Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-27
STARTLING DISCLOSURES.
The Alleged Illegal Expenses OF the Court OF
Alabama Claims.

- M 4 llIAN " JfDC 4OtD I II 70.
The ALLEGED Illegal Expenses OF the Court OF
Alabama Claims.
A Washington telegram says: The
First Comptroller Of the Treasury to-
day made a ruling that is likely to em-
barrsss the Court of Commissioners Of
Alabama Claims for some time to come.
1t is in effect that the employment Of
tweuty-four persons borne on the rolls
Of the court is entirely without war
rant Of law, and that no payments can
legally he made from the Treasury on
their account in the future. Mr.. An
drew II. Allen, disbursing agent Of the
count. recently made requisitions on
the Secretary Of the Treasury
for $1,000 to meet the current
expenses of the court. In the usual
course Of business the acquisitions
came before the First Comptroller, and
he decided to make an investigation Of
the affairs Of the court before authoriz-
ing the issue Of the necessary warrants.
HIS conclusions are summarized in the
following statement, prepared by him
for publication The Court Of Com
missioncrs of Alabama Claims was
created in 1874. to hear proof Of claims
to be paid ont of the sl5.500,0O0
awarded by the Geneva Commission.
and was continued by various acts until
december 81. 1877. 1t was constituted
Of five Judges, with an annual salary Of
$4,000 each, clerk at $4,000, q
stenographer at S2,5oo, and an
attorney to represent the United States
al g. eco. Provision was also made for
rent Of courtroom. furniture, station
cry. fuel, and other necessary incidental
expenses, all of which were to be paid
out Of said fund before judgments were
paid. The court was reOrgauiZed in
1850, with the same officers and sala-
rics as before. except chat the number
Of Judges was reduced to three. The
Comptroller in investigating the case
sound that outside OF the aboye-namcd
officers there were on the pay-rolls
the names Of assistant counsel for the
United States, clerk t. said. counsel,
experts. clerks to experts, messengers,
watchman, &C., whose aggregate Sala-
ries amounted to about $34.50O per
wear. lie also found in the quarterly
returns that there has been paid to
other assistant counsel over 5000 for
the quarter ending December 81, 1884.
and about $1,000 for the quarter end
ing March 81. 1885. besides other
alleged legal payments. He says he
finds no law authorizing said payments,
and after consulting with the Acting
Secre' .fy Of the Treasury and with
the Solicitor of the Treasury he has de-
cided to stop all fsture payments Of the
same
The following is list Of employees
on the regular pay-rolls Of the court
who are affected by the Comptroller's
decision James j. Goodrich, expert
insurance, at an annual salary Of
$4,000; Walker Blaine, assistant coun-
sci for the United States, $500; VIII
liam p. Haxford, deputy clerk, g., 800;
Andrew II. Allen. disbursing agent,
$4,000; Eugene RoSis. clerk to coun-
sci for the United States, $1,000; Frant
u. Lunt. first assistant to expert insu-
rance, $1,000; Asa ?. French.
clerk to judge, $1,000; Elmer
+. Tilden. second assistant 10 eX-
pert insurance, $500; Enoch 6.
Goodwin, third assistant to same,
$l.S00; Henry O'Connor, Jr., clerk in
clerks office, $1,000; Fred. Chaplin,
clerk in same. 81 800; Amos d. Allen,
clerk in same, Loo George Cowic,
clerk to expert in insurance. 81 400 ;
William Haywood, clerk to counsel for
the United States, sl,4OO; \. b.
Nichols, clerk in clerks Office, 1880
John Marlin, messenger, &720; W. II.
Forrest. jsnitor, 1920; c. W. Turnkey
and Felix Muldoon, watchmen, 572O
each; 4. l.. Jackson and A. l.. Alex
ander. messengers, at 400 each ". p.
F. Churchill and Hugh Griffin, mes
ssngers, at 1850 each Anne Boylein.
servant, at IS per month. The follow
ing is a list Of persons who have been
employed as assistant cOuaSel in special
cases Charles lIamlin, Alexander ii.
Hobbs, Godfrey Morse, Charles c.
Suydam, William L. Spear, John I.
Whitaker, Hamilton Fish, Jr., Charlie,
T. Bormey, William II. Morrow,
George G. Frelinghuysen. James IL.
lIeyerin, George NJ. Seeders, Edmund
j. Moffatt. Wallace II. White, Samuel
Park, Thomas }. Cobb, and b. p. Car
penter.
The Comptroller says that all the
above-named employees have been paid
out of the provisions Of the organic act
authorizing the payment Of rent, sta
tionery, printing, and other necessary
Incidental expenses. The accounts OF
the disbursing agent have been settled
up to March 3lst last, and the salaries
of all persons on the pay-rollS have
been paid up to June Both. The re-
quisitions which have just been re-
fused were for expenses, including
salaries, for the month of July. The
Comptroller says the accounts Of the
dsbursing agent for the quarter ending
August 3lst, when received, will be dis
allowed. 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 jurisdiction over the court, is in ac-
cord with him in his view Of the law,
and has sanctioned the action by himself.
Horsford's Bread Preparation.