The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-23
LATEST NEWS BY NAIL.


WASHINGTON, May 2l.-By the acts Of
July and August, 1861, all property of citi-
zens of insurrectionary States found there
in or in transitu, and all vessels belonging
10 insurgents, were required, when cap
tured, TO he forfeited, and the proceeds of
sales paid into the treasury for the use of
the United States. The proceeds of large
captures of such property, amounting TO
several millions of dollars, are claimed by
military and naval officers, and they are
accordingly taking measures, through the
admiralty courts, to have the property con-
dcmned and adiudgcd to their own use
and that of the naval pension fund. The
question is now pending before the Su-
prcme Court whether such property, so
captured, should be forfeited to the United
States or for the benefit of the captors.
In view Of these facts. the House of Repre-
scntativcs not long ago directed the Sc
cretary of the Treasury to withhold dis
tribution of the proceeds until the judicial
question shall he determined, and request
cd him to take such means rs in his judg-
ment might seem proper to have the Ateims
of the United States in such cases fully
determined. The Secretary, in response,
says that it does not appear by the files of
the Treasury Department that the receipts
of any such property rs is described in
the House resolution had been claimed by
officers Of the army; nor does it distinctly
appear how much, if any, has been claimed
by officers of the navy.
Six hundred and eighty seven prize cases
have been decrced, amounting to nearly
twenty three million dollars, which amount,
deducting say one half credited to the
navy pension fund, has been paid as fol-
lows: Amount paid to officers of the navy,
four million seven hundred and siXty-two
thousand dollars; and to enlisted men OF
the navy, five million three hundred and
lorty-one thousand dollars, or total of ten
million one hundred and three thousand
dollars. The files of the department do
not furnish satisfactory means of deter
mining what proportion of these amounts
consists of the proceeds of property com
| pretended in the scope of the acts OF July
and August, 1861. InaSmuch as that fact
is not distinctly shown by the certificates
of distribution, it can be ascertained' only
! by an examination of the records of the
several cases on the files of the respective
! courts. The law of June, 1864, expressly
provides lAat the net allouHt ucCIecu ioi
| distribution to the United States or to YES
sells of the navy shall be ordered by the
court to be paid into the treasury, to be
distributed according to the decree of the
court, which the Secretary says, in this re-
spect, seems to leave no discretion TO the
department. 1t further appears that thir-
ty-two cases remain pending in the United
States Supreme Court, and two hundred
and sixty-cight cases in the circuit or dis,
trict courtS-in all, three hundred cases
all of them nominally cases of prize of war,
but more or less Of which may be cases OF
revenue forfeiture under the acts of July
and August. The amount in litigation is
equal to nine million five hundred thou
sand dollars. The Secretary has taken
steps to investigate the character of ali