The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, May 26, 1866, Image 2
COLUMBIA. ;
Saturday Morning, May 26,1808.
Scarcity ot Gold Watebec.
From the official returns received
at the Tax Commissioner'* Office, in
Washington, it would appear as if
Butler's gleaners or Gen. Sherman's
bummers had tnaile an extensive bu?
siness tour in their Uno throughout
the North and East, as well as through
the -South. Especially with regard
to Massachusetts, there has been a re?
markable disappearance of gold
levers, that large, populous and thriv?
ing Commonwealth- only returning
thirty-eight gold time-keepers under
the value of $100, and nine above
that value. There certainly must be
a large quantity of silver watches or
pinchback chronometers worn by
that enlighten** people. But thoro
must be something out of joint, for a
Boston paper says that, on examina?
tion of tho records of the assessor for
one ward of that city, the number of
gold watches returned and taxed was
2,000, and, at this rate, the number
in the city of Boston was not lesa
tlian 5,000. There must be some of
the tax officials who need looking
after. Commissioners, we think,
should be appointed to investigate the
affairs of the Tax Bureau, as well as
those of the chief bureau at tho
South. We venture to say that not?
withstanding the heavy drafts made
on the watch-pockets of our citizens
in February, 1865, the poor, impover?
ished city of Columbia, when tho re?
turns are made, will show up a foot?
ing greatly exceeding the whole State
of Massachusetts.
But the official returns exhibit still
further startling and curious develop?
ments. From them, it appears that
Rhodo Island, Connecticut, "Wiscon?
sin, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas
have not a gold watch among them
all. In Michigan, one has been re?
turned; two in Vermont; New Jersey
and Illinois each four; Maine has got
nine, and so on. Missouri heads the
list of all the States and Territories,
returning nearly 1,900, while the
great State of New York does not re?
turn 1,100 gold watches.
Seriously, there must be some stu?
pendous frauds somewhere in collect?
ing the revenue of the country, or
some laxity in those officers who come
more immediately in contact with the
tax-payers. Perhaps the gew-gaws,
in view of the coming tax, were all
given as Christmas or New Year's pre?
sents to the rising generation of tho
Puritans. There has been some eva?
sion of tho law, some dishonest re?
turns, or some culpability among the
reveuuo officers. Certainly the sub?
ject needs investigation.
Harper's Weekly.
We learn from our exchanges-we
have not seen the sheet ourselves
that the late issue of the above publi
cation, with its characteristic malice
and hatred of the South, contains
two caricatures of the Memphis riot,
in which the negroes are represented
as innocent and defenceless angels,
in ragged trowsers and petticoats, at
tho mercy of a ruthless mob of white
men, who are pursuing aud shooting
them down like rabbits.
It is known that the truth is very
few of the home negroes engaged in
the riot, it being principally caused
and carried on by discharged colored
troops. It is stated further, that the
same number of this "illustrated,"
slanderous sheet contains a lending
editorial in which the Southern peo?
ple, and the supporters of the Pre?
sident's policy, are characterized, us
usual, as traitors or short-sighted
ninnies.
How can tho people of tho South
^_^give any countenance or support to
such a "journal of civilization"-"so
called!"
--# ? ? -
LKTTXR FROM MRS. T. J. JACKSON.
The Mobile Register publishes a letter
from Mrs. Jackson to the Mayor oi
Mobile, acknowledging the receipt of
a check for $768, from which we ex?
tract the following:
^QOTTA?E HOME, N. C., May 9, I860.
MYB?IRSIR: * * * *
But, as you say "it is a free-will New
Year's offering, and expresses tho
deep and sincere sympathy for the
{ family, of the soldier whom y ou de?
lighted to honor whilst living, and
whose memory is still held in grate
( ful remembrance," I cannot refuse to
accept it. Indeed", I could no% and
have not, declined any such testimo?
nials of love and gratitude to tho nie
f mory of my precious husband.
~~ Fifty-two ships were lost in April,
at a cost of 82,706,500.
.. S&e tch ur FViilsn ??ivt^ry.
The following is a brief outline of
th? origin and history of the Fenian
organization made ii??'frotn the last
speech of tts chief,.-Stephens, made
iu New York, it appears that tba
society originated, in this eouutry in
1857, with O'Mahouey, and a Mr.
Dahoney as principal organizers. In
Deoember of tlint year an embassa
dor was sent to Ireland to confer with
Mr. Stephens, aud he became the
ohief in thc homo organization. His
chief reliance was upon the members
of thc bro.herhood in this country.
