The record-union., 1898-05-12
PRIZE MONEY.
How It is Divided Among Officers
and Men.

The law regulating the distribution or
prize money is as follows:
The net proceeds of all property con-
demned as prize shall, when the prize
was of superior or equal force to the
vessel or vessels making the capture,
be decreed to the United States and the
other half to the captors, unless it shall
be otherwise provided in the commits
sionS issued to such vessels.
All prize money adjudged to the cap
tors shall be distributed in the follow
ing proportions:
First-To the commanding officer of a
fleet or squadron, one twentieth part OF
all prize money awarded to any vessel
or vessels under his immediate COM
mand.
Second-To the commanding officer of
division of a fleet or squadron, on
duty under the orders of the Command
erin Chief of such fleet or squadron, a
sum equal to one-fiftieth part of any
prize money awarded to a vessel of
such division for a capture made while
under his command, such fiftieth part
to be deducted from the moiety due to
the United States, if there be such
moiety, otherwise from the amount
awarded to the captors; but such fif-
tieth part shall not be in addition to any
share which may be due to the COM
mander of the division and which he
may elect to receive as the commander
of single ship making or assisting in
the capture.
Third--To the fleet Captain, one hun
dredth part of all prize money award
ed to any vessel or vessels of the fleet
or squadron in which he is serving, ex-
cept in a case where the capture is
made by the vessel on board which he
is serving at the time of such capture;
and in such case he shall share, in pro-
portion to his pay, with the other off,
GERS and men on board such vessel.
Fourth-To the commander of sin
gle vessel, one-tenth part of all the
prize money awarded to the vessel un-
der his command, if such vessel at the
time of the capture was under the COM
mand of the; commanding officer of a
fleet or squadron or division, and three
twentieths 7if his vessel was acting in
dependentlylof such superior officer.
Fifth-After the foregoing deductions,
the remainder shall be distributed
among all others doing duty on board,
including fleet Captain, and borne upon
the books of the ship, in proportion to
their respective rates of pay in the ser
vice.
In case an enemy's vessel is sunk in
action sum equal to 500 for each
person on board the destroyed vessel is
distributed in lieu of prize money, If
the vessel sunk or destroyed is of in
ferior force; if of equal or superior
| force then $500 for each person on the
enemy's ship is so distributed; if it is
found necessary to destroy the prize
after capture then the amount distrib-
uted is reduced to $50 for each person
on the destroyed vessel. ~
The share of prize money decreed to
the United States is used for paying
naval pensions and for caring for the
inmates of the National Home for Dis
abled Seamen.
The distribution of prize money will
be more easily understood if we divide
| the whole amount into twentiethS, The
Captain gets three parts, or, If his YES
sci belongs to a fleet or squadron, he
gets only two parts, the other part 60
ing to the Admiral; two parts are divid-
ed among all the Lieutenants, the Cap
tain of Marines and officers of similar
rating as to pay; two parts among the
Chaplain, Paymaster, ETC.; three and a
half parts among the midshipmen, ar
| morer boatswain, ETC.; two and a half
parts among the other petty officers
and seven parts among the seamen and
marines