The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-02
BENEDICT SITS ON 1T.
Refuses to Give Price Raid Hearing
in the Senate.

The senate has absolutely refused to
have anything to do with any Price raid
script legislation. Senator Benedict
voiced the sentiment of the upper house
when he said; II will not vote for any
thing that smells of Price raid script"
During this session Senator Wag-
gener has worried the senators a. good
deal with Price raid appropriation
hints. Two years ago the legislature
provided for a Price raid script com
missioner to audit the claims Governor
Bailey appointed James N. Allen, who
made his report some weeks before the
legislature convened.
The law passed by the legislature of
1903 provided that the report of the
commissioner should be presented to
the legislature but try as he did Sen
ator Waggener has been unable to have
the report read to the senate He intro
duced a resolution that the governor
denver the report to the. senate, as he
was supposed to have the report, but
the report did not come before the SEN
ate This resolution was passed sew
eral weeks ago and a few days ago Sen
ator Waggener found that the resoIu-
ton had not been delivered to Governor
Hoch. Then it was found, when the
resolution did reach the governor that
he did not have the report of the Price
RAID script commissioner and that it
was in the hands of the secretary of
state. Still the senate has not been per-
United to see the report
During the session of the committee
or the whole Wednesday afternoon the
bill introduced by Senator Belts, by re-
quest, came before the senate commit
tee. The bill opened with a preamble
as follows:
Whereas, BY section 9 of chapter 1928.
session laws of 1879, the legislature of
this state appropriated the sum of $780,
600, or so much thereof as might be
necessary, for the payment of claims
q SV1c nrr+ r1fT f<,<.1r-
lenses of the state against Indians dur
ing the year 1864, and in said section
provided that such appropriation
should not be available until the United
States had reimbursed the state for ex-
penditures for military purposes an
and
Whereas. BY section of chapter 1875, |
laws OF 1881, the legislature of this state /
continued said appropriation and condi- |
tons for an additional two years; and
Whereas. By section of chapter 121, |
laws of 1888, the legislature of this state I
again appropriated the sum of S130,000, |
or so much thereof as might be neces-
sary to pay said claim, out of any
money received by the state from the
United States as reimbursement for es1-
penditures made by this state for mill
tary purposes; and
Whereas. No money has ever been
paid by this state under any of said
appropriation acts; and
Whereas, Said appropriations have
lapsed; and
9eWhereas, Since said last appropria-
ton lapSed there has been paid into the
treasury OF the state of Kansas by the
United States to reimburse this state
for expenditures made for military pur-
poses more than the amount of the last
mentioned appropriation; now, there
fore.
Be it Enacted by the Legislature of
the State of Kansas:
THAT any person having claim
gainSt the state of Kansas arising
rom inVaSiOnS of said state by rebel
-reops under the command of Major
General Price and from the Indian ex-
petition under Major General Curtis in
1864, is hereby authorized to bring and
a civil action against the state
IF Kansas for the recovery of such
claim as hereinafter provided
Before the reading clerk had finished
With the first section of the bill Sen
itOr Benedict was on his feet with Il
notion that the bill be reported back
With the enacting clause stricken out :
He was asked if he had read the bill {
before making the motion.
No. shouted the senator from VIII
on who was in the legislature 80 years
lgo when the first Pap Price" legisla-
ion was passed, but 1 have read the
preamble and that is enough"
Senator Benedict said: IF there is
lnvtfine on TOP of Gods green earth i
hat I know about it is Price raid :
cript. This matter has been before ev-
ry legislature for almost forty years. I
The United States government paid to
Kansas sums of money to re-embursa I
he state for the loss by the Price raid
nd the state paid that out and took :
ID the script all excepting about $30.0
worth, and the treasurer by mistake
aid $50, 900 for claims not provided for
nder this appropriation"
Senator Benedict protested that the
tate does not owe any claims on ac-
cunt of the Price raid and he answer
d. when Senator Waggener stated that
many people have the impression that (
he state ernbezzled money paid by the
government to settle these claims and
ut the money into the general revenue
ind Senator Benedict said this belief 4
vas wrong
do you know who owns most of this
rice raid script and who Hobbies for
hese bills before every legislatUre?"
sked Senator Benedict. Nine tenths
f This script is owned by a syndicate II