Page images
PDF
EPUB

Report of the Second Comptroller and Second Auditor of the Treasury, with a statement of the claims of the Cherokee nation of Indians, accord ing to the principles established by the treaty of August, 1846.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, December 3, 1849.

SIR: The proper accounting officers of the treasury having been required, by the joint resolution of the 7th of August, 1848, to make a just and fair statement of the claims of the Cherokee nation of Indians, according to the principles established by the treaty of August, 1846, between the United States and said Indians, do now, as required by said resolu tion, report that they have caused a full and thorough examination to be made of all the accounts and vouchers of the several officers and agents of the government of the United States, who have disbursed money appro priated to carry into effect the treaty with the Cherokee nation of 1835, and also of the claims that have been admitted at the treasury. As the result of said examination, it appears that there has been paidFor improvements, the sum of

For ferries, the sum of -
For spoliations, the sum of

For removal and subsistence, and commutation therefor, including $2,765 84 expended for goods for the poorer classes of Cherokees, as mentioned in the 15th article of the treaty of 1835-'6; and including, also, necessary incidental expenses of enrolling agents, conductors, commissaries, medical attendance and supplies, &c., the sum of

[ocr errors]

For debts and claims upon the Cherokee nation, the sum of

For the additional quantity of land ceded to said nation, the sum of

For amount invested as the general fund of the nation, the sum of

The "aggregate of which general sums" is
And which, being deducted from the sum of

agreeably to the directions of the ninth article of the
treaty of 1846, leaves a balance of

due to the Cherokee nation.

$1,540,572 27

159,572 12 264, 894 09

2,952, 196 25

101,348 3

500,000 v

500, 850 0

[ocr errors]

6, 019, 463 0

6, 617, 067 U

627, 603 9

As it is contended by the agents of the Cherokee nation that sundry items of expenditure embraced in the foregoing statement are not proper chargeable upon the nation under the treaty of 1846, particularly a por tion of the incidental expenses connected with the removal, amounting : $96,999 42, the undersigned report herewith a particular statement of those expenses, showing the amount thereof in detail, in order that the question thus raised on the part of the Cherokees may be decided by Congress.

Which is respectfully submitted.

ALBION K. PARRIS,
Second Comptroller.

P. CLAYTON,

Scond Auditor.

To the PRESIDENT of the Senate of the United States.

Statement of the claims of the Cherokee nation of Indians, according to the principles established by the treaty of August, 1846, between the United States and aid Indians; prepared by the accounting officers in obedience to a resolution of Congress, approved August 7, 1848.

Amount granted to the Cherokees by the first article of the treaty of 1835, for their lands east of the Mississippi. Amount granted by the third article of the supplement.. Amount appropriated by Congress for objects specified in the third article of the supplement, per act of June 12, 1838.

From which deduct amount paid for

...

$5,000, 000 00

600, 000 00 1,047, 067 00

6,647, 067 00

$1,540, 572 27 159, 572 12

....

264, 894 09

.......... ... ...

...

Improvements. Ferries. Removal and subsistence, and commutation therefor, including $2,765 84 expended for goods for the poorer classes Spoliations. of Cherokees, as mentioned in the fifteenth article of the treaty of 1835-'6; and including, also, necessary inci dental expenses of enrolling agents, conductors, commissaries, medical attendance and supplies, &c., viz

Bep

Removal and subsistence, and commutation therefor... Physicians, matrons, medicines, hospital stores, &c. ........

.....

Superintendent of removal......

Clerk to superintendent of removal....

Interpreter to superintendent of removal...

Disbursing agents...

Conductors....

...........

Interpreters to various agents.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Issuing agents......

Enrolling agents.

Contingent expenses of superintendent and disbursing agent.

[blocks in formation]

....

16,418 50 25,983 38

...

[blocks in formation]

STATEMENT-Continued.

Amount allowed the United States for the additional quantity of land ceded to said nation. Amount invested as the general fund of the nation..

Brought forward.

Balance due Cherokee Indians...

[blocks in formation]

1st Session.

No. 177.

IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

AUGUST 9, 1850,

Submitted, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. WALKER made the following

REPORT:

[To accompany bill S. No. 310.]