These not being promptly furnished,
Stephens made two visits to this
country and became chief director of
the whole organization both herc and
iu Ireland. On his return to the
latter country iu 18G3, Mr. Stephens
enrolled a large army of Fenians, but
arms aud munitions, and the means
to furnish them were wanting. The
discords iu this country destroyed
the hope of receiving them from the
organizations here, and thc British
Government begau to make arrests.
Such is a brief outline of the Fe?
nian history which is given for the
benefit of the friends of Ireland. We
have not space for various interesting
details, and as the general reader will
feel more interest in the present con?
dition of affairs in Ireland at tho pre?
sent time, we quote on this point the
following from the speech of thc
Head-Centre :
"I can tell you now that the organ?
ization in Ireland to-day is stronger
than it ever has been, in numbers,
discipline, and in all tho require?
ments of an array, save only in wai
material. The organization in Ire
land toward the close of last yeai
uumbered 200,000 men, and of thai
force, 50,000 were thoroughly drilled
with a largo proportion of men whe
had seen war and smelt powder or
the battle-field-a large proportioi
of veterans, in short; 50,000 wen
partly drilled men, and the othei
100,000 quite undrilled. But if then
be a man among you who thinks tba
50,000 Irishmen, thoroughly drilled
with 50,000 others partly drilled
would not make a force sufficient t<
meet anything that England coule
bring against us, then, indeed, he i
wholly ignorant of the resources o
England. What army could h
brought against Ireland by England
What is tho military force of Englani
at present? There are some 20,00
English troops in Ireland at present
and it would take England from thir
ty to forty days to cencentrato a fore
of 30,000 or if),000 men in Ireland
It would take her three months, n
least, to concentrate a force of 70,001
and it is not likely she would ever b
able to concentrate a larger fore?
Of our force, we could concentrate i
Ireland, at four or fivo given poinb
100,000 men in twenty-four hour;
All we wanted in Ireland from tb
middle of September to tho end t
j December was arms tu put into th
hands of our men. The men wer
I there, and only wanted the arm:
j But, in the very hour of our strengtl
i there came to Ireland the melancln
j ly news of your disruption hen
Still we held on. We did not thin
it possible that any body of men o
i this continent could be found thi
' would withhold from Ireland, in tin
j supreme hour of her need, the sueec
I hey had promised to give."
Military Movements South.
j Washington despatches state th:
j the War Department has detailed r
! officer to visit the States of Noii
! Carolina, South Carolina and Geo
cia, to investigate certain reports r
; lative to .speculation in old iron b
i longing to tho Government, and
j make arrangements for disposing
i the debris. We are afraid it is ti
: late, as probably much of it may ha
? been disposed of already.
. j Despatches also state that ordo
! have boen issued for the consolidate
j of the States of North and Sou
( j Carolina under one commander, ai
? for tho consolidation of Georgia ai
Alabama under another. This, if
I be carried out throughout tho Sont
j will considerably reduce tho numb
j of department commanders, as w
as thc corlis of atilt! officers.
Gen. Sickles has declined the m
i sion to tho Hague, and will assm
' j command of the States of North a
j South Carolina.
The ladies of Baltimore appear
I nover weary in well-doing, partie
; larly as regards' to the relief of t
I suffering people of the South.
I number of them are now engaged
! getting np a supper, strawberry fes
? val and promenade concert, to tn
I place during the present week at t
; New Assembly Rooms, as a means
i securiug relief for many cases
j Southern distress which the funds
! the lute fair fail to reach.
During the present mouth 1
; number of immigrants arrived at N
? York amounted to 24,384.
- s
tnt feiqiliA^Mirm Bat.
Tho progress of: the reform 'xnove
inen? in Eu gland is watched with
mu?i i uferest. It appears, from tne
debates in the House of Commons on
the subject, that the successful ter?
mination of tho civil war in this
country lias given strength to liberal
ideas.
Th? reform bill whioh has lately
passed the House of "Commons is not
a very great advance toward popular
representation. It enlarges, to some
extent, the electoral rights of the
middle and lower classes. Thc total
adult male population of England
and Wales is 4,280,573. Of these,
only 1,031,582 are entitled to vote.
