Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-04-15

awaiting uloJtlO uIlon among n ultl-
lean heirs. There are numerous
other properties of the same drs-
eruption which have been discovered
! from time tn time, and fully de-
scribed in the newspapers. Former
ly they used to consist invariably OF
land, which had been left a century
or SO ago by wealthy Englishman,
who died without leaving n VIII, but
| having some relative in this coun-
try. The discovery of an estate ct
this kind generally led To family
gathering and "A resolution To obtain
counsel and prosecute the claim.
| The trouble always WAS III these
Cases that when the opinion ot coun.
sci was taken il was found. To the
surprise of every body, that the pro-
vision OF English law, which makes
land in Cases of inteStacy ,drscend To
| the eldest son, had been overlooked
"a very singular fact considering
that every American child learnS IN
his cradle that primogtnii ure Is the
great blot upon Eugland'S boosted
civiiZ ttion-or else that the claim
WAS barred Ivy lapse of time. AS =
interest in an American clalm To
English landed estate. BECAUSE there
WAS always risk that the Success
ful claimants would, after all, go To
Englan and settle uOwn on the
property aud denatiouallzr them
selves. AS d people We should gain
nothing by this. Nevertheless, this
cOnsidtrati ion would have little
weight with the claim tnts, and at
one time the number and extent ot
these claims grew with amazing
rapidity
They have now entirely dsap-
peartd, and the fortunes at present
awaiting American heirs IL Eng
land, like the Hedges estate invaria-
bly, consist of personal property.
There is no trouble about the prim-
Ogenilure nor adverse possession;
but curiously enough new obstacle
IN the way of an immediate distri-
button seems to have arisen from the
unaccuuutable behavior of the Lord
Chancellor. What the origin of his
jurisdiction over property in England
claimed 10y American heirs is, we
have never seen explained; it may
perhaps be one of those assumptions
of authority i'll new cases which IN
foreign times ,lsed to be- 50 ciaract-
eristic of the Lord Chancellor's jur-
isdiction, but which We must say we
suppose had in modern times no
chance of obtaining fOothold. But
whatever the true explanation may
be the movements of the American
claimants seem to be always gov
trned in remarkable way by the
proceedings of the Lord Chancellor.
Sometimes he helps them, and again
he puts them off. They are gener-
ally waiting for decision from him
which will enable the fund to be
distributed. Occasionally he makes
decision which seems to satisfy all
cuncrrned. When this is the case it
almost always turns out that there
was some mistake about it which
compels the pOstpOnement OF the
really final adjudication till a later
date.
This sort of thing has been on for
years, and not a foot OF English
land has been secured, or dollar of
English money got out OF the Bank
vaults. With such a claim as that
of the Hedges family there can be
scarcely any difficulty in getting the
best legal advice, and it may there
fore be- expected that they will have
the proceedings of the Lord Chan
ctllor with regard To their fund
looked into. A discussion of the
origin and present extent of bis
jurisdiction over the vaults of the
Bank of England might lead to some
curious revelations. Ii he won't dis
tribute the money, what does he
mean to do with it ? Ii he thinks
he can use it TO pay the national
debt, and intends to "cOver it into
the Treasury" for that purpose, it is
time the fact should be known IN
this country. Ii his proceedings are
fair and above board, why is 1t that
all this wealth continually accumu-
lates, and no distribution is ever
effected Why is it too, that all
his decisions about American claims
are secret and never get into bhe
report !? The bank must now have
thousands of millions of unclaimed
property, which his indecision aud
vacilatior and secrecy tie up. The
bank does not want it, and the heirs
are all waiting for it; the old jurist
is always at work on the cases, and
still We seem to be as far off from
the end as ever.