Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-04-13

The Government, has come I, a curious
dilemma .l thc settlement ott1e Alabama
claims question. tIihr cain, sanctioned
q, tae prcvinu, legislation Of C,u .rr,>
alNe n-r3 examined into. determined aal
.rJ.ra' 81 bc PAID up. and Net N5oaJ tea
m..oa, ot dollars rrmsiu unll>tIr5ci.
Naat shall be done wi,h TIA. IN ,leys re
House Committee of The judiciary. who
h4Ne had charge Of the matter differ TO
Rae cN,eat ot sending 10 three reports. The
majority Of the Committee recommend that
tae sum Doe distributed among three classes.
AZ tAe owner, Of vessels DESTROYED by
atarr cruisers than the Alabama. Florida
a.I >sen4uloah; those who paid premi-
u.a> for war risks for insurance upon YES
s. og eargocs AFTER the sailing OF any
such cruiser; ana those insurers vino paid
for property destroyed hy such cruisers.
excepting those insurers whose o,a.n,
have already beea provided tor.
Then comes minority rrpor; msle bv
i'lr members Of the committee. who di,-
approve all the above recommendations
and propose instead 10 pay 10 insurers Of
vessels ~ cArsorS destroyed ~ the cru>-
ers tor which alone The tribunal made any
aNari-the Alabama. the Florida aud the
SAeaauioah-the whole amour; al their
losses thereby The act 81 Congress of
ls74. under which The distribution thus far
has been made, provided that no such
claim OF Insurers should be allowed unless
they could show that The sum Of their loss
- GA war risks ex ,eejci their premiums
hi, qualification il l. nom proposed 10 re-
peal. 4 third report. however, Is made by
Mr. Lawrence @; ybe committee, Who not
only d.SpA>r> >aum4r.iy % iAe Gains Of
these Insurers, au, Of al special claims,
sad declares tbat iae unexpcoied balance
>aoali - where the great injury. over aud
above tha, ALREADY recampeu>ed, caused
D, The Ensli>h- baiJ cruisers fell. namely.
unan the people Of tass country. rhr moa-
ey. la hi, opinion. therefore. should - IN
"a fAe Uu.,ed safes Treasury.
Ii this committee al all represents Coa-
gre>>. 10 j. evident That it viii be good
while before any decision OF this question
l. reached. and il Is extremely uncertain
what IL Will be when it does come Ii
would seem. however. that few generS al
principles are too oblivions 70 be lost sight
Of. We nAde oar claim before the Geneva
Court Of Arbitration in behalf of ludlvidu-
al sufferers from the iepredstions of GER
tain English-buit Confederate cruisers.
The claim Tor consequential damages was
abandoned or not really mads-st any rste
&c was not allowed. consequently, II indi-
vidazl sufferers cannot be found numerous
enough TO take up the money, the balance
has 10 clear claimant In one sense every
American citizen suffered from the rebel
cruisers. but if the Court Of Arbitration
had been willing 70 recompense them out
Of the Alsnams claim money. il would
have been impossible 10 determine the pro
portion OF their damage caused By the
three Eseliss -ssiit eruisers-for. Of course.
the British Government is not TO be re-
variea as responsible Tor the other Con-
frslerSse pirates.
These considerations cut of MIR. Law
ren-,..s recommendations aud some Of those
msds ia the msiority report The 9nes-
.i.,a Of lnsarsrs' claims is much more diff
,.,is and il i doubtful If the sci Of lSsI
.r.lte-, II rightly. Ii may have been true
shst III. insurers IS i rule lost nothing, in
consequence of raising their war premiums,
ran is : we'll sesIled principle Of law that
:. s..s,,r..r xrhs, has asli the owner IS Ter
. total ICES IS entitled TO stand in the pssee
of,As owner IL anything Is recosersoae
,r,,.u the property that Is, the insurer =
s.,.A ,xse would have the same right to be