The leading features of the reform
bill are, as wo And stated in the New
York Cantmercial Citron ide, as follows :
"The leading features of thc pre?
sent bill are: First, it proposes to
reduce the present .?50 county fran?
chise to ?14 occupation, with or with?
out land. This change, it is admit?
ted, would admit 172,000 persons,
chiefly of the farming and middle
classes. Second, copyholders and
leaseholders in Parliamentary IM>
rougbs are to be placed in the same
position as freeholders. Lodgers pay?
ing ?10 a year for apartments, and
persons having for two successive
years the sum of ?50 to their credit
in a savings bank, arc entitled to
vote in boroughs. This addition is
expected to add 2-4,000 to the elec?
toral body. Third, the household
franchise in boroughs is to bc re?
duced from ?10 to ?7, and a class
known as "compound householders,"
or persons ?whoso taxes aro paid by
the landlords, ure to bc permitted to
vote. This chungo is expected to add
254,000 to the constituency. Mr.
Gladstone calculated that these clauses
would, in the aggregate, add 400,000
to the electoral list, one-half of whom
! would be workmen. The correctness
! of tue latter estimate was subsequcnt
! ly questioned by Mr. 13right, who
I gave apparently reliable data in sup
i port of his position, that the pro
? posed changes would operate chiefly
in favor of small traders and others,
and that not more than 110.000 work?
men would be added to the number
of voters. "
STATE ITEMS. -Thc Spartanburg
Express gives notice that a meeting
of the cit.. u. Spartanburg Dis?
trict will bo b- at the Court House,
i next sales-day, LO devise some meam
! of supplying destitute families witt
j provisions.
I W. H. Williams has become fi co
! proprietor of tho Wiuusboro .Wies.
The Anderson InteUiyencer says thai
j there is a diversity of opinion regard
! Lug thc prospect for a wheat crop
ninny contending that the rocen
heavy and frequent rains will mate
rially injure the yield. From tin
: best information we have been abb
to obtain, and actual observation it
some fields, wo uro inclined to think
that the ?rop will be an average one,
at least.
i The same paper announces th
I death of Colonel Herbert Hammond
j at the age of seventy, a highly-es
; teemed citizen of that District.
1 The Sumter Watchman announce
! tho death of Mr. J. Y. Mellet, by th
I accidental discharge of a shot-gui ii
' his own hands.
A new Provost Court has been oi
gauized in Sumter, Captain Boye
I Presiding Judge, und two citizen
i Associate Judges. This arrangement
1 tho Watchman lennis, is the result i
instructions from Colonel Green, i
command at Columbia, after oonfei
; ence with our worthy Chief-Magi.
; trate. Governor Orr, und will save th
i citizens through all that section th
, necessity of going to Columbia fe
I tho settlement of matters of litigatio
j or complaint, in which freedmen :ii
involved.
1 The Watchman says that sectio
has been visited by fulls of watc
j almost unprecedented. Corn und co
ton have boen seriously damage
: thereby, in some instances amoun
ing nlmost to complete dcstmctioi
whilst the effdet has bern disastroi
.upon the mills of thc District. Uni
being but few dams left whole <
', mills in running order.
A difficulty occurred in GrcenviL
District, on Friday, the 13th instan
between a man named lawrence Lil
h ard t and another named Rodgers, i
which the latter received a blow o
the bond with a crow-bar, killin;.1: lui
' instantly.
THE HOUSE PANIC. In Philade
j ph ia, New York, Baltimore and th
! city, the "house panic" is abo?
? played out. Landlords have bcei
I for some timo past, in clover, bi
now they must como down a pej
i lu Now York and Philadelphia, tv
months ago. it was impossible t
renta house at any price, but no
j the newspapers of those cities tee
! with "for rents" and "to lets.*' Tl
! landlord harvest is over in thia cit;
las well "apartments to let" at fab'
?lons price*. "Apartments for rea
; is tho most prominent on tho winde
i shutters of every fourth house,
some parts of the city. Many clerk
who navo heretofore rented sto
boxes and hogsheads to stop in, ha'
' gone to houso-kooping in carnea
There must be a further decline.
] Wasltinglon Union. 21s'.
J t
mae S J a. y U?.
The court of highest judicial au?
thority in this State, componed of all
tho judges, lias decided that tl te law
commonly known as the Stay LAW is
unconstitttiiontil, and therefore inope-'
rative and void.
The first section of the Act for the
relief of debtors is in these words:
"It shall not be lawful for any oftteer
of this State to nerve or execute any
mes ne or final process of any of the
courts of this State for the collection
of money, until after thc expiration
of the first session of the next Gene?
ral Assembly of this State, except in
cases provided for in the second sec?
tion of this. Aet, and except process
for military fines."
Section fifth suspends "the opera?
tion of the Statute of Limitations
during the period in which this Act
is i" force, .so far as applicable to
causes of action coining within the
menning of this Act."-(See Statutes
at Large for 1861, pages 18-10.)
This statute was continued by se ve?
nd successive Acts of tho General
Assembly to December, 1SG5, when it
was continued by au Act to amend
the Stay LAW. -(.See Acts 4-1.;
By an "ordinance" of thc Conven?
tion of the State, bearing date 27th
September, 13t'>0, "to declare in force
the Constitution and laws heretofore
in force in this State," kc, it is de?
clared by the third section "that all
Acts and resolutions of the General
Assembly of this Shite whiph have
been passed, adopted or ratified since
the nineteenth day of December, in
the year ot" our Loni one thousand
eight hundred and sixty aforesaid,"
(reference having been made to this
dale in previous sections,) "aro now
in force, and shall so continue until
altered, modified, repealed or avoided
by proper Stab authority, except
such as have expired by their own
limitation, or by reason of the cessa?
tion of the causes which occasioned
the enactment; >K-t. flowerer, ind utt?
ing tritiiin litis C'Xejttion lim .lo oj
Assembly prohibiting Um collection ot
ilt'lts ustmlty known os the St?g Txiw~'
There is tims presented togethei
the action of the Legislature and o:
thc Convention, and the results o
the cases argued before the Court <?
Errors, in Columbia, during tlii;
month.
lt is very desimble that tho opinioi
of the Court of Errors should bi
published, as there is already a dil
terence of opinion amongst lawyer,
as to what may be tho effect of tie
decisions as to the operation of th
Statute ot Limitations, the languag
j of which has been <p; ted. As it is
rpiestiou of vast importun?e whicl
; lias been decided, it ought tobe mad
known. ft could then lie seen whn
j were the views of the Court, and th
, reasoning in support of those view.?
1 and this might have a powerful ellet
in quieting any excitement whic
: officions and designing men migl
' attempt to raise. It would bc seei
I without doubt, that the action of th
Convention was duly considered b
; Hie Court with reference to the chit n
'? of the ordinance already ?ploted, ;
: it regard-; the Stay Law.
These arc matters of importance t
tho people; and when they ure ii
formed, and have time to think, tit?
: are very apt to do right. Wu ougl
; never to fear to let the people kno
what is done in any matter affectiv
, their rights and interests.
Such are the views of one woo
! interested in the welfare of the pe*
' pie of the State, and who was one <
the members of tho
CONVENTION.
ls Si.Avr.uv EXTINCT IN NI:? JV:
s EY? - It is wei! known that tl
i-i usus of lsGii eutimeruted a t'.
slaves ns still living in New Jor.se
Wo are reminded of this by a ea
reported in the Trenton True Am
\ rican, which says the township
'Marlborough, Monmouth Count
luis sued the executor of an esta
! for money expended for the supp*.
of a slave who had belonged to th
, estate. The executor claims that t
recent constitutional amondale
abolishing slavery made tho ne;.
free, and the estate is no lone
bound to support him. and if he is
pauper, the township is liable. T
township, however, denies all th
and the "chosen freeholders" soi
to have some faint idea that, at lei
, so fur as this case is concerne
j .siavei y still exists in New Jersey.
-- -
! Tho Cincinnati Co>nmercial, of t
17th, suv-:
j "The non-Episcopal Method
Convention of the United States.'
Mourned sine '/!?. last evening, af
sitting eight days. During that tin
their proceedings were marked 1 >y
spirit of unanimity upon th?- issi
at stakt', and, upon the whole, gr<
fairm .ss characterized the rulings
the bods . Thc basis of onion, whi
i is a remodeling of the old discipli
in all by tho difierent denominatio
was adopted after a careful dclibe
tion, but whether it will prove s
i cessful practically, the future ah
? can determine. In tho main, it p
bably will, as tho perplexing qnesti
of slavery is settled by the resnJt>
i the war; und the question of sec
societies was passed over, with n ti
understanding that it was not to
[ allowed to stand in the way of n 1'
menions union."
<+..?.
