Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-03
WEST VIRGINIA WAR CLAIMS.
Several Important Ones Allowed that
Have Been Standing for Years.
SrfeiaL Tsleorayn 10 The REGISTER


Special telegram to the Register.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 2.-The
House Committee on War Claims has
favorably reported three bills for the re-
lief of citizens OF West Virginia, which
bills have also been favorably reported
by the Senate Committee. These bills
are for the relief of the Trustees OF the
Methodist Episcopal church OF Martins
burg, of ST. Joseph's church OF Martins
burg, and to refund to the State OF west
Virginia the money paid to officers OF
the One Hundred and Thirty-third regl-
ment of West Virginia militia for SER
vices during the Rebellion. The OIL
GERS of the One Hundred and Thirty
third regiment West Virginia militia
were Major Edward b. Morton, Captain
Daniel Gould, Lieutenant Harvey Geyer
and Lieutenant L. Y. McAvoy. In
settling with the State of West Vir-
ginia for the moneys paid by
her In eQuipping and maintaining troops
for the suppression of the Rebellion,
these officers somehow onlyreceived the
pay of private soldiers, and the West
Virginia Legislature afterwards made
I'D to them the difference between the
pay Of privates and the pay officers OF
their respective ranks. The total
amount thus paid out by the State be-
ing S2,Ol9.15. The present bill author
ICES the Treasury to refund to West
Virginia this amount. At the time the
West Virginia Legislature made the ap-
preparation to pay this S2,019.15, 1t
passed resolution urging the West
Virginia Senators and members OF Con-
greSs to take steps to have the General
Government refund to West Virginia
the amount paid out by them. The re-
port of the Committee says:
'There can be no question that If the
State had paid to these officers the sums to
which they were entitled, as shown by this
investigation by the legislature, prior 10
the time of the settlement by the commits
sioners, under the act Of June u, 1886, OF
the account of the State of West Vir-
GINA against the United States, that
amount would have been included in that
settlement, and would have been refunded
to the State as the sums paid to other
officers of the same regiment according to
their respective ranks had been paid by
the State, and was under that settlement
refunded TO it by the Government.
1.-The committee cannot conceive upon
what theory the Government can now re-
fuse to refund TO the State the amount paid
by her to these officers. and which would
have been paid by the Government had the
State paid it prior to this settlement"
The bill for the relief OF the trustees
of the Martinsburg Methodist Episcopal
Church calls for the payment to said
trustees of the sum of 81, BIS for damage
to the building and rent of same during
its occupancy as hospital FOR Federal
troops in 1868 and 1864.
The bill for the relief OF the trustees
of st. Joseph's Catholic Church OF Mar
tinsburg calls for the payment Of 81, $50
to the trustees for the rent OF the build
ing during its occupancy as a Federal
hospital and stable. The church was
taken possession of the Federal troops
in 1862 and held by them from that time
until the close of the war.