Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-07-25
ALABAMA CLAIMS.
The Present Status of the Business-
Statement by the Hon. = A. J.
CresweII.

WASHINGTON, July 24.-In the Court
of ofCommissioners of Alabama Claims to-
day the Hon. j. A. j. Creswell. counsel
for the United States, made an important
statement respecting the business of the
court and the prospects of its completion
within the time now fixed by law, to wit,
the 3lst of December next. The court,
he said, organized July 13, 1882. Num-
ber of cases filed of the first class 1902,
and of the second class 4149, the
total amount of claims being about S27,-
000, 900. In the year 1883 the court
tried and disposed of S32 cases, in 1884
1896, and in 1885. up to and including
the session yesterday, 1853 cases, making
total 4lol cases in three years, and
leaving twenty seven first class and 1913
the first six months life of the court.
within which the law allowed the filing
of additional claims, it was impossible to
proceed according to any fixed rule.
Certain test cases had first to
be argued and decided. The forms of
proceeding which were to govern the
presentation of cases having thus been
established, counsel for the United
States has since facilitated the presenta-
tion of cases to suit the convenience of
counsel for claims by taking them out of
their numerical order and grouping cases
ready for trial, and in such manner get
them before the court at the earliest pos
sible moment, aud had thus succeeded in
keeping the court constantly occupied. Up
to and including July 10, 1885, the court
disposed of cases of the first class claiming
So, ,060, ,343, and sums allowed amounting
to 81, 2,l45,l3l. In cases of the second
class, tried within the same time, were
claimed $40, 152, go, and the court award
ed s. ,224, ,S29. Cases of the first class
remaining to be tried, he believed, would
not increase the amount awarded in that
class to more than 81 100000, the princi-
pal making total amount, with interest
added, of about So, ,750, 900, leaving bal
ance of between So, ,000, 900 and Sc, 900 900
to be divided pro rata between second class
claimants. The 41S1 cases disposed of
involved over 1900 separate judgments,
and in some cases recently considered,
and in others awaiting trial, forty, fifty
| and even 100 claimants were embodied in
one case. Testimony in regard to each
of these had to be considered BY the
| court in chambers. He Indignantly re-
PEELED any insinuation that there had
been lack of diligence on the part of
| either the court or counsel for the
United States, asserting the contrary to
have been the case to a very marked ex-
tent. He concluded by saying taat
| counsel for the United States hitherto
assumed the responsibility of making
assignment of cases for trial, and had
done this solely for the accommodation
of the counsel for the claimants and with
view to facilitate business. He now
asked to be relieved from this duty, and
| requested the court on reassembling
after its summer vacation to direct that
| list be made of all the cases untried in
the order of their docket numbers, and
proceed to the peremptory trial and final
disposal of these cases in their numeri-
cal order. Presiding Judge Harlan said
| the court would take the suggestions of
the government counsel under advise
N ent.