The Evening critic., 1884-03-05
THE EFFORT TO DEFEAT JUSTICE
IN the Matter of the distribution of
the Alabama Award.

Court OF ALABAMA Clnimsi shutting oub
large number of compliments who appear
TO be best entitled to consideration, arc on
the increase.
One of the victims Of the remarkable de-
cisions informed reporter that he had
paid considerable attention to the investi-
cations of the subject
81 was before the Judiciary Committee
some days ago listening to the arguments
he remarked, "when Representative Dor
sheimer protested against any distribution
of the fund and insisted upon the return of
the money to England, and added, Con-
gress has no right to legislate
or tho distribution Of this fund IL is an
insult to England and disgrace to this
country, both politically aud morally, to
wound the scnsibilitics of England, a
friendly power, by allowing this fund to DO
distributed. l shall protest. by every
means In my power, against it, was sur.
prised to hear such language, and regarded
Il then as an attack upon Congress; but,
as bad not read the Treaty of Washing
ton or the proceedings ut Geaeva carefully,
said TO friend ! snail do SO and sec
what the man means, for there is evidently
something wrong somewhere Since then
i have read both the treaty and the pro-
ceediDgs at Geneva, and find there were
various claims, both public and private,
urged for recognition and it Ia known that
after a severe contest England agreed 70
pay, and did pay, to tho United States fif-
teen and a-half million dollars in
gold as indemnity TO the United
claims preferred aud adiudicated
upon by the Geneva Tribunal, l found
also that England made no stipulation
whatever as to the mode of distribution of
the money or as to the locality where the
damage had occurred, nor are tho words
high seas neutral line marine League
or an imaginary line four miles from the
shore or any thing of the sort mentioned.
England simply paid over the money in
full settlement OF everything pertaining to
the subject in question in the same manner
as business men often settle disputes by II
check for sum of money in full of all de-
mands The party giving tho check did
so in good faith aud had no thought of any
portion of tho money ever being returned,
simply because there was no stipulation to
that effect nor any cause for stipulation.
The United States accepted the money in
trust for its citizens and Congress or
ganized a Court of Commission to adiudi-
cate upon the claims. And II large
portion of them were paid undor judgments
rendered by the court, but it was found that
the jurisdiction of that court was not snili-
GENTLY broad to include large number of
meritorious claims, and in 1882 Congress
reoTganizeG and extended the jurisdiction
of the court with the view to cover all
losses that had occurred on the high seas by
rebel cruisers. but by intrigue or otherwise
the law was fired in such a manner as to al
low the court to defeat the very classes of
claims that Congress had provided to be paid,
and the victims Of misplaced confidence have
been forced to Congress for protection. 1
find that Mr.. Dorsheimer and his Coz
workers have made number of Congress
men believe that 1t will offend England IL
Congress amends the law so as to include
the payment of those frst-class claims
which the court has lately dismissed on a
mere bubble and pretense. He has per-
suaded them that the money must be re-
turned either in whole or in part to Eng
land to save our country from disgrace in
the eyes of that nation. Now, this
trick seems to me more like that of a
low order of ward politician in New York
than that of q man who has any preteuse of
fair dealing or craftsmanship. Mr.. Dor
sheimer and his brothers in the ring know
we'll that the amount of claims on file In
| the court amount to about three times the
amount Of the fund in the Treasury. and
| about two-thirds of those claims are of the
1
| adjudicated and paid Under The present Ian
| and by The present court. and there is MOI
money enough in the fund to pay one, hali
| of those claims in full Now where is Mr.
Dorsheimer to get the money to send over
| to England to save our National reputation!
| He and his ringsters are using the name o
England as blind to prevent unsuspecting
Congressman from doing Justice to thost
| frst.class claimants in order that the
money that properly belongs to them shall
be turned over to those war premium
| riDgsters, who in the aggregate
have never lost cent, but who made large
! gains by gambling in war premiums at the
time our country was in its distressed con
dition, and who now come in under til,
| guidance of experienced ring manipulatorl
| as claimants for more than double th
amount of the entire award fund now re
manning in the Treasury, and expect to &c
it by the mean trick of fooling inexperi
enced and unsuspecting Congressman int
the belief that if the law is amended SO a
to allow the legitimate, first. class claimant
to come in for their rights it will offend
England. Such are the vile tricks aut
desperate games now being played upoi
Congress to defeat justice"
Il