Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 6.

About this Item

Title
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 6.
Author
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Publication
New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press
1953.
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"Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 6." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln6. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024.

Pages

To Edwin M. Stanton1Jump to section

Hon. Sec. of War. Executive Mansion,
My dear Sir Washington, May 23. 1863.

In order to construct the Illinois Central Railroad, a large grant of land was made by the United States to the State of Illinois, which land was again given to the Railroad Company by the State, in certain provisions of the Charter. By the U.S. grant, certain previleges were attempted to be secured from the contemplated Railroad to the U.S., and by the charter certain per centage of the income of the road was to be from time to time paid to the State of Illinois. At the beginning of the present war the Railroad did certain carrying for the U.S. for which it claims pay; and, as I understand, the U.S. claims that at least part of this the road was bound to do without pay. Though attempts have been made to settle the matter, it remains unsettled; meanwhile the Road refuses to pay the per-centage to the State. This delay is working badly; and I understand the delay exists because of there being no definite decision whether the U.S. will settle it's own account with the Railroad, or will allow the State to settle it, & account to the State for it. If I had the leisure which I have not, I believe I could settle

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it; but prima facie it appears to me we better settle the account ourselves, because that will save us all question as to whether the State deals fairly with us in the settlement of our account with a third party---the R.R.

I wish you would see Mr. Butler, late our State Treasurer, and see if something definite can not be done in the case. Yours truly

A. LINCOLN

Annotation

[1]   ALS-P, ISLA. Lincoln endorsed the envelope, ``Please see Mr. Butler/May 23, 1863. A. Lincoln.'' An endorsement by Stanton referred the letter to the quartermaster general. Montgomery C. Meigs reported on May 27 (copy, IHi-Parsons Papers). On June 3 Meigs instructed the chief quartermaster Colonel Robert Allen of the Department of the West at St. Louis to settle all accounts with the railroad prior to May 3, 1862.

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