Alhans raid.
which took place Oct. ~, 1864. ON this
I occasion a confederate lieutenant. with 20
or more men, made a sudden attack on the
village of ST. Albans, robhing three banks
of about 500, 900 killing one man. wound
ing others, holding several citizens prison
ers for a time. and threatening further act
of hostility. The raiders claimed to he
confederate soldiers and said their mission
was To retaliate for the acts done bv Union
troops in the South. At that time it was
known that there were 1900 or 20.0OC
| sympathizers with the confederacy which
had taken refuge in Canada. \ month be-
| fore an expedition had been organized in
| that country to release the confederate pris-
! oners confined on Johnson's island in Lake
Erie. These. with other facts which are
/ cited, show that there Were very grave
grounds to fear that our Northern frontier
was to be attacked in force with the avow.
| ed purpose of weakening our forces on the
field by calling away troops to repel an in,
vasion at the North. An these circum.
stances show that the defence of Vermont
was a defence of the United States against
confederate insurgents, and that the de-
fence of Vermont was not an act of tn,
state hut of the national government in
defence of the Union. Whatever Vermont
did in this matter was done to aid the ma
tional government in a sudden and danger
Gus emergency, and not on her own ac
count as a state.
After citing these facts and conclusions
the Attorney Generals opinion goes on tC
trace the several steps which led to tn,
arms, stores and ammunition alread,
spoken of being sent to Vermont Tn,