Letter from Secretary of the Treasury Christopher Memminger to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; September 17, 1861

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Letter from Secretary of the Treasury Christopher Memminger to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; September 17, 1861

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People

Memminger, C. G. (Christopher Gustavus), 1803-1888 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867

Events

Secession. American Civil War

Organizations

Confederate States of America--Congress Confederate States of America--Treasury Department

Occupations

Banking and Finance--Auditors Clerks

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson North Carolina Tennessee Virginia--Independent City. Richmond

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[seal]

Confederate States of America
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Richmond, 17th Sept 1861

His Excellency
John J Pettus
Governor of Mississippi,
Jackson, Miss,,

Sir,

You will perceive by reference to the last section of the enclosed copy of the late law of Congress authorizing the auditing of claims of the several states for money expended for the Confederate Government that it is made the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to notify the Governors of the several states, and in accordance therewith I herewith transmit you a copy of the Act.

Very respectfully

C G Memminger,
Sec'y of Treasury

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An Act to Audit the Accounts of the respective States against the Confederacy.

Section 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That it shall be the duty of such Auditor or Auditors of the Treas=ury Department, as may be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, and to that end the said Secretary be authorized to appoint as many extra clerks for the time as he may deem necessary at the rate of salary now allowed for Clerks of the Treasury Department, to audit the accounts, and claims of the respective States of the Confederacy against the Confederate Government for the advances and expenditures made by the said States respectively for the use and benefit of the Confederacy, in pre=paration for, or in concucting the war now existing against the United States, and all claims for advances or expendi-tures of any kind made by any State prior to the passage of its ordinance of Secession, shall by shown to have been made in comtemplation of the act of secession, afterwards consum=

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mated, and of the war that might probably ensure, or in the Seizure or aquisition of forts, arsenals, navy=yards, armaments, munitions, and other useful instrummentalities of War, or in the purchase or manufacture of army or munitions, which have sunce been transferred to the Confederacy, or, in some regular mode, been brought into its service for the presecution of the war aforesaid, before such claims shall be audited and the amount ascertained.

Section 2. And, in auditing the claims of the States of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, reference shall be had to the special compacts and en-gagements had with those States respectively by the Confederate Govern=ment, in view of their professed ad=hesion to the provisional Constitution, or the support of their armaments, and the prosecution of war after-wards, and all claims coming forth within the preview of such com=pacts, being properly verified by vouchers,

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shall, in favor of said States, be audited and ascertained

Section 3. That proof shall be made in all cases by proper vouchers to the satisfaction of the Auditors, that the amount claimed was actually advanced or expedited, that the expenditure was proper, and no greater amount for pay and services shall be audited than is allowed by the regulations of the Confederate Government for pay and services in the like cases, and the Auditor shall make a spe-cial report of his action under this law to the Congress at its next session.

Section 4. The Secretary of the Treasury shall cause notice to be forwarded to the Executive of each of the States of this Confederacy immediately after the passage of this act, calling on such Executive to for-ward the claims which may be held by his State, subject to be audited under the provisions of this Act.