The Committee on Revolutionary Claims, to whom was referred the memorial of H. M. Salomon, for indemnification for advances of money made by his father during the revolutionary war, have had the same under consideration, and respectfully report:

That during the first session of the thirtieth Congress, the Committee on Revolutionary Claims in the House of Representatives, consisting of Messrs. King of Massachusetts, Smart of Maine, Outlaw of North Carolina, Morris of Ohio, Butler of Pennsylvania, Iverson of Georgia, Newall of New Jersey, Tallmadge of New York, and Bowdon of Alabama, to whom the House had referred a memorial similar to that which has been laid before this committee, on behalf of Haym M. Salomon, a native of Philadelphia, son and legal representative of the late Haym Salomon, merchant and banker there, carefully inquired into the allegations of the petitioner, and unanimously agreed to a report, from which the following is an extract:

"That they have fully examined the mass of documentary evidence submitted by the said memorialist, and having satisfied themselves of its authenticity, do regard it as sustaining the claim advanced by the memorialist; which they therefore recommend to the favorable consideration of the House of Representatives." (Report No. 504.)

During the first session of the 29th Congress, the Committee of Claims in Senate, consisting of Messrs. Pennybacker of Virginia, Clayton of Delaware, Dickinson of New York, Morehead of Kentucky, and Johnson of Maryland, unanimously agreed to a report, similar to that adopted by the House committee, but too late for presentation. During the second session, another report was drawn up by Senator Bradbury, placed on file, and is mainly as follows:

"That it appears from documentary evidence submitted by the memorialist, that Haym Salomon, his father, contributed largely of his pecuniary means towards carrying on the war of the Revolution, aiding the public treasury by frequent loans of moneys, and advancing liberally of his means to sustain many of the public men engaged in the struggle for independence, at a time when the sinews of war were essential to success. It further

appears to be satisfactorily established, that the confidence of Mr. Salomon was so great in the good faith of the government, that he parted with his money, relying on that good faith for its return.

"He died suddenly after the conclusion of peace, and the inventory of the estate contains a list of treasury and other evidences of indebtedness of the government of a very large amount, viz:

Loan office certificates

Treasury certificates
Continental (liquidated)
Commissioners' certificates

Virginia State certificates

$110,233 63

18,244 S8 199,214 45

17,870 37

8,166 00

353,729 43

"The petitioner contends that during the extreme infancy of the heirs of Mr. Salomon, his children were most unjustly deprived of this revolutionary paper. But it cannot now be ascertained if the administrator may not have received a small per centage which was paid for that class of debts of the government, some years after his death. Be that as it may, the committee are of the opinion that Mr. Salomon rendered that important and peculiar service in aid of the revolutionary war; that it presents a case where Congress can mark its sense of such services, without injustice to the public treasury, by a suitable indemnity to the heirs of one who was a benefactor and whose family of infant children were left in penury by his devotion to the revolutionary war, and his confidence in the good faith of the country.

[ocr errors]

The claim set forth in this case is, that Haym Salomon, a native of Poland, during the war of the Revolution, largely contributed of his pecuniary means towards carrying it on, assisting the agency of finance by frequent loans of money, and his obligations, from time to time, in sums varying from $20,000 to $40,000, and contributing to the support and sustenance of many eminent men of that time, engaged in the struggle for independence; that this was done without a consideration.

That of the moneys advanced by Haym Salomon, no evidence exists of any payments by the government of the United States, in discharge of their obligations to him; and that, in point of fact, no such payments were ever made to his widow or children.

The memorialist alleges that the sum of $300,000 was thus advanced by his father, in addition to various sums gratuitously bestowed upon sundry eminent individuals connected with and holding important offices in the administration of public affairs.

From the evidence in the possession of the committee, the patriotic devotion of Haym Salomon to the cause of American independence cannot, in their judgment, be questioned. The proof of his eminent charac ter and standing as a citizen and merchant is very clear and abundant.

He was the countryman and intimate associate of Pulaski and Kosciusko; and from facts submitted to the committee, it has been fully demonstrated, that, in the depth and sincerity of his devotion to the cause of human liberty, he was not surpassed by either of these illustrious men.

For some time antecedent to the revolutionary war, Mr. Salomon had resided in this country, carrying on business as a merchant, and had es

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »