Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-03
The Alabama Claims.
A Ruling that Will Embarrass
the Court of Commission
erS for Some Time.
YWenty-FOur Persons Claimed
to Be On the Rolls Without
Warrant of Law.


Comp roller of the Treasury has just
made ruling that is likely to EN-.
barrass the Court of Commissioners of
Alabama claims for some time to
come. 1t is ia effect that the employ.
ment Of twenty 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
current expenses Of the court. In the
usual course of business the requlsi
| tons came before the First Com ptrol-
Ter, and he decided to make an inves-
tigation 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 $15, 600, 900 awarded by the
Geneva Commission, was continued
by various acts until Dec. 81, 1877
It was constituted of FIVE judges, with
an annual salary of $4,000 each
clerk at So, coo, a stenographer al 3d.
500, and an attorney to represent the
United States at So 000 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 reorganized 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 y aited 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 lii the quarterly returns that
| there has been paid to other assistant
counsel, over IS 600 for the quarter
ending Dec 81, 1884, and about 81, 900
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 the same
The following is q list of employees
on the regular pay rolls of the court
who are affected by the Compt9ller's
decision; James D. Goodrich, expert
IN Insurance. at an annual salary of
81 200; Walker Blaine. assistant coun
sci for the United States, So, 500; VIM.
2. Huxford, deputy clerk, 81, 500;
Andrew FL. Allen, discussing agent,
$4,000; Eugene Rosis, clerk to counsel
for the United States, 50 900; Frank
D. Lunt, first assistant to expert i'm
surance, So 600; Asa P French, clerk
70 judge, $4,000; Elmer E. Tilden,
rance, $1,000; Enoch Il. Goodman,
assistant to same. $1.800; Henry
O'Connor. Jr., clerk in clerks office,
ST. 500; 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, 1920: w. Ell. Forrest, Jani
tor. 1920; c. w. Townlev and Felix
Mulaoon, watchmen, $720 each; A.
L. Jackson and &. L. Alexander,
messengers at $40O each; W. P. T.
Churchill and Hugh Griffin, messene
gers at $3.50 each; Anne Baylein, SER
want at IS per month.
The following is list of persons
who have been employed as assistant
counsel in special cases: Charles
Hamlin, Alexander FL. Hobbs; God
frey Moore, Charles y. Suydam, Will
lam E, Spear, John T. Whitaker,
Hamilton Fish, Jr., Chas. T. Bonney,
VIM. r. Morrow, Geo. 6 Freiing-
huysen, JAS Fl. Hevenin, George M.
Seeders, Edmund J. M0ffatt, Wallace
FL 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 disbursing agent have
been settled up to Marcn 81 last, and
the salaries of all persons On the pay
rolls been paid up to Jane 80.
The acquisitions which have just
been refused were for expenses. in
Guiding salaries, for the month Of
July. The Comptroller says the &C
counts of the discussing agent for the
quarter ending Aug. 81, when receiv-
ed, will be disallowed. The salaries
of the judges and other officers Of the
court who are named Ii 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 IL accord with
nm in his view of the law, and has
sanctioned the action taken by him.
Engagements.
Merchant Traveller.
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