The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-09
LARGE SUMS IN PRIZE MONEY.
AMOUNTS PAID IN THE PAST TO
CONQUERING OFFICERS.


War-PrObahIe Abolition of Hood
Money Laws by Congress at Its
Approaching Session.
From the Washington Star.
The first law allowing prize money and
bounty 10 officers and sailors of the uni
ted States navy was passed by Congress
March ? 1899. 1t was amended in an I'M
important manner April 2S, 1900 The orig
inal law stood practically unchanged until
July II, 1867 when the civil war and the
capture of Confederate vessels necessitated
a change to meet the situation at that
time. on June 80, 1864, the law was again
amended but has since remained I'M
changed Ii does not differ materially to-
day from the time il was first passed, In
1899, nearly 100 years ago. The men who
destroyed the Spanish vessels at Manila
and Santiago will receive their bounty I'M
der these laws, which, It Is held by Au-
ditor Morris of the treasury. cover both
the subjects of prize money and bounty
Prize money goes to the crews of vessels
capturing merchant vessels of the enemy
or of any country violating neutrality
laws. Bounty goes TO the officers and
crews of vessels which have captured or
destroyed the vessels of war of the enemy
The amount paid In bounty is far in ex-
cess of that derived as prize money.
A comparatively small amount of money
was paid by the United States as prize
money and bounty up to The time of the
civil war, but as a result of that conflict
millions of dollars went TO fortunate Of
ficers and seamen of the United States,
IN some cases the amounts paid were
small fortunes. Sampson and his men viii
be thousands of dollars better off when
they are given their money for sinking
Cervera's fleet of Santiago. Dewey and
mis- men will get small amounts, inasmuch
as the ships destroyed by them were not
nearly so valuable as those sunk at San
tiago, and because the number of Span
iards on board the vessels at Manila was
much smaller than at Santiago. Dewey
fought forts as well as ships, but his
fight with the forts brings no pay from
Uncle Sam.
The records of the bounty payments up
to 1915 are not complete in the office of
the auditor for the navy department, but
since that time a complete record has
been kept. Congress appropriated 100000
for the captures made from the Algerians.
A large amount of this was never coll
lected by members of the crews OF the
vessels which fought so CALAMITY In that
short sl1irmish. Something like $4,000 Is
shn in the United States treasury sub
ject 10 proper claims. A man recently
went to the Office OF Auditor Morris think
ing he had a claim for prize money arts
ing out of the revolution, but he soon
found that there was no law to pay claims
of that kind
From the time the laws were first pass
ed until now 1856 Sol claims have been adj
Indicated by the courts and treasury de-
partment. All of these have been paid
except 43.S11. The total amount paid out
on the claims settled was $15, Jas 578. leaving
1901, 703 still in the treasury due men who
participated in some time or other In naval
conquests or victories. Nearly all of this
amount Is due to men who participated
in the civil war. Speaking on this sub
ject Auditor Morris says; 1.-The ratio of
unclaimed money to the whole amount of
prize money awarded is a fraction less
than per cent. The number of claims
uncalled for Is a little over % per cent.
of the whole number awarded. The diff
ference in the ratio of money and claims
is accounted for by the fact that large
amounts are always collected, while the
smaller amounts, or sailors shares, are
often not worth looking after"
Many OF the uncaled for claims In the
treasury are as small as 10 cents. Hun
dr6ds range between 10 and 25 cents. These
were for sailors on vessels of the enemy
The awards 10 officers Of these same ves-
sells ran into dollars and hundreds OF dol
lars. THE man behind the gum" as he
Is now spoken Of, received in bounty from
the United States 25 or 20 cents, while the
man commanding his vessel drew hun
dreds of dollars as his share. Auditor
Morris comments upon this as a reason
for the abolition of the law, which, he
saws. Is UNFAIR. 1.-The man behind the
gum at Santiago. for Instance, will draw
only a few dollars for his splendid aim
and telling shots, while the captain Of his
vessel may get several thousand.
II is thought that most OF the unclaimed
money in the treasury will never be paid.
The men to whom 1t Is due are dead or
have forgotten that something was COM
ing TO them IL claim attorneys could get
posaession of the names of the men TO
whom the money IL due they might lessen
the cash account in fhe treasury, but they
are unable to do this.
Auditor Norris view Is that the law
was passed at a time when Uncle Sam
desired to encourage the men OF small
and weak navy. tneOIy auNahcsu III
some quarters is that a prize and bounty
law gas enacted because the soldiers of
a victorious army were allowed to plum
der and loot after victory, thus securing
money and valuabIes at the conclusion
~ their work. This was not possible for
seamen. and they were put on somewhat
Of a footing with the soldiers. The adj
vance of civilization. Auditor Morris holds,
ought 10 do away with such ancient laws.
As his share IN the victories OF the
ciyn war. Vice Admiral Farragut was
naid a total Of $40 sS5. The man who re-
ceiyed the next highest sum was Capt. 5.
lee. His share IN various captures
were si29 2eI. Rear Admiral Dupont was
nald $50 $3.50. Among others who received
snug sums we're the following: Lieut. w.
r Cushing, S57 1854; Commander J. J.
A,,nv ga IA. Commander Bailey. &l 100
Commando william Budd. s2s.Si8; Conn
nodore W. w. Mexican, S37Se1; Acting
Master w. L. Howorth, s8556l; Capt. y. r.
sands ss2. 4s5; Acting Assistant Paymaster
y n swan, 81 ,l02; Rear Admiral s. L.
Breeze. s21.g7i; Acting Ensign 7. $. Gay,
- ,-tt.l Aaafalauf Engineer NEfllia ~,