Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-09-03
A Ruling that VIII Embarrass
the Court of Commission
ers for Some Time.
Twenty Four Persons Claimed
to BE On the Rolls Without
Warrant of Law.

DaffaSS Lne court commissioners OF
Alabama claims for some time TO
come. 1t is in effect that the employ.
ment OF twehty-four persons bore on
the rolls of the court is entirely with
out warrant of law, and that no pay
ments can legally be made from the
Treasury On their account in the
future. Mr.. Andrew III. Allen, dis.
bursting agent of the court, recently
made acquisitions on the Secretary of
the Treasury for SO, 900 to meet the
curreEt expenses of The court. In the
usual course of business the requisi
tons came before the First Comptrol-
Ter, and he decided to make an inves-
tigatiou of the affairs of the court
before authorizing the issue OF the
warrants. His conclusions are sum-
married in the folio wing statement,
prepared by him for publication
1.-The Court of Commissioners of
Alabama Claims was created in 1874,
to hear proof of claims to be paid out
of the $l5, 600, 600 awarded by the
Geneva Commission, was continued
by various acts until Dec. 81, 1877.
1t was constituted of FIVE judges, with
an annual salary of $1,000 each a
clerk at 50, coo, a stenographer at So
500, and an attorney to represent the
United States at IS, 600. Provision
was also made for rent of courtroom
furniture, stationery, fuel, and other
necessary incidental expenses, all of
which was to be paid out of said fund
before judgements were paid. The
court was reorganlzed in 1882 with
the same officers and salaries as before
except that the number of Judges was
reduced to three. The Comptroller,
investigating the case, found that OUT
side of the above named officers there
were on the pay rolls the names of
assistant counsel for the URited States
clerk to said counsel, experts, clerks
to experts, messengers, watchmen,
etc, whose aggregate salaries amount.
ed TO about $34, 500 per year. He al
so found ia the quarterly returns that
there has been paid to other assistant
counsel, owe IS 600 for the quarter
ending Dec 81, 1884, and about $1,000
for the quarter ending March 81, 1885,
besides other alleged Illegal payments.
He says he finds no law authorizing
said payments and after consulting
with the acting Secretary of the
Treasury and with the Solicitor Of
the Treasury he has decided to stop
all future payments OF tne same.
The following is a list of employees
on the regular pay rolls Of the court
who are affected by the Compt0ller's
decision; James ID. Goodrich, expert
IN insurance, at an annual salary Of
1900; Walker Blaine, assistant coun-
sci for the United States, So, 500; VIM.
p. Huxford, deputy clerg, -, 500;
Andrew H. Allen, disbursing agent,
81, 900; Edgene Rosis, clerk to counsel
for the United States, 50. coo; Frank
d. Lunt, first assistant to expert in
surancs, 81, 900; Asa p. French, clerk
to judge, 81, 600; Elmer e. Tilden,
second assistant TO expert in insu-
rance, 81, 800; Enoch II. Goodman,
assistant to same. $500; Henry
O'Connor, Jr., clerk ia clerks office,
$1,000; Fred. Chaplin, clerk in same,
81, 500; Amos d. Allen, clerk in same,
81, 400; George Cowie, clerk to expert
in insurance, 81 400; William Hay~
wood, clerk to counsel for the United
States, 81, 400; A. B. Nichols, clerk in
clerks office, $3.50; John Marlin,
messenger. $720; w. H. Forrest, Jani-
tor, $720; @. w. Townley and Felix
Muldoon, watchmen, 1920 each; A.
L. Jackson and A. l.. Alexander,
messengers at $500 each; w. 2. +.
Churchill and Hugh Gritiin, messenS
gers at 1850 each; Anne Baylein, SER
want at So per month.
The following is a list of persons
who have been employed as assistant
counsel in special cases: Charles
Hamlin, Alexander II. Hobbs, God
frey Moore, Charles .. Suydam, Will
lam e. Spear, John T. Whitaker,
Hamilton Fish, Jr., Chas. 7. Bonney,
VIM. II. Morrow, Geo. G.. Freiing-
huysen, Jas. H. Hevenin, George M.
Seeders, Edmund j. Moffatt, Wallace
II. White, Samuel Park, Thos. j.,
Cobb, and B. 2. Carpenter.
The Comptroller says that all the
above named employees have been paid
out of the provisions of the organic
act authorizing the payment of rents,
stationery, printing, and other neces
sary incidental expenses. The &C
counts of the discussing agent have
been settled up to March 81 last, and
the salaries of all persons on the pay>
rolls been paid up to June 30.
The acquisitions which have just
been refused were for expenses, IN
GLIDING salaries, for the month of
July. The Comptroller says the &C
counts OF the disbursiug agent for the
quarter ending Aug. 81, when receiv-
ed. will be dlsallowed. The salaries
Of the judges and other officers OF the
court who are named IN the organic
act are not affected by his ruling.
The Comptroller says also that the
Secretary of State, who has Jurisdlc
ton over the court, is IN accord with
INN in his view of the law, and has
sanctioned the action taken by him.
Engagements.
Merchant Traveller.