The Portland daily press., 1873-01-17
What Shall be done with the British
GOId2

1t is not generally a difficult question to
settle how sum of money may be disposed
of, but the matter Of fifteen and a half mill
ions Of dollars awarded to be paid by Great
Britain to the United States on account of
the Alabama claims seems to be an exception
to the rule. There is no doubt but what
there are claimants enough with claims large
enough to dissipate double the amount OF The
award but the perpexing question is to as
certain what classes of claimants are the most
deserving.
The natural superstition is that the owners
of the property destroyed by the cruisers, for
which the B itish government is held respon-
sible by the arbitrator, would be the partles
entitled to the ind ,mnity which is to be PAID.
But here the insurance companies step III
and complicate the question by asking '.a'
they NAV be indemn fec for the losses WHICH
they have paid, claiming that they NATURALLY
succeed to the rights of the ownerS' Agaih'
it is advanced by the owners OF the property
DESTROYED " the completely of Great Britain
and which was insured, that they should be
Unidentified in full for the increased war pre-
miums which they paid for insurance and al
so for the amount destroyed in excess OF the
insurance. Others claim that these owners
are entitled to the full value of their property
DESTROYED, regardless of the insurance receiv-
ed. on the ground that the money viii the
British government is to pay is simply an in
demnity to the owners for the damage OF their
business caused by the loss OF their vessels and
property. Still another set of claimants ap
pear who urge that they are entitled to just
consideration because they were compelled to
pay the excessive war premiums for lnsur-
ance, and not having lost their vessels or
property, have Consequently received nothing
from the insurance companies and are conse-
quently entitled to the difference between the
usual and war rates of insurance.
The insurance companies also assert C aims
to the full amount Of insurance paid by them
upon properly destroyed, for which Great
Britain is held responsible. The opinion has
also been advanced that the general govern.
ment should be compensated for the destruc'
tion of public vessels by the cruisers for which
the British government is held responsible,
and further that the United States govern
ment is entitled to part of the Geneva award
to pay for the expense attendent upon secur-
ing the same.
1t would seem that the claims Of the under
writers for losses paid by them should be the
last to receive the favorable consideration O
those who are to award the British money
since the companies made more by their ex
orbitant premiums than they lost by rebe
CAPTURES, and that the merchants and shil
owners who paid these are far better entitled
the compensation than the insurers, though
the greater part of the claims presented ant
allowed by the arbitrator were proved b.
the insurance companies while no claims TO
extra insurance premiums were considered o
allowed.
In view Of all these different claimants, TIN
question of aw ard seems to be attended witt
endorsements and complications that onl.
the most patient investigation Of the most ex
perienced men can make plain. l. would
seem that the mat er would be Invested of it:
most serious complications if the distribution
should be made to those who have suffered
the greatest hardship aud loss in consequence
of the British cruisers.
THE agitation of educational reform at Au
gusta this winter brings some rather curiou;
ia IT'S to light In some 'wns, for instance
the school committee are deliberately instruct
ed not to uisit the schools. In one town where
the duties of the committee are laborious, its
members are allowed only 81 each per amman
1t is reported that in several towns the mu,
nicipal officers are guilty of the gross swindle
ofappropriating the funds received from the
State for school purposes to the payment OF
old debts! To the student of human nature
1t would be matter of curious inquiry to de.
termine why it is that any considerable num-
Der of men should be anxious to exclude what
is as necessary to the well-being of any COM
munity as light and air. Yet there is no kind
of expenditure which excites the opposition
of a large class of our citizens to such de-
gree as that for common schools.