The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-31

permit prize to be taken into q neutral
port. To begin with, the craft is llDelleo
by an information filed against her, An
admiralty court Considers hef case any
her owners have a right to be heard. Ii
their defence is not good, she IS con con
demned and ordered to be sold: Inc
court determines whether one-half or the
whole of the proceeds shall go to. the
captors, and also what ships are entltled
to Shares. All vessels which assist TO
any extent in making the capture have
right to an equal share with the ship
though they may have been merely lying
at anchor in such a position as to pre-
vent escape. Thus half dozen vessels
may divide single prize. An odd IN
cident of the rebellion was the capture
and re-capture of the Emile st. Pierre,
belonging to the firm of Trenholm q 20.
of Charleston. She was taken by a Unit
on the part of the prize master she was
retaken by her original crew and carried
to Liverpool
The Money in the Treasury.
When pirze has been sold the marshal
of the court turns the proceeds into the
Treasury at Washington. At the same
time the commander Of every ship which
is adjudged to be entitled to a share fur
nishes to the Navy Department list OF
the officers and crew on board OF his
craft at the time of the capture. The
Secretary of the Navy hands a list over
to the fourth auditor OF the treasury.
If one-half of the amount involved IS
to go to the navy pension fund 1T IS
transferred to that account. The other
half is distributed by the fourth auditor
among the officers and men named on
the list There is a saying in the British
navy that prize money is poured down
ladder. What drops through belongs
to the officers and what sticks no the
rounds goes to the sailors. Ihere is some
truth in the remark.
The commander of feet or squadron
gets one-half of everything taken by the
vessels under his control. He shares IN
ali captures whether he is present or not,
because they are presumed to be due, TO
his oversight. The division commander;
if there is one, receives one-iftleth OF
whatever is captured by the ships Of his
division. The fleet captain, who acts as
sort of chief of staff to the fleet, com
mander, is entitled to one-hundredth
part. The captain of ship, II undef
the command of flag officer, has rlgne
to one tenth of the sum awarded to TINS
vessel If he has a rowing commission,
not being attached to any fleet, ne draws
GIfG0-UWoUU f1lUCl oh0os
er and man shares in the ratio OF his an
nual pay Even civilians on board, l1ke
the captains clerk and the paymaster.s
clerk, are entitled to shares, and SO IL
goes down to the powder monkey.
A story is told of an old sailor, VINO
was seen on his knees just before a fight.
| An officer scolded him for showing the
| white feather, and demanded to know
what he was praying for. He replied:
b II was praying that most OF the shot
would 60 where most of the prize money
| goes-on the quarter deck"
| The inoiety of prize money accruing
to the navy pension fund during the re-
bellion reached $14,000,000 This sum
| has been set apart ever since the war for
| the payment of annuities to disabled
naval officers and sailors, and to their
| widows and minor children. 1t was
| originally invested in government
bonds, but these were eventually called
! in Then law was passed by Congress
making the amount loan to the United
| States at per cent. This is the shape In
which it is held at present. Every year
| 40. 900 interest on it accrues. Out OF
| this income is taken what is needed for
the support of the naval asylum at Phlla-
| delphia The balance is made up OF the
pensions referred to. From time to
| time people become alarmed lest this
money Entrusted to Uncle Sam has van
| ished or will be absorbed in some fash
| ion. In fact, nobody need be worried on
| that score. The Treasury holds it safely
| and the interest derived from it is only a
drop in the bucket of naval pensions.