Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-02
Thursday, August 2, 1888.
THE "VAsT EsTATEo BUsINEss.

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 Thousands of people in this country be- tieve that they are entitled to q share in great estates in England, and not few are foolish enough to spend much time and money in trying to establish their claims. Lawyers who have no objection to taking trip across the water encourage the claimants and do their part toward keeping hope active and contributions generous. Of course in nine cases out of ten the money contributed to help these lawyers out Is worse than vast ed, and the claimants who contribute it would save their money and be happier if they could get forever rid of the idea that. possesses them, and makes them restless and dissatisfied.
 Members of the Chadwick family in this country who thought themselves entitled to possession of the Chadwick estate in Eng land, worth some thousands pounds of year, got together awhile ago and decided to try to oust the present possessor of their property. Their suit has just been decided against them. The person in possession has fought of six claimants, none of whom, he says, were able to pay costs. Some of the Bradfords have Rtely been talking about attempting to get their vast estate which is now, they think, wrongfully held in England. These claim ants are the alleged heirs of Governor Will liam Bradford, first governor of the Ply mouth colony, and they imagine themselves entitled to the neat little sum of $1OO, 0OO,- 900, the accumulated principal and interest of his estate said to have been left over two hundred years ago. Consul General Merritt,
 
 cerning this claim, and he has taken the pains to write to the Bank of England about the matter. The reply which he received is interesting and may be useful to some claimants who are not beyond the reach of facts. According to this reply, there is no unclaimed stock or money recorded in the books of the bank in the name of Gov as the chief accountant of the bank (who writes the letter. is aware, any foundation for the assertion that there is. The only unclaimed property of which the bank has cognizance is such as iG invested in govern ment stock or annuities, and of this they have no knowledge beyond the actual name or names in which it is inscribed in their books Stock and annuities, the dividends on which are unclaimed for ten years, and isolated dividends similarly unclaimed, are transferred to the commissioners for the re- duction of the national debt; but immedi- ately on such trsnEfer, notice is sent to the stockholder at the address registered in the bank-book, and pains are taken to discover him or his representatives, who can at any time, on furnishing satisfactory proof of their title, reclaim the stock, annuities, or dividends SO transferred.
 There is no limitation as to the time when such reclaim can be made. The bank re- ceives very numerous applications for un- claimed money from Anerioa, only frac- tional percentage of which refer to funds in existence. These inquiries are always an- swered, and, the writer of the letter says "Any means that you can take to spare the supposed claimants the trouble. anxiety and into which they are led by designing persons would at the same time confer a boon on them and spare the bank much un- necessary trouble.''
 Consul General Merritt's action in this matter is commendable and ought to prove useful. But we suppose that fraud which has proved very alluring in the past will con- tinue to find victims