The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-03-12
Payment Of
Wales Claim
ms WIZ Be Congressman
carr 81 Florida. WM Repre-
sent Claimant.
u. - IsglsIaIuTs ID BE- 10 q

oDrqnity % do tardy justice % Col
4. WALES. pbo has for q lengthy PEI
aid e claim against the State the
itg 0f which cannot be questioned
Is isp OF is repeated authentieatiOn
81 various governors and congressman,
and whose work IN this connection re-
ahted ia me payment By the govern
'meni into tbe treasury Of the State Of q
num aggroeating 81. OS9, 1886.
"A determined effort win be made at
che Forthcoming session, which con-
eeneh Auril 8, 10 collect this claim. and
tie claimant has employed Congress
y,en Clai.k, Of the Second district, one
1 the aljleat lawyers in the State, 10
push che matter, and a brief has been
prepared which Is noN being mailed 10
Ire vaFiOds members Of the legislature
setting forth tue salient features Of.the
case.
The legislature Of 1877 authorized the
Governor Of Florida % appoint an agent
60 settsl the claims Of the State against
the UniSed States government growing
out OF the Indian hOstilities from the
year i9l9 10 1857 inclusive.
Il was on June IL, 1879. that Governor
George n Drew wrote a letter to Col
81 n Wales expressing satisfaction
with certain work for the State that
Col Wales bad been employed to do
ana informing him that the State had
decided to employ him as the State
agent 20 collect the Indian war claim
Ihree conditions were attached to this
proposed employment: first, that Col.
WALES should associate with hun Col.
~, X. Beard q citizen Of the State;
second. that Col. WALES should pay al
expenses incident TO work, Bnd third,
that his compensation should be is per
cent Of the amount collected. The re-
suit was that Col WALES accepted the
er liOymeEt and kept continuously az II
kwentV wears, UncOuntefing and sur
tntinr many difficulties IN the way OF
- ,etion and spending Of his own funds
mount above $50, 000 In the mean
ITO say nothing Of his own labor
ended In the effort until the sum was
eventually paid into the State treasury.
NEVER PAID A PENNY.
So FAR Col. WALES has never received
one cent Of compensation Tor his Bervi-
ces. The legislature Of 1908 voted him
en- appropriation Of $25.0OO IN cOmpen-
satiOn. but thia amount has remained
from that date IN the State treasury
suhject 90 his call, Il is true, but spurn-
Cd 81 him as beng totally inadequate
and insufficient 10 cover the actual ex-
oenBe Of the cost Of collection, and even
though the claimant is now in poverty
Che viii not accept this ''s0p, &c e were,
cCntending for the full amount pledged
him under solemn contract with the
State.
In the brief which has been filsd by
the attorneys for Col WALES u is sta
ted there are two ways % settle the
matter. One Is for the legislature %
carry cut the contract Is made BY Gov.
Drew by appsopriating Sl6s, 3d. % 20
the payment Of the claim, this being is
per cent Of the total amount OF cash,
and States obligations placed In the
States treasury through his efforts, OF
by enacting appropriate legislation per-
hitting Col. WALES 10 90 into the
courts with bis claim 10 decide between
him and the State.
ft la cited IN The brief that Il ls con-
trary 70 the law Of Florida % sue the
State without the consent Of the legis-
lafure. and further that this matter
ehouid be settled speedily and finally IN
Justice % al concerned. 10 ID averreo
that the plain duty Of the legislature
under the express terms Of the contract
q b pay Col Wales the rs per cent Of
he el oeo, 1885, which Il the amount
recovered from the federal government.
a. thls FL what the courts would proba-
81 decree between persons, end that
fhe elnlS shouts b - lust as the courts
woud require Individuals 70 BE-. The
etiorneYs pray, however. that Il the