The times., 1901-03-24
THE SPANISH WAR CLAIMS.
Meeting of the Commission That
VIII Adjust Them.

viii Adjust Them.
The first meeting of the Spanish War
Claims Commission will be held April s.
Ex-senator Chandler. President of the
Commission. returned to Washington yes
terday after short visit i'm New y Nork aud
Immediately began to gather the other
members preparatory to beginning work.
The Department of Justice has provided
a building for the use of the Commission
in II Street, between Fourteenth and Fiji
teenth Streets.
The other members Of the Commission
are G. j. Deikman of Michigan, J. +. Wood
of Ohio, w. A. Maury Of Washington, and
w L. Chambers. According to the law
under which the Commission was APP
pointed. the first meeting must be held
within a month after the appointment of
all its members. In addition to the mem
bers there will be attached to the COM
mission d secretary, William h. Speare of
Massachusetts, and an Assistant AtttoT-
ney General, William +. Fuller.
The Commission is empowered to APP
point one messenger and one or more
stenographers, typewriters, and interpre-
teTs, as the business may require. All OF
the appointments are to be made accord
ing to the act creating the Commission
without reference to the rules and regu-
latons of the civil service.
The act makes provision for the salar-
les of the Commissioners and the subordi-
mates as follows:
To each Commissioners the sum OF s5,0o)
per annum. To the Assistant Attorney
General. the sum of $500 per annum To
the clerk, the sum of $500 per annum. To
such assistant attorneys as may be en-
MI at Of month
each for the time of actual employment.
To the messenger and to each steno-
grapher and typewriter, tile sum Of 81. POO
per annum. To each interpreter, not ex-
ceedng the sum of 81, 500 per annum.
One of the first clauses of the act de-
clares that the Commission shall have
power to make all necessary or conve-
nient or proper rules and regulations of
practice and procedure for the transaction
of it's business" The first meetings will
he concerned chiefly in mapping ont the
line of work and in deciding upon the
rules which shall govern the presenta-
ton of claims.
The Commission was established to take
care of the claims against Spain held by
United States citizens, and incurred dur
ing Spain's devastating wars against the
Cubans. In the seventh article of the
treaty with Spain it was stipulated that
the United States and Spain mutually
relinquish all claims for indemnity, ma
tional and individual, of every kind, OF
either Government, or of its citizens or
subjects, against the other Government,
that may have arisen since the beginning
of the late insurrection in Cuba and prior
TO the exchange OF ratitications of the
present treaty. including all claims Tor
indemnity for the cost of the war. me
article then declares that the United
States will adjudIcate and settle the
claims of it's citizens against Spain re-
llnquished in this article
The powers of the Commission are full
Iv set forth in the act. In relation to
the presentation of claims the statute
says that every claim prosecuted before
the Commission shall be presented by
petition, setting forth concisely the facts
upon which the claim is based. with an
itemized schedule. The petition must
give the name, citizenship, and residence
of the claimant and shall state the
amount of damages sought to be recov-
cred 1t must be filed with the clerk of
the Commission. The section further
says: "All claims shall be filed as afore
said within six months from the date of
the first meeting of the Commission, and
every claim not filed within such time
shall be forever barred
provision is made that the Commits
sion can receive claims within six months
after the expiration of the time, if the
claimants can establish good reasons for
not presenting their documents earlier.
The act stipulates that the award in
favor of any claimant shall be only for
the actual amount of the direct damage
which the claimant can prove he has sus-
tanned All awards of the tribunal are
to be final. unless a new hearing shall
be granted by the Commissioners. The
Commission, if in doubt on any point
arising in the facts of case, can certify
the facts and the question of law TO the
Supreme Court, and the court is author
lied to consider the same.
The Commission has now in its hands
claims amounting to about $32. 900 600
many Of which are large. Among the most
Vale, 81, O00 coo; J. w. Brock, s., ,00o, go: Al
bert Brock, 81 800. 600; Charles Rosa, N.140,
O0G and Joseph Rigney. Sl.004Ot9. 1t il ex-
pected that fully $50 GEO. 60 of claims will
be filed before the Commission closes it's
books. Many are considered to be exorbi-
tant, and probably will be considerably re-
duced by the Commission.
Speaking of the work of the Commission,
Senator Chandler said yesterday that he
thought it could be finished within the two
years provided in the act the life of
the Commission. The President, however,
is allowed, at his discretion to extend the
life of the body for periods Of six months
at a time If it is found necessary TO do so
in order to enable the Commission TO COM
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