Mr. BOYER. My colleague [Mr.STI1VENS] 1st yielded the floor to my colleague [ML BROOMALL] in preference to me upon a ground the validity of which I am not willing to recognize, as I was also in the same war as captain of a military company, and my sword was nite as bloodless as that of my colleague, and trust my heart quite as loyal. If I can have the attention of the House a few moments I think I can answer any reason able objection to the passage of this bill. This claim of the State of Pennsylvania rests upon contract. It is based upon the express ple ges of the POTUS and the SecyWar. This money was originally due to certain banks and moneyed institutions in the city of Philadelphia, who advanced the same upon the oint credit of the Government of the U.S.tates and the State of Permsylvania for the purpose of paying the troops which had been raised in Pennsylvania to repel the rebel raid into that State in the summer of 1863, the U.S. being the principal debtor and the State of Pennsylvania surety for the faithful reayment of the amount. 0th the SecyWar and the POTUS recommended to the last Congress that an appropriation should be made sufficient to pay this amount. The items had. I been examined l by the proper Dept, and the 2nd Auditor had certifie to their correctness. Congress, however, having neglected to make the required appropriation, the State of Pennsylvania. as surety, paid every dollar of the debt to the lenders. She is now here to ask that the U.S., the principal debtor, shall refund to her this money. It therefore touches the credit and the honor of the General Government. It is too late to meet this claim by the plea thatthese troops were not mustere into the service of the U.S. for 2 reasons: hrst, because the U.S. accepted the serVice of the troops under the master as it was; 2nd, because after the troops had gone into servme and after the rebels had been repelled, the POTUS and the SecyWar, with full knowledge of the nature of the master, gave the pledges upon which Pennsvlvania now claims, as a matter of contract, that this money should be paid. I will read to the House the letter of the SecyWar recommending to the last congress that an appropriation should be made for this purpose:. WAR Dept. Wisnisoios Cirv. January 4, 1864. Sin: The Dept hasthis dayreceivedreturns of the amount required for the payment of the militia called out for the defenseof the State of Pennsylvania on the 26thof June. 1863.against the invasion hvg the rebel forces under tho command of General Lee. Herebeingno appropriation put of which these payments could be made at the time they were required. patriotic citizens of Philadel hia advanced the money and it is propIerthat theys ionld bereim bursedwithout delay. would respectfully recommend.therefore, thatan immediatea propriation for that puriosq he made. Acopy of t a letter of the 2nd uditor of the Treasury is herewith commu nicated. showing the amount of claims audited by him to be $67137643up to date. It is supposedthat $700000will cover the amount of these claims. I have the honor to be very respectfully. yours, EDWIN M. sun. SecyWar. Hon. THADDRUS STEVENS. Chairmanof the Gmmiuee Q Waysand Means, HoRep. I will take the liberty, in this connection, to read (what has not been read to the House be fore) the indorsement of this recommendation by preSident Lincoln: I fully indorse the within statement and recommendation and shall be glad if Congressseefit to act promptly in the case. A. LINCOLN and perhaps, as a day has intervened since this subJect was up before the House, it may be well enough to read again the dispatch of the SecyWar to the Governor of Pennsylvania upon the credit of which this money had been advanced: WASHINGTON.July 22, 1863. To his Excellency Governor A. G. Cumis: Your telegrams respecting the payofniilitia. called out under your proclamation oft ic27thofJiinc. have beenreferred to the President for instructions and have been under his consideration.lle directsmeto say, that while no law or appropriation authorizes the payment, by the General Government, of troops that have not been mustered into the service of this F U.S., hewill recommend to Uopgressto make an appropriation for the payinentpl troops called into Stateserviceto repel an actual invasion, including those of the State of Pennsylvania. If. in the meantime.you can raise the necessaryamount.ashas been done in other States. the appropriation will be applied to refund the advanceto those whom adeit. Measures have been taken for the payment of troops mustered into the U.S. service as soon as the [pastor and pnyrollsare madeout. The answerofthis Dept to you as Governor of the State will be given directly to yourself wheneverthe Dept is prepared to make answer. EDWIN MS. STANTON SecyWar. The message of the Governorof Pennsylvania upon this so ject, addressed to the Legislature of that State, contains the following statement in reference to the communication just read: " On the faith of these assurances I proposed that themoneyedinstitutions of the Stateshou dadvnnce the monuy, thero being no State appropriation for the purpose. I pledged myself that if the money should do so ndvanced I would recommend an ap[eropriation by the Legislature to refund it, in case ongrcas should fail to do so." These troops were in the actual service of the U.S. They wore the U.S. uniform, carried U.S. muskets, followed the U.S. flag and were commanded bygeneral officers appointed over them by the Federal Government. They were in 3 States besides our own, namely, Maryland, WestVirginia, and Ohio. It is a slander, therefore, to say, as has been uttered here in reference to these troops, that they refused to cross the State line. The Governor of Pennsylvania, in his last annual message, has stated in a few words the nature of their services, and the promptitude with which they were willing, in defense of the common country, to cross the boundary of the State. Governor Curtin says: "Acting under orders, theydid not hesitatetocross the State has and enter Ohio and WestVirginia. in the West; and in the East they defended the line of the Susquelianna, were at Gettysburgbeforethe advance of the army of the Potomac defended enrlisle snce esfullywhen attacked by a superior force.made long marches, atiently suflcring great prirations for the want of) suficient meansof transportation crossedinto Maryland when ordered, and attacked the enemysuccessfully, and saved the capital of their State from destruction." These men, it is true, did not belong to a class who expected to remain during a long campaign in the Army. Most of them has already borne their full proortionate share of the burdens of the war. It any of them were not adapted to the profession of arms but whose pursuits and whose usefulness in life lay in a different direction, and various duties and disabilities prevented them from remaining a long time in the service. But for the emergency they were willing to incur all risks, and when the invading rebels swept past the armies of the Union and struck at the General government in the very center of its power, then it was that the Pennsylvania farmer, who had already sent his sons to the war, left his plow in the unfinished furrow, and the merchant, who had already a substitute in the Army, without even making reparation to meet his notes at the bank, left his unposted ledger lying at the counter, and the lawyer forsook his clients, and the judge adonrned his court and ordered the courthouse ell to be rung for the assem bling “of the people, and there were imrovised ontespot throughout the limits of Pennsylvania, these companies of militia who rallied in defense of their country in that hour of its peril. They were assisted by the militia from NewYork and from NewJersey, who deserved great creditforthe promptitude and the courage which they displayed in coming so uickly from NewYork and NewJersey to the defense of Pennsylvania. But they were all engaged in defense of their common country. Pennsylvania is the frontier of NewYork and the frontier of NewJersey; and in defending Pennsylvania, they defended their own States as well. They have been paid. When this question was 1: before, it was asserted by the Gentfrom NewJersey [Mr. Roarms that the troops of NewJerse had not yet been paid in full. My colleague {Mr. STEVENS] has however again. asserted today that those troops have been paid, and I do not now hear it denied by anyone.