Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-01-16
The Farr.xut. Bounty Case,

Ter opened the argument for the claimants,
urging that the question involved was whether
this court has the power to act on such cases.
he hrst referred to the act Of June 30th, 1864,
page BOG, vol. -, General Laws, to show that
prize, military salvage, ransom, and bount v
ment treasury, TO be paid out as bounty to the
sailors. and the law prescribes how claims are
70 be adjudicated. 1t prescribes that military
salvage, ransom and bounty shall be distributed
IN the same manner as prescribed fer prize
money in the 18th section Of the above act.
The Court, under the law. makes a decree
OF distribution, and not the Secretary
OF an the laws on the subject which
we're in operation at the time. The Secretary
of the Navy has no jurisdiction, and the court
has said he has, while the poor sailor is the
shuttlecock between the two. There are many
questions TO be raised in this case. Were the
vessels those OF an enemy or Of errlng sisters
Is the Mississsppi an arm of the sea? Were the
referred to the government offering bounty
money with one hand and employing counsel -
gulbble the poor sailor out of it with the other
De asked II the law was that man who risks
his life should be paid bounty in promises only,
while man lying of port could have all he
could catch. He argued that ii was the duty of
the Secretary of the Navy to institute suit for
ture. and Ii he failed the captors or claimants
could come in. He further said that bounty,
head, or, as Jack calls IL, blood money, was not
new in England, and the distribution is made
press jurisdiction to the courts in 1890,
when the bounty, $50, was worth more than
500 now, beef then being worth cents per
P o,, ana - nov; but the fact was that the
this court had decided on three similar cases,
one Of which was the ram Manassas, run down
by the United states steamer Mississippi, at the
very sane time. They asked the Secretary of
the Treasury to procure from the Attorney Gen.
eral an opinion to whom to apply TO for
bounty money! and he read the opinion of At
=, me- General stanbury 18th opinions, 3D. a.
mad got the opinion of the government, and
after filing the petition they are met by coun-
sci representing the government with a motion
various dllatory motions agentleman represent
ing the law department Of the government
comes IN to argue that the opinion Of that de-
partment is not worth the paper on which il Is
written. He referred to the fact that for two
years they have been in the courts, and now
they are met by representatives OF several de-
partments, who claim that the court has no
jurisdiction. He did not want to be sent to a
tribunal where if they were on the right side of
the Secretary they would get Sii3, 600, or on the
wrong side. nothing.
Mr.: Corwine. for the Secretary of the Treas
ury and Attorney General, said he felt in an
EN- Darrassipg position, not that he did not
think he would be able to demonstrate that
there was no case here, but because Of the Pc
il was, Of unjust filings. He denied that there
were dilatory motions made in the case and
stated that he came into the Gaze at the solcita-
oon OF the Secretary OF the Treasury, who
called ms attention to an act Of 1853, whereby
be stated the Treasury would be depleted OF
millions. He read from the libel that the forts
and vessels destroyed were inland and the can
.ule Was made by the army and navy conformity,
and that the enemy was not a common enemy
but The people OF the United States who refused
10 ooey the laws He claimed that under the
Jaw there can be no maritime captures on the
inland waters of the United States, and on the
face of the libel it appears that this was An
inland operation. He referred to the decision
Df the Supreme Court OF the United States made
On Monoay last, in the case of ''Cotton Plant
lnd Cargo" agt the United States, that all
waters OF the United States are inland He took
me g1Qund that the captures by the navy of the
nlted States within the United States are dis
rom captures made at Sea. He
referred TO the act Of July Is, 1861 proyiding
hat all vessels should be turned over TO The
treasury OF the United States; the act of
august ., 1861, which provides for the condem.
sauon or prizes wholly for the benefit of the
nited States The capture in question was
made IN 1562, when these acts were in force and
1t that time there was no such thing as head
money. The act Of March II, 1853, provides
hat all property abandoned or taken from
6bels shBll be turned over to the agent of the
Ieasury, and it applies to all property except
team boats, which are brought in BY the act Of
iuly 2. 1864. The property IF of a Irniop man.
,ould he reclaimed, but not SO with tia OF a
ebel,
MT. n. Wilson. for the claimant. followed
POLICE REPORT FOR LAST QUARTER
laTing the last quarter 1853 arrests were made:
III males, and i55 females; OF married I,-2
Ingle; 1,705 could read and write and 99i couId
ot eau or write. of offences against the per
on, there were ], i6S males and 81. females:
gainst property, I76 males, 133 females s6i
re e Gemisscd, 2lo sent TO Jail for court eos 70
iorkhogse; 50 gave security to keep the peace,
: gave bail for court, were turned turned over
the military, 20 sent to the Reform School, | |
, the industrial home School, Is not disposed |
!, ana IN 10 cases light punishments were in |
lcted: In LOG cases fines amounting to |
,lse5e were imposeC-S5. 2G9 in Washington. |
2eS,50 IN Georgetown, s4S3 in the county, sGi6 |
=: >. cases, and S5s1 in appealed cases.
odgiDgs were furnished to ,O5s persons, 80 lost
hHuren were restored to parents A. sick or
lsabled persons assisted or taken to hospital
hofses and vehicles found astray and restored |
ewneis. % doors found open, 40 fires attended,
inquests attended, accidents reported, 4
ersons found dead, US dead animals removed.
persons buried on orders Of the MAYOR OF ]
IashiDgton, DO. Georgetown, { do. Levy
ourt; ,s14 nuisances were reported at the |
'ntral Office. 1880 of which we're ahated: 5ss
ritten notices were served, and i,2I6 per.ons
ere verbally notified. Charges in 81 cases |
ave been preferred against members of the |
rec, and were dismissed the force. "A COM
. sih ,' ulsinissec, hned, reprimanded, and
't disposed OF.
GREAT FALLS FISHING CLuB.-Seyeral citi- |
Us VI w eshlngton nave lately formed them |
Ives into an organization 30 be known as the
Great Falls Fishing Club OF Washington"
be membership are Messrs l.. Oppenheimer |
b. Mcguire, Charles T.. Thomson, John
flanagan, George Young, Jacob Scheiiy, S. |
Ills Sloan, Theodore Frebus, X. G.. Woodley |
lillian +. Mcpherson, Thomas X. Davis and
amuel Brereton, and from their number have |
leeted the following officers President. T.. |
ppenheimer; vice president, Charles T.. Thorn
ID; treasurer, Samuel Brereton; secretary |
homas n. Davis. The association bss pur, |
iased thirty acres of land in the vicinity of the
reat Falls, and are now having erected suita- |
e buildings for their accommodation. Two !
Nv boats are being constructed for the club, |
hich Will be launched about the let OF Nav.
D 4
TIE THEATERs.-Edwin Forrest, conceded |
7 many to be the best Richie lieu" on the |
age, viii appear in that character at Wallis |
pera House tonight, and those who wish com.
rtable seats should 60 early, as there will be |
DIVIDED house.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harry Watkins whose tine act.
z last winter Is pleasantly remembered By |
ay -gOers, as is Mrs Watkins singing COM |
ence an engagement at the National Theater |
rs evening IN "Trodden Down - which IL in |
any respects one Of the best Irish dramas on |
e stage.
TIE STREET RAILWAY PAVING NrTsANoE- |
another part OF to-day's paper will be found |
call signed by number of prominent business |
eh on PennSyi wanna avenue, calling a public |
eetlng at the Board of Trade rooms to- morrow |
fening, 10 take measures to secure the proper |
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