The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-08
these claims by Congressional commit
tees, beginning in 1902.

Notwi outstanding persistent efforts to
secure payment from the government,
and the importantly of those interested,
no appropriation has ever been made for
the purpose except little more than
81, 300 600, which was placed in the gen.
eral deficiency bill in the very last hours
of she session of Congress on March 8,
| 1891.
| In the long list of beneficiaries who are
provided for in the bill now before me.
on account of these claims, 1853 represent
the owners Of ships and their oargoes,
and 1856 those who lost as insurers of
such vessels or cargoes.
These insurers by the terms of their
! policies, undertook and agreed to "Bear
and take upon themselves all risks and
perils of the seas, men of war, fire, enc
mics, rovers, thieves, jettyson, letters of
mart and countermart, surprisals, taking
at sea, arrests, restraints and detainments
of all Kings, Princes OF people of what
nation, condition OF quality whatso-
ever
The premiums received on these poll
cles were large, and the losses were pre-
oisely those within the contemplation of
the insurers. 1t is we'll known that the
business of insurance is entered upon
with the expec tation of premiums re-
oelVed will pay all losses and yield a
profit to the insurance in addition; and
yet without any showing that the bust
ness did not result In spirit to these
insurance claimants, it is proposed that
the government shall indemnify them
against the precise risks they undertook,
notwithstanding the fact that the money
appropriated Is not to be paid except "by
way of gratuity payments as Of grace and
not of rights
The appropriations to indemnify
against insurance losses rest upon weaker
grounds, it seems to me, than those Of
owners; but, in the light of all the facts
and circumstances surrounding these
spoilation claims, as they are called, none
OF them, in my opinion, should be paid
by the government
Another item in this bill which seems
to me especially Objectionable, is an ap-
preparation in favor of Charles B. Chou
teau, survivor, etc., of S175 445.75 in full
satisfaction of all claims arising out of
the construction of the iron clad steam
battery Elijah.
/ The contract for the construction of
this battery was made by the Government
with Charles W. McCord. during the
war, and he was to be paid therefor the
sum of 1886, 0OOe He was paid this sum
and $210, 991, for extras, and in May, 1866,
gave his receipt in full. The assignee of
McCord in bankruptcy assigned to Chou
teau and his associates in 1868 all claims
OF McCord against the United States for
the precise extras for which he had re-
ceipted in full two Years previous. Chau-
teau brought suit in the Court of Claims
for such extras, and was defeated. 1
cannot gather from the facts have been
able to collect concerning this appropia-
ton that it is justified on any ground.
In 1891. my immediate predecessor Vetoed
a bill allowing the matter to be exam
ined again by the Court of Claims.
j If the additional payment proposed in
this bill WAS made the cost of the bait
terry il question would be almost double
that on the contract price.
l have determined to submit this in
complete presentation of my objections
to this bill past once in order that Con-
Lgress may act thereon without embar-
rassment, or the interruption of plans for
an early adjournment.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Executive Mansion, June 6, 1896.