New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-30
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS COURT
IT'S HEAVY LABoRs AND EXPENSES.
WHAT COUNSEL CREswE ELL SAYS OF THE CHARGES
OF EXTRAvAGANCE--A DEFENCE TO BE FILED.
lar TELEGRAPH THE rRIBuSE.1


WHAT COUNSEL cREsw ELL SAYS OF THE CHARGES
OF gXTRAvAGANCE--A OFFENCE TO FILED.
Jar TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE.1
WASHINGTON, Aug 29.-The readers Of
Democratic ana Mugwump newspapers just
pected to hold up their hands In holy horror at tho
terrible revelations of swindling" "rottenDess,"
peculaton." fraud" ETC.. in the Court of Commits
soners OF Alabama Claims, which The Ner York Ereng
Post calls sort of appendaye fashionable society az
the National Capital" The officers and clerks according
to the came newspaper. personal and political
favores who have devoted their chief energies to
deerrng decisions and preserving their own snecure
positions as long thera any hope OF the money
| holding ont" The gist of the charges-which
based upon the assertions OF lawyer who is
the attorney for great many Of the claimants before
the ribuna-is that the court has authorized the en-
ployment OF large number Of special attorneys clerks
etc. In violation Of the law and that their salaries have
been Illegally paid out OF the public treasury; In
other words. that large number Of persons
employedn violation of law and paid large money
for doing nothing. The amount OF the "pecula-
lions Is variously estimated by Democratic news
papers at from 5000 to double that sum- The coun-
sci for the United States before the court Is exPost
master-0 General Creswe, who held the position
before tho original tribunal from 1874 to 1877 and
therefore thoroughly familiar with whole subject
OF the powers and duties Of the court as
well as with the Importance and intricacy OF the ltiga
ton with which IT has to deal In response to some In
qures by TRIBUNE correspondent to-day, Mr. Creswen
said
presume that the court will soon submit formal
reply to the objections raised by the Controller and his
advisers. and that do not wish to foresta will say
however that there is not shadow OF doubt respecting
the authority OF the court to incur and pay the expenses
now In controversy all OF which absolutely
sary Like expenses were incurred and paid for by the
original court, and the therefor wers audited
all hv thaa
The presen: court Is acting under the Same
law as to the payment or salaries and
other necessary expenses that governed the tribunal
established by the act OF 1874. That court was In ex
stence nearly three years. and this organized
on July IL, 1882. For about six years. therefore, the
expenses OF the court have been paid aud Its accounts
audited and allowed by both the State and Treasury De-
partments SO much can properly say regarding the
suciency OF the authority possessed by the court to
incur and pay the expenses necessary enable IL to
ercise its functions say also that II tho construc
ton given to the law by Controller Durham is stand
IT will be nearly equivalent suspending functions
OF the court altogether"
"Win you give some idea Of the magnitude OF the
business before the court aud OF the necessity for the
employment OF special counsel experts clerks. etci"
Eyes The law which re-estabshed the court
three greatly increased the scope OF Its uris
dotion and added to the multiplicity and intrcacy Of the
details OF litigation before Claims divided into
done by Confederate cruisers and second claims the
payment OF premiums for risks. whether paid to
corporations. agents or individuals. Claimants
given six months In which to prepare and file their
petitions. Within that period there fled 1902
claims Of tho 1rst class, amounting TO $1O.s65.4ls
AMI I.lI9 claims OF the second-cass, amounting
to Si7,ls6.54s. making an aggregate of 6,751
claims amounting .996. Between July
10. 1852, and August IL. 1888, 1873
OF the first class and OF the second class
"A 81 thai tb.
period the number Of claims disposed OF by dismissal
and judgment as follows: 1873 claims Of the lrst
were allowed, and 2.093 claims OF tho second class
amounting to Slo6s3,70l, OF which S75377I7 were al
agEregaiing s2.30i.070 The number ofJudgments rem
deTd by tho Court was tho number Of cases cert.
Judgment rendered for claimants and 3tt for the
Tho total amount Of Judgment. principal and ntorest,
-3.3J- 40 The number OF separate judgments In
the cases certed 20 the Secretary OF state was 700
TIoro remain to be submitted for trial twenty-nne
claims OF the FIRST class and A37 claims OF the second
class The preparation and trial OF claims OF the
class Involve vast number ofimportant and intricate
details and the service OF men who experts In In
DDS not only OF marine insurance companies. but OF
merchants doing business with them absolutely
,opars. s each Of %hS Saa 20 Be-
fully scanned and submitted to the test or expert
testimony in support Of the claims was
takeu by claimants not only IN NewYork. Philadelphia,
the United states. out also tho West Indies. Mexico
Central and south America and In most OF the CONNER
oia cities OF Europe. IL absolutely necessary, OF
ORDER TO protect the Government from fraud
10 have Government representative present at tho
taking OF testimony in all places and countries mem
Toned otherwise the court would have had before IL
tho unContradcted and uusitted tea-
nony collected by tho claimants themselves and II
would have been impossible To prevent fraud. Men |
employed special counsel 10 be present at the taking
OF testimony paid by the day and only Tor the |
time during when they were actually engaged. |
The Court has been careful In that respect and the
allowances special counsel have not been too liberal
The petitions, briefs and testimony have come In 40 the
rate OF thousands OF manuscript pages every day Ihe
printing OF these papsrs has been Indispensable because
otherwise IL would have been simply Impossible 10 ex.
nmiue them with tho necessary caro- The printed |
petitions alone make nfty eight TAT volumes. ~
10 should be borne In mind that the act re-ostnblsh
ing Court limited It's duration 10 two years Al the
expiration OF that period tho time was extended 10 De-
cembcr 81, 1855. 10 has, therefore, been
necessary 10 expedite tho business OF
due regard TO the interests OF both aud the
Government The expenses while they may seem large
persons OF xpeence ought to DO considered In re-
latlon to this magnitude OF the interests involved and
which tho Court required 20 conclude
its labor may add that other tribunals OF the same
sort-tno Southern Claims Commission. tho French
American Commission tho Spanish Commission ana
Ohersa incurred the kind or expenditures tnat
the Court Commissioners fAlabana Claims has found
necessary 20 Incur. In some cases at least their OK
enures proportlonately much greater than those
6f hisribuua For example. tho French AmericanCains
aaludicnted about T5Oclalns. ainOuntng IN
the aggregate TO than 500 OO0 and am informed
that Expense OF the adjudication exceeded SJOOOOO
the Court OF Alabama Claims was re-esablished
has disposed OF than 1000 claims. agRregatlnB
than $40 900 600 and rendered Judgments thereon
amounting to less than TlOOOOOOO Its expenses THERE
fore considered with relation 20 the expenses OF other
Ike tribunals well as TO the amount Involved auu the
time consumed have been extremely moderate
-