Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/195

FINANCIAL HISTORY OF ORKGON. 187 engaged in the defense of that Territory. In Oregon [Wash- ington] from one to two thousand men were called out to repel the savages who threatened to massacre the frontier population. "During the session of 1855-6, the Oregon legislature passed an act for the payment of the volunteers, which allowed four dollars per day for man and horse; but the Territory of Washington passed no such laws on the subject. "Conceding the necessity for calling out these volunteers, and that they were called out by competent authority, the obligation has been recognized to reimburse all necessary and proper expenditures incurred by these Territories in sup- pressing these hostilities. "The Washington and Oregon war claims were presented for payment in 1856, when Congress authorized the Secretary of War to appoint a board of commissioners to examine and report them to him; and Captains A. J. Smith and Rufus Ingalls, United States Army, and Hon. Lafayette Grover be- ing so appointed, reported October, 1857 (Ex. Doc. No. 24, 35th Congress, 1st Session) that the amount due by these Territories for this war was $6,011,497.36. ' ' This subject being before the House of Representatives on February, 1859, it was referred to the Third Auditor of the Treasury for his examination, and his report of 7th February, 1860, reviews the claims in detail, (Ex. Doc. 36th Congress, 1st Session) as directed by the House resolutions, by assimilat- ing the pay of the troops to the army standard, and adjusting the prices of supplies, transportation, etc.. to those paid by the regular army in that country at the same period, the auditor reduced the aggregate amount of the claims to $2,- 714,808.58, a little more than one-third of the whole amount reported. "The commissioners had not authority to adjudicate and settle these claims ; they were instructed to report them to the Secretary of War, and the committee, after the examination of their report, consider some of their allowances extravagant. For example : $120 per month for the pay of mounted men. $5 a bushel for oats, and $2 for a horse-shoe are prices slated for allowance. "In this connection it might be proper to note that J. Ross Brown, special agent of the Government, in his letter of 4th December. 1859, to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, (Sen- ate Doc. No. 40^ fully reviews the origin of this war and at page 13 says: 'The commissioners at Vancouver have faith-