The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-16
Governor Dockery Preparing to
Demand Interest on War
Expenditures.
AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $3.50, ,oco.
Other States Have Collected Sim
liar Debts Under the Same
Clause, and Officials Are
Hopeful.
By A STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

By A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Jefferson City, Mo-. Jan. 15.-Within few
| days 1t is possible that Governor Dockery
| will send special message to the General
| Assembly, calling attention to the fact that
| there is about $450. 900 coming to the State
| of Missouri from the United States Govern
ment, which should be collected. The
message probably will recommend the ap-
| pointment Of a commissioner to collect the
| sum. though this point has not been set
| tied definitely.
The large amount which Is claimed. and
| which attorneys have informed the Gov
! ernor Is collectable, is interest on money
| advanced by the State for enrolling. equip
! the Civil War. The Congressional statute,
promising to reimburse the States for such
money, was passed July q. 1851
Indiana applied for repayment Of this
interest. but an opinion was rendered by
| holding that the United States was not
! liable. An appeal was made to the. Comp
troiIer of the Treasury and the Auditor
| was upheld. ~
That seemed to settle the matter for a
long while Nothing else was done until 1883
when New York sent a claim for its tn
the Treasury under section 1868 Of the Re-
vised Statutes Of the United States. The
claim was referred to the Court Of Claims.
where the papers and vouchers were pre-
sented. This court held that "the interest
paid by the State on its bonds. was not as
between the United States and the State IN
terest, but on the other hand, just as much
as were the original expenditures"
| Both the United States and New York
appealed to the United States Supreme
Court Justice Harlan, in an opinion rem
dered in 1886, affirmed the decision Of the
| Court Of Claims, thereby. deciding. finally
| the question.
Following this decision, the States. OF
Maine, Pennsylvania. New Hampshire and
Rhode Island presented their claims to the
! Secretary of the Treasury, who referred
them to the Court of Claims where they
| were all allowed in February of last year.
| Other States which have taken advantage
| OF the decision and which have received
the interest on money advanced during the
war are Connecticut, Massachusetts,, Ohio.
Indiana, Michigan. Illinois and Iowa
Since Governor Dockery has learned OF
| this decision, he has had Auditor Allen
| looking UP the amount which Missouri could
properly claim under the decisions Of the
Court of Claims. Missouri advanced about
81, 900 to the United States Government
and was paid the principal.
| 1t is figured that the interest which may
be secured will amount to about $a50,0Oo. It
is said that already siil 900 has been found
on the books which would properly come
under this head. Auditor Allen will proceed
| to Investigate the matter. T..
Just what steps will be taken to present
the matter to the General Assembly has not
been determined. 1t is thought that the
| Attorney General cannot proceed as he was
prevented from doing two years ago. when
| Governor Stephens tried to get Dill
| through to force the payment OF school
\ moneys due on lands in Southeast MISSOURI.
However, this big amount Of money can
not be collected in a day. 1t will probably
take two or three years to follow the mat
| ter through the various courts.
! P. E. BURTON.