Rufus Wheeler Peckham

“ There is no pretense that he paid the fees into the treasury to avoid a controversy with any department of the government, or that he ever made any objection or protest against the fees being charged to him as official fees. The court of claims so finds in substance. If a voluntary payment can be made to the government, it seems to us that this is such a case; and, unless it be declared that the law of voluntary payments is not applicable to the case of a payment by an official to the government, we think the payments made by the original claimant were voluntary. ”

“ The facts show nothing but a voluntary payment of money to the government, without claim of any right to retain one penny of it.
In U.S. v. Lawson, 101 U.S. 164, the collector received an order in writing from the commissioner of customs, his superior, requiring him to account for all fees received by him as collector. Under that order he paid the fees in controversy into the treasury, and it was held that, having thus paid them pursuant to a peremptory order of his superior officer, he was not precluded from thereafter recovering them in a suit against the United States. ”

“ Van Buren received fees for certifying invoices of merchandise shipped from that port through the United States in bond to foreign countries, amounting to the sum of $4,115, which fees were paid into the treasury of the United States, under the rules, regulations, and requirements of the departments of state and treasury, requiring fees to be so accounted for and paid to the United States. ”