Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-06-26
VERMONT'S CLAIM ALLOWED.
The Stnte to Receive Its Full share of the
Direct Tax.


Direct Tax.
The Attorney General has forwarded
to the Treasury Department his opinion
in reference to the question arising under
the claim made by the State of Vermont
for her share of the direct tax authorized
to be refunded by act of Congress.
The State OF Vermont is entitled, in
round numbers, to $165, 900 rs her share
of the direct tax. When her claim was
presented at the Treasury it was discov-
cred that charge against the State in
the War Department, that had never,
however. been audited or settled ut the
Treasury, for almost twice the amount
of her direct tax clGm, was still unset
tied This charge arose by reason of the
fact that the State was furnished during
the Rebellion with large quantities OF
arms, ammunition and military stores,
and therefore the Secretary of the Treas
ury concluded that he could not pay the
State OF Vermont any of her direct tax
claim.
The facts OF the case being SO prepared,
and the equity of the States claim being
so strong the matter was referred TO the
Attorney General for his opinion, which
holds that the State is entitled TO receive
her share of the direct tax notwith-
standing the charges against her.
The opinion is very voluminous, and
discusses the whole question thoroughly
and ably.
1t appears that during the war raid
was made from Canada into Vermont by
Southern Sympathizcrs then resident IL
Canada, and congregated there i'll large
numbers. The town of st. Adams was
entered, and private and public propcrt \
was indiscriminatcly destroyed TIL,
whole State was thrown into alarm
The design of this raid manitcstly was tC
compel the National Government tc
withdraw part of its forces from The
front at the South, in order to defend It's
rear at the North.
The Vermont authorities appealed tt
the National Government. and President
Lincoln and Secretary Stanton ordered
the Government to call out the State
militia, promising to supply them will
necessary arms and munitions of war
Twelve regiments of Infantry were raised
the State was for a time practically undeI
martial law, and for some OF that tim,
the present Secretary of War, then Gen
eral Proctor, was i'll command. TIL,
present venerable Senator Edmunds wa,
then enlisted as private He carried hi
cantccn with him.
The State expended about 5000 900 il
raising and maintaining the force O
troops, of which sum not one dollar ha
ever been paid by the Federal Cover,
mcnt as against the charge for arm
furnished by the National Government
this money expended by the State
claimed by Vermont to be a set of.
The Attorney General holds, in brie
that the furnishing of arms to the Stat
was simply the performance of plain dut
resting upon the Federal Government t
protect all of its territory from invasion
and that the money value of the arm
: cannot now be set up against the clair
, of the State under the act directing til
rctundlng of the direct tax; that tn
furnishing of the arms to the State di
not in itself under any statute, have TIL
effect OF creating a money charge undo
the peculiar circumstances.
The opinion in this case of Vernon
applies to no other State against whic
charges are entered