San Antonio Daily Light

THE CASSIANO CLAIM
The Heirs Want the State to Pay a Just Debt Incurred by its officers in 1835-6.

The Cassiano claim is again being pressed upon the state for the benefit of the heirs of Fermin Cassiano. This claim was originally made by Jose Cassiano, father of Fermin Cassiano in 1836, for cash and merchandise, supplied to the Texan army, under the following circumstances. In the winter of 1835, the Texan army entered Bexar county and took formal possession of it. By order of the commanding general, the army appropriated the house, store, furniture and merchandise of a friendly Mexican, Jose Cassiano. The house was used as a hospital and the store practically became the commissary.

In time the following bill accrued:
To cash advanced........ $1,665.00
To Merchandise..... 2,110.56
Total. $3,775.56

The accounts were audited and passed by the proper officers, and counter-signed by Col. J. N. Seguin, then in command.

In the spring of 1836, General Santa Anna arrived in the city, Cassiano's house was burned, and his papers perished in the flames. After San Jacinto had made Texas independent and the state had her own government, the account was again made out, substantiated by personal testimony and such records that were on file. In 1838 the account was presented to congress, examined by the committee and passed by the lower house, but a personal enemy contrived to defeat its passage in the senate. In the following year Cassiano petitioned the board of adjudication and settlement of claims for the allowance of his claim, and when the Board of Examiners had investigated the claim they allowed it an additional 10 per cent. interest for three years and four months, passing it as follows:

Claim $3,775.56
Interest 555.00
$4,330.56

And it was ordered "that the first auditor be and is hereby authorized and required to draw a draft on the treasurer in favor of Jose Cassiano for the sum of four thousand three hundred and thirty-six dollars and fifty-six cents to be paid out of the promissory notes of the government." This order is signed by J. W. Simmons, James Webb, B. Miller and J. W. Moody. For all this the amount has not yet been paid. As stated the claim is being pressed and there seems to be no reason that the descendants of one who served the state in her hour of need should have any difficulty in recovering what the state by its officers admit is justly due to them.