Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-20
ALABAMA CLAIMS.

What Has Been Done by the Commission
Over IS Per Cent. of Claims Unadju-
dicated-When Claimants VIII Be
Paid, etc.
The CourtOf Commissioners of Alabama
Claims, says the Washington Star, was
first organized in 1874, for the purpose of
disposing Of the award Of $1,000, 900, paid
to this government by Great Britain, as
indemnity for the ravages perpetrated by
British built Confederate cruisers upon
our commerce during the war Of the re-
belliOn. Under this court, as at first
constituted, by the act of Congress,
damages were only paid for the deyas-
tatiOns done by three vessels, the Ala
bama, the Florida and the Shenandoah
| and their tenders. The gross sum paid by
this court to the claimants was in the
neighborhoOd of $6000,000 leaving a sur
plus of about $9,00O,0OO on hand. which,
having increased in various, ways now
amounts to nearly $l3,000,000. BY an act
dated June D. 1882, Congress revived the
court, and allowed claims to be prose-
cuted by persons whose property was in
jured by the acts of any Confederate
cruiser upon the high seas. The claims
were divided into two classes, viz: First
class for claims directly resulting from
damages done on the high seas, in
ed on the high seas by the Confederate
cruisers, although the loss or damage
occurred within four miles of the shore;
second class, for claims for the payment
of premiums for war risks, whether paid
to corporations, agents or individuals,
after the sailing of any Confederate
cruiser. The court, as reconstructed by
the last act of Congress, first met and or
ganized July IA, 1882, and the calendar
was called III February, 1888. The total
number of cases, both first and second
class, before the court, are $40. OF this
number 475 first class and $50 second
class cases have been decided, leaving
4.54j cases undispOsed of.
BY the terms of the act of Congress this
court expires July IA next, but it Is i'm
possible meanwhile to perform the vast
amount of work necessary to pass upon
these unadjudicated claims, the merits of
which have not yet been examined, and
which cannot be presented in the stipu-
lated time. A bill was reported on the
9TH of last February to the committee of
the whole house on the state of the Union,
in which it is provided that the court be
extended until the 3lst of December, 1884,
and the President is given power to ex-
tend it beyond that any time not exceed
ing one year. What action will be takeu
by Congress in the matter, however, is
merely cOnjectured. There is money
enough, it is stated, to pay all first-class
claims in full-even if all are allowed as
presented-and the surplus will pay large
percentage of the second-class. AS to
the time when the claimants will receive
their money, question which has fire.
quently been asked, a prominent officer
of the court says: "We can't tell any
thing about it. IL Congress extends the
court without making any different pro-
vision than now exists, payment Will be
postponed, in all probability, for over a
year. Still, as there is sufficient money
to pay all first-class claims, it is possible
that action may be taken by Congress
empowering the court to pay firsteclass
claims within sixty days after judgment
is rendered. 1t seems unreasonable to
detain the money from the claimants
when it is now certain that the first-class
claims will be paid in full. But we can
give no definite assurance whatever as
to the time of payment"