National Republican., 1882-12-12
ALABAMA CLAIMS.
A New BilI Be-EstnbIishing the Court OF
Commissioners.

Commissioners.
The bill introduced in the senate by Mr..
Rollins to amend the act of June 5, 1889, re-
establishing the court of commissioners of
Alabama claims, and for the distribution of
uuappropriatod moneys of the Geneva award,
is substantially as follows; 1t adds two judges
to the re-establshed court and defines the
status of certain claimants, and substitutes the
following clause for section Of the act:
That it shall be the duty of the court to deduct
from the amount found to have been paid by the
petitioner or petitioners as premiums against
extra insurance or war risk, the money received
hy.clnimnnt from the sale Of script dividends or
paid to him by the company or underwriteIs
VINO issued said script dividends, In fuli, or III
partial redemption thereof, and award Judgment
for the balance of said deduction
The amendment also extends the time dur
ing which claims may be filed, six months
from the 1ith of January, lSo3, and provides
that any petition may be amended at any time
prior to the full and final transmission of
Judgment rendered by said court to the secre-
tary of state"
The last section of the amendment is as
follows:
H. That it shall be the duty OF said court. within
thirty days from and after the passage of this act
10 appoint for the cities of Portland, in the state
of Maine Boston, in the commonwealth or MnsSa-
chusetts New York, i'll the stale OF New York,
Philadelphia, i'll the state of Pennsylvania, B1li-
more, in the state Of Maryland, and within sixty
davs ir IN and after the passage of this act for the
city ui san Francisco in the state of California
board TO consist of three persons net in the usual
and ordinary capacity of AUDITORS Il provided by
statute, judicial decision and usage In The several
states, 10 hear parties and their witnesses, to take
testimony under claims of the second class MS to
the rate of premium paid against war risk or extra
insurance aud determine the amount of the same,
aud report srid am unit as early as possible to the
clerk of said court fo' 1 S Guidance and use.
said three persons snail he those who have
had at least ten years experience in employments
best calculhtrd to give them special qualiiCat ions
for the peIs rmauce of the duties required and im-
SOUS shall be n majority to determine any contro-
verted question presented Said persons shall be
paid Mt the rate of ten dollars per diem while
actually engaged in said SERVICE or at the same
rate for any portion of the day, in the same man.
ner and time as the said clerk of said court is
paid, together with any necessary and ren..
snnabe expenses. to be approved by
the majority OF said court for clerical and
sho t. hand services. and for rental of places of
meeting. In selecting said persons hereinbe
fore provided 1t shall be the duty of the court to
choose the same with reference to All impartial
and just determination of the questions presented
to them for adjudication. said persons, when so
appointed and commissioned 10y said court, SHALL
upon request Of the counsel on behalf of the
United States, or the assistant counsel on behalf
of the United States, or upon request of counsel
on behalf of the petitioner petitioners, give
notice to the clerk of said court of the times and
places when and where they will be prepared to
act under the PROVISIONS of this section.
The bill went to the judiciary committee.