, 1872-11-25
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ALABAMA
CLAIMS.

|
eioners, the cases and counter-cases, and th
| almost interminab1e diplomatic correspondence
which had to be endured by I'll afflicted com
| munity before the Board of Arbitration cou1
settle down to it's work at Geneva, wero suffi
ciently complicated and exasperating, and tha
the complication was not any the more tolerab1
for the manner in which diplomats and lawyers
clerks helped to still further mudd1e it. i
view Of these facts, there was general express
/ sion Of relief and satisfaction when it was an
nounced that the Geneva Arbitrators had mad
| an award in favor Of the United States
| It WAS then hoped that tho country had heart
the last Of the Alabama claims business; but thu
question is once more beginning to rise to tn
| surface, and aa usual wears troublesome
aspect. HaEing obtained the award, how ehal
the money be distributed2 The gross sun
awarded BY the Geneva Arbitrators will be pait
within the year, with interest, to the Govern
ment OF the United States, as 8 settlement II
full for all damages, national or individual
growing out Of the depredations Of the Anglo.
~~"@Ae01-AsS ~AeAo1AoE &A4A ~ u tACoAA4AEA
be held as 3 trust fund to be distributed among
the interested parties conformably with the
spirit Of the award and the stfpulations OF
the Treaty Of Washington. This is ap-
parently simple proposition nothing
easier Of fuldlment-and yet it is
already surrounded with grave difficulties, and
intricate questions are looming up in connection
with the distribution The attorneys and claim
agents hare already scented the prey, and are
gathering in force to help Girido and distribute,
and those unlucky individuals rho are directly
interested in the money are beginning to grow
alarmed. One OF this number has alroady ad-
dressed an anxious note to Hon. Caleb Cushing,
asking for advice, and Mr. Cushing has replied
quite extensively thereto. He asserts that there
is no similarity between the Alabama claims and
the French Bpoliation claims. In the former
case, the United States will have definite sum
paid over to it, and has also
schedules and estimates Of the individual
losses, to indemnify which the awards we're
made by the Geneva Tribunal, and that it is in
cumbent upon the Government to make the pay
ments with as much promptness and certainty
as it would exhibit in paying it's gold bonds. As
Congress will have to decide as to the manner Of
distributing the money, Mr. Cushing conjectures
that Board Of Assessors will be appointed, to
receive and pass upon the claims, whose duty it
will be to establish tho valuation Of property
and the question Of ownership. In considers
tion Of these points, he advises his correspond
ent not to sacrifice his claims by sale nor by
transactions in the nature Of contingent-agency
compensation, but to employ counsel before the
Board to take charge Of his interests.
This is very encouraging advice, p,7ma .facie,
to the holder Of an Alabama claim, and perhaps
would be satisfactory if it were possible to keep
away the VultureB which are gathering from all
quarters to help eat up the 'spoi1s. The nation
was loser by the depredations of the cruisers
rs well aH individuals, both directly and indi-
rectly, and the Government has never been
mean in it's estimate, especially Of the conseauen-
ial losses. In fact, tho amount which Mr,
Bancroft Davis calculated, and the Board Of
Arbitrators incontineptly threw out, WAS enough
to have paid off the National debt. and
Ehen supported the Government for
ong time to come on what was left.
Again; the Government was put to the expense.
IN the first place, Of entertaining the Joint High
Commission, and it WAS costly affair. Pro-
7erbially expensive as all Commissions are in
he matter of entertainment, the Joint High
Commission was probably the most EXPENSIVE
ye hare ever had. Our legal representa-
lTes must have run up 3 handsome bill |
IT expenses incurred in 1.-THE CASE" When
ye remember the frightful amount of diplo- |
natic telegraphy. necessary to correct blum
[ers, which Was carried On between tha two
ountries, VIC can easily imagine what an amount
his item alone will show. Finally, the United
'tates had to disburse q large sum for the arbi-
ration expenses at Geneva Admit therefore.
hat Congress shall decide the Government mnst
70 reimbursed for it's losses and expenses in the
'remises, how much will be left for the Alabama
uffererg? But these are not the only deduc-
ions which threaten the claims. Some nice
uestions must arise with regard to insurance.
nd these have already been limited at in the
Washington dispatches. These questions are
and complicated enough to keep the
isurers and insured in the Courts for q long
me, with the possibility Of decision that the
honey doesn't belong to either Of them, if there
appens to be any Of the money left by that
me. There will be nice questions to decide
neither the policies we're Issued with refer
ace to claim upon any future
Tard, or simply upon the basis OF
le Tar premiums; whether the insured assign