Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-09-11
GENERAL NATURE-No. 93. j

AN ACT for the creation of court for the
adjudication and disposition OF certain
moneys received into the Treasury under
an award made by the tribunal of ar
biratIon constituted by virtue Of the first
article Of the treaty concluded at Wash
ington the eighth of May, ammo Donini
eighteen hundred and seventy-one. be-
tween the United States of America and
the Queen of Great Britain.
Be ii enacted 6y the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States Of
America ia Congress assembled, That the
President of the United States be, and he
is hereby authorized to nominate and, bv
aud with the advice and consent of the
Senate, appoint five suitable persons, VINO
shall constitute a court, to be known as the
Court of Commissioners of Alabama
Claims" Each of the judges and other Of
ticers of said court shall take the oath of
office prescribed by law to he taken by all
officers of the United States The p esident
shall designate, by appointment, one of the
said judges to be presiding judge of the
court; and all vacancies which may occur
in said court by reason of death, resigna
ton, or inability, or refusal or neglect of
any or either of said judges to discharge the
duties OF his position, shall be filled in the
same manner as vacancies occurring in
| offices under the Constitution Of the United
| States are llled.
SEC. .. That tn said judges shall meet
! aud organize said court in the city of
| Washington where the said court shall
hold its silting'. Three judges of sid
court shall constitute quorum for the
| TRANSACTION Of business, aud the agreement
| Of three shall be necessary to decide any
| question arising before said court.
SEC. 3. That the said court be, and il is
hereby, authorized to publish notice of its
sessions, and To make all HePdful Iules and
r2ulatiuns not conlraVeuing the laws Of
| tbA IIniIpH Slaips al isin,,s r thia
act, for regulating the forms aud mode of
| procedure before the said court, and for
| carrying into full aud complete effect the
| provisions of this act. Such rules aud
| mode OF procedure shall conform AS far az
| practicable, to the mode OF procedure and
| practice of the circuit courts of the United
| States and the said court is hereby vested
| with the same lowers now possessed by cir
| cult and district courts Ofthe United States;
| 10 compel the attendance and testimony Of
| parties, claimants and witnesses, to preserve
| order, and to punish for cOntempts;aud in all
| claims which shall he presented before said
court the person or persons prosecuting
| such claim shall be deemed the complain
| ant and the United StaleS shall be deemed
the respondent. And said court shall nave
| power to compel the production Of any
books or papers deemed material to the
| consideration OF any claim or matter pend
ing therein.
SEC. 4. That each of the said judges shall
be paid monthly, at the rate of SIX thousand
| dollars per annum and they shall have a
clerk, who shall be appointed by the Pres
| ident, by and with the advice and consent
| of the Senate, to he paid at the rate of three
| thousand dollars per aunum aud the said
| court shall have authority to appoint one
shorthand reporter, to be paid monthly,
| at the rate of two thousand five hundred
| dollars per annum and said court shall
be further allowed the necessary actual ex-
penses of of1ice-rent, furniture, fuel, sta
tionery, and printing, and other necessary
Incidental expenses, to be certified by the
presiding judge of said court, and to be
audited and paid on vouchers under the
direction of the Secretary of the State.
SEC. 8. That the President may desig-
nate a counsellor at-law, admitted to prac +.
tice in the Supreme Court Of the United
States to appear as counsel on behalf Of the
| United States, and represent the interest of
the government in said suit, and in all
claims filed for indemnity for losses, as
| provided by this act, subject to the super
vision and control of the Attorney General.
| Such Counsel shall receive for his services
and expenses such reasonable allowance in
| each claim as may be approved by the
court, to be apportoned in each claim ad
Indicated, and paid from said award upon
| the certificate of one of the judges.
SEC g. That the marshal of tho United
States for the District of Columbia, or his
deputies, shall serve all process issued by
said court, preserve order in the place OF
sitting, and execute the orders Of said
| court.
SEC. 7. That the said court shall proceed
Immediately after its first meeting in the
city of Washington, with all convenient
| dispatch, 10 arrange and docket the several
claims admissible under this act, and TO
consider the evidence which shall have
been or which may be offered by the re-
specLive claimants, and in opposition there
to, allowing such further time for the pro-
duction of such further evidence as may
be required and as il shall think reasonable
and just, and shall thereupon proceed to
determine and award upon each of said
claims according to the provisions of this
act.
SEC. s.. That the judges of the court
created by this act shall convene in the
city OF Washington as soon as convenient
| ly may be after their appointment; and
the said court shall exist for one year from
the date of its first cohvening and organic.
ing and should 1t be found impracticable
| to complete the work of the said court be-
fore the expiration of the said one year,
the President may, by proclamation, ex-
tend the time of the duration thereof to a
| period not more than six months beyond
the expiration of the said one year and in
| such case all the provisions of this act shall
be taken and held to be the same as though
the continuance Of the said court had been