Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-13
FRENCH sPoLIArIoN CLAIMS.
Over 1, 800 OF These Anticipated Cases,
Beside 200 others Filed in the Courts.

Over 1900 OF These Anticipated Cases,
Beside 200 others Filed in the Courts.
From the Louisville Cott,4er-,fo,synal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Up to date over
700 cases have been filed in the Court Of
Claims under the French spollation claims
actoflast January. Ex-Congressman Ben
iamin Wilson, now the law officer in the
Department OF Justice, to whom has been
assigned the duty of defending the govern
ment in these cases, says that there are az
least 800 more to be dOcketed. The time
for docketng is limited by the act TO a
year from Jan. 20. A vast amount OF
money is involved in these claims, and
their trial Will require constructions OF
six different treaties with France, beside
the application of general International
! law.
Col. Wilson's long service on the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs while in Con-
gress gained for him the distinction of be-
| ing the best informed authority on treaties
and International law in the House in his
/ day. His assignment by the Attorney
General to the important duty Of resisting
these Anticipated treaty claims, therefore,
carries him into a familiar held. Cases
are being led at the rate of from five TO
% a day. Seine of them are volumi-
nous, and are accompanied by peck
! of papers. The printed briefs aver
! age 20 pages to case. A
/ great deal of testimony must be taken in
/ these case. and in every instance a writ
ten argument on the law and facts must
be filed, aDd in all important ones an oral
argument also made. An idea can be
/ gained from this of the great labor i'm
/ posed upon the Court of Claims and upon
the officers of the Department Of Justice
/ in charge by Senator FFye's brief and
! pithy bill 1t is impossible to give an ca
/ innate of the amount Of these claims to
/ date. Up to June 80, Sir. Garland re-
ported 81 cases, calling for over 49,
00O,O0c.
Besides the French spoliations class
/ there are over 1,200 other cases on the
docket Of the Court of Claims. OF these
$40 aye under the ordinary jurisdiction Of
the court, and Include those referred 10y
heads OF departments; 1858 come IN under
the Bowman act OF 1888, providing for the
entertainment of law and facts TO claims
pending before committees of Congress,
aud Al are District of Columbia cases.
The amount involved in these cases Is
upward OF $4,000, 900. This vast amount
of law business is looked after on
behalf Of the government by a bu-
Teau Of the Department OF Justice
consisting of one Assistant AttOr-
ney General and SIX assistant attorneys.
| The assistant attorneys are paid salaries
running from $1,000 to $4,000, which is
thought to be rather beggarly allowance
when the fact is considered that these
gentlemen must be skilled praoutioners
in court, capable of preparing and pre-
. senting pleas for the government in ques-
tions Of vast financial importance. A
rather singular oversight was committed
/ by Congress in both the Bowman and FRYE
acts, which opened the door Of the court
to over a thousand new cases to date, in
the respect that no provision whatever
was made for defense to the claims
authorized to be sued for, except the gem
eral one that the Attorney General or his
assistant should make the defense.
1t is thought at the department not 4
little odd that a RcpreseD tatiye from
| Maine, Capt. Boutclle, should have inter
posed objection TO the small appropriation
OF IS. 000 asked by Mr.. Randolph Tucker
to enable the law officer Of the depart
ment To make an adequate defense 10 the
spOiiatiOn cases, inasmuch as Maine peO-
pie are very largely interested IN these
claims. Senator Frye, Of Maine, has been
a most ardent advocate Of the claims for
years IN Congress, and has staked his
character as public man on their merit
in urging his bill TO passage. 1t is under
stood that Mr.. Tucker viii introduce the
bill IN the call Of States tomorrow, and
soan thereafter ask its immediate con-
! sideratiOn.