Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-15
Our Washington Letter,

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hcted upon our commerce by the Alabama
and other Anglo Confederate cruisers, promises
to raise many difficult and interesting cues
tons.
One Of tho most interesting OF these which
has Just developed itself mses painful sus-
picion of unproiessioual conduct, &c not Of posi-
tive bad faith to the government, on the part of
one if notmore Of thccminent counsel employed
/ by the government. to prosecute is claims before
tho Geneva Board. It is now more than sus-
pected TINT before lie was employed by the
government, ut least one Of the omincnt gentle
men referred to was privately retained by the
insurance companies TO watch over and repre-
sent their interests, and that Tie case was SO
managed and presented to the Board by tie
government attornics, as to pave tho why for
the successful prosecution OF their claims
against the government by their other clients,
the insurance companies At any rate, within
the last two OF three days Mt len,t one of the
eminent counsel for the government. bus appear
ed as a representative Of the insurance c1mpl-
MES in memorial % Congress a few copies
only Of which have bcoen printed and very
privately placed in the hond- OF q few Senators
and members Of Congress. In thi' memorial
the now attorney for the insurance companies
seeks to take advantage of superior knowledge
obtained by him as attorney for the government,
and to use the same in tie interest OF tLo com
panies that henow openly -and which &c lis -us-
pected he then secretly-reprcsento
1t will be remembered that the Geneva Tai.
bunal awarded gross sum of fifteen and
half millions Of dollars which England should
pay to the United Satcs-lca,ing 20 this gov
eminent TO indemnify or compromise with its
aggrieycd citizens n its own way and upon ii-
own terms. These individual claims against
the government are not necessarily limited 60,
defined By nor othcrWsc affected ly iAo miutl
or amount Of the award. The a.tute lawyer
who is suspected Of the duplcity Of acting at
the same time in The double and anugonistie
capacity Of attorney for tie government and
its future claimants, now attempts in bis me-
mortal in behalf OF bis present dionts-the in-
surance companies-to go back Of tie award of
a gross sum snd to show, Cwlat The tribunal
itself never disclosed, and what he never could
have known except for his confidential and pro.
essioual relation to the BJard.) from tie i1ur-
nal of thcir secret and unpublished proceedings.
the various considerations that moved Tie
minds Of the arbiuators 20 fx upon the precise
sum Of SIS 800 Coo as the gross omouut "
their award In his memorial De attempts %
show by the interocutary DEGREES of the Board,
that a certain specific sum wa, put down by the
arbitrators on account Of insurance clnims, and
that the amount Of the gros. award was in-
creased on this account 10 a certain d,fnltc
and precise extent to which as he claims bis
present clients are cquitaby entitled.
The position thus apparently occupied by
this most distinguished member Of the Ameu-
can bar, is regarded as one OF very question
able honesty as matter Of professional prac-
tice. The private distributiono Of % few advance
copies Of the memorial is probably designed
as a feeler to ascertain the view which will Dc
taken Of his position and agency TO the matter.
| II formally presented before Congress, it Is
more than probable tlat lie whole subject
| thereof, including the emineat atisrnc, 5 cues
tionable connection Herewith. will be made
the subject Of a congressional INVESTIGATION.
Congress ha. done litte during thcDa-t week
I beyond the usually duh and uuiutcfc-tirr cone