Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-14
UNCLAIMED MONEY.

UNCLAIMED MONEY
Naval Prize Money and DE
pOsits-1lidsten Treasures.
tFrom Chambers's Journal
; Many persons are interested in "un
J claimed naval prize-money." 1t wal
: more common n century ago thm it il
now for the army and navy to act in con
cert, and in some cases the prize-money
was considerable. Take, for example
the capture of Havana in 1862. Th,
money, valuable merchandise, and mill
tary and naval stores found in the town
and arsenal, were valued at E3,OO000t
sterling and great discomfort followed
the distribution of this prize-money, the
subordinate officers aud seamen receiving
a very unequal reward for their services
The Admiral was awarded E122, ,G97 los.
Gd. ; and the Commodore .e2l, ,530 los.
Id. other officers much smaller pay.
ments but the smallest of all to brave
hearted Jack and poor Joe the marine,
who had doled out to them the insignfi-
can sum o G3, As. 3D. each scarcely
tempting enough for the deceased sea-
mans next of kin to incur trouble and ex-
pense to recover. A like sum was pad
to the army.
Among other things not generally known
Is the fact that there annually lapscs to
the Government of this country very
large sum from unclaimed dividends. \
recent Parliamentary paper shows that on
January 4, 1882, the Governmei divi-
dends due, and not demanded, amounted
to fS1S,9 lbs. Cd. of which sum, there
was advanced to the Government e7j6,-
739 0s. Cd. The sums thus advanced are
applied pursuant to the provisions of GER
tain Acts of Parliament toward the reduc-
ton of the national debt. A remarkable
case came before the late Vice. Chancellor
Malins, in which it appeared that lady
died at Marseilles at the great age of nine
ty-eight, who, though entitled to f5G, 900
in the funds, and to more than .e2n, 900
accumulated dividends, was constantly
borrowing money from her relatives
from which fact it may be inferred that
this large deposit had escaped the aged
lady's memory.
In addition to unclaimed dividends the
Bank of England, doubtless, has large
sums in the shape of unclaimed deposits.
In fact, most companies of long standing
have on their books large sums in the
shape of unclaimed dividends. For in
stance, the Royal Exchange Assurance
Company some years ago had upward of
E3O, 900 thus awaiting claimants ami
were Parliamentary returnSof the uu-
claimed residues of estates in the hands of
trustees to be ordered, people would be
startled at the totals it would reveal.
Then, again, the right or partial right
of the Crown to treasure-trove is deemed
by mahy persons to De somewhat arb-
trary one, aud finders OF these long-hid-
den treasures now and then try t. dispose
of them on the sly. Concealment OF this
kind in the good old times" was death !;
1t Is now fine or imprisonment. The right
assumed by n lord Of the manor to treas
ure-trove found on his estate may be cx-
cmpliiied by the following amusing anec-
dotc: A West-end jeweller endeayored
to palm off upon rich old gentleman an
old fashioned silver drinking-cup, by de-
claring that it had been found in parti-
cular field near a certain town. "Wlll
you certify to that in writing?" The
tradesman was only too ready to do so.
Whereupon the gentleman, pocketing the
certificate. and taking up the hngon at
the same time, remarked "Thank you,
very much / am the lord of that manor,
and i am glad to receive my proper
dues"
The mention of conscience roney, too,
invariably provokes smile but perhaps
some OF lis are ignorant of the fact that
this last item alone has been estimated to
swell the Chancellor of the Exchequer's
budget by about Ella, 900 ayear, and some
times more.
1t is rarely that one reads of n person
/ raF 10, nla,,, l,,,A 1.
known. An old lady was entitled to
considerable property, and her advisers
wanted her to go some distance and sign
n paper, offering to take her in post
chaise and pay all expenses but being
of an obstinate temper, she refused to
stir; and, persuasion being useless, the
property disappeared, and has ever been
traced.
There are some persans who make it
the rule of their lives to "gather gear by
every vile" and among this class of
monomaniacs may be classed misers. A
prolific source OF litigation often arises
from their eccentric mode of disposing of
their boards. What has become of the
many bags of gold often discovered hid
den up chimney, or planted behind the
back OF CRATE ; secreted in cupboard
or sewn up in mattress deposited
among the lath and plaster of ceiling /;
placed behind the shutters of n room, or
even buried in the coal-celar? One in
stance may suffice. In 1866, at lodging
house in Deptford Uondon), nm English
lady died at the age of ninety-six. Her
name was Luhorne. For nearly half II
century she had lived in the most penu-
rious manner ; frequently, indeed, had
begged on the high roads, when she went
on business to the city. After her death,
there were found securities in the Bank,
South Sea, East India, and ot her stocks
to the amount of 100000 and upward /;
besides jewels, plate, china, rich cloth
ing; great quantities of the finest silks,
linen, velvet, etc, of very great value,
together with large sum OF money. To
whom all this treasure reverted, does not
appear.
II may have been n bold question, but
evidently the gentleman who asked for
"a list of the funds, paid out of Chan
Gerry during the last fifty years" had but
n faint idea of the magnitude of the
transactions of the Chancery paymaster.
Without catering into very minute de-
tails, one is fairly astonished to read OF
the dormant funds in the Chancery. From
the annual budget Of the Paymaster Gen