V Bohemian named H. M. Foray
claiming to be a correspondent of
New York \ews, was arrested
I Atlanta on Thursday for swindli
Circulai of tiru. ??owart!. ' "**" e"\
Tho fofiowing circular han just been
addressed to the offirejs of the Freed?
men's Burean by their ?chief, who
warns them to -put their houses in
order-: ?. ? j
W-Ml DlPAKTMENT,
BURKAU OK REFUGEES, FREI^DMEN ANI>
AliANKOTiKD IiAKIW,
WASHTNOTON, May 21, 18?6.
Circular No. -1.
In order to answer the numerous
inquiries from officers, agents, and
others, and, if possible, prevent mis?
understandings with regard to the
change of organization in this Bu?
reau, this c rca lar is issued.
I. The Commissioner recommend?
ed, some time since, that tho func?
tions of military commander of ii
?State and Assistant Commissioner be
exercised by the same officer. Wher?
ever practicable this is beingeffeeted,
as in Virginia and Mississippi. It is
not done in condemnation of the As?
sistant Commissioners, who have
labored hard and successfully, but tc
secure more prompt and effective
administration than can otherwise bc
done.
II. The Commissioner calls the at?
tention of all officers officially to tin
reports in circulation as to acts of sc
verity and cruelty toward the freed
mon on their own part, as to careless
news in rendering their monthly ac
counts, and other offences. Every
officer or agent : J ready accused sha!
have the opj>ortuiiity of a thorougl
vindication before a court-martial
But tho occasion for such trials are t<
be deprecated, and they must bc fore
stalled by a thorough system of in
spection and a prompt removal o
every unfaithful officer.
III. Special attention is again call
ed to thc difficult duty ol' caring fo
thc indigent. Where intense anxiot;
prevails to get rid of thc Bureau
surely State and County Officers wi]
make some arrangement to reliev
the Genera"' 'Tovernmont of this heav
expense. . tho County officers o
overseers the poor will adopt th
proper measures, the industrial am
Government farms which aro now s
much complained of eau be dispeuse<
with.
In order to meet an emergent'
when the whole system of labor wa
deranged, the Commissioner urge
the forming of joint companies, tb
encouragement of the immigration c
those accustomed to free labor, so i
to afford promptly, and as many i
possible, examples of the suecessfi
employment of negroes under af?
system. Apparently in keeping wit
t hese regulations, a few officers ha?
invested their own mean's, joint!
v\ ith citizens in tho planting inter?s
T know of no lawor regulation of tl
army or of this Bureau against th i
yet it will almost inevitably lead 1
corruption, as it 'aas already to bitb
accusation. Hereafter such invea
meats within their own jurisdicti?.
by officers on duty in thc Bureau a
strictly prohibited.
O. < ). HOW ABU,
Major-General, Com missioner.
Thc Notional Intelligencer, speakii
of tho approaching elections, says:
Thc effort of Congress to utter
resist Andrew Johnson and his Cal
net in their policy has no precede
in its wanton, reckless and profliga
hostility to constitutional and lee
forms, m the history of deliberate
bodies in Governments of fixed po
! ors tho world over, ;it any period.
i The issue is now directly join
between the President and Congre;
The tribunal of appeal is the poop
Under these circumstances, it m
not, of course, be expected by t
people of the country that the ei
mies of the President in Congress ?
to control his appointments ord
. pense his patronage. The control
such matters bas now reverted to t
peo] lo. A< of old, the leading rn
in tito States, such us Governors, w
are friendly to the 1'rcsident, dist
guished soldiers, members of Sb
I Legislatures, eminent members of t
bar and hench, and prominente:
zens in other callings, not in pub
life, will be able to exert that inf
. en co io respect to national appoi
; nients which cannot but be health
and purifying in politics. At fl
rate, the control of Congres will,
. course, be for the most part suspei
j ed, except as it regards those m?
hers who seek to restore union. pe?
'? and general prosperity.
Tm: WAY THE NEGROES WORK
. MISSISSIPPI. - A letter to the Angil
Chronicle from Concordia, Miss.,
; April ii;5, tims describes the cml
russments of the cotton plant
under the present state of affairs:
"We have a lino stand of that <
u>:i which is np. Have nearly o
third of our fore?' sick, or pretend
tobe. Well, [will give you a sam
of to-day's annoyances: Heck coi
? in and says he don't want Loudo
ho is entirely worthless; Rosalayf
because it isa wet day, (slight sprix
before breakfast this morning:; Jr
sou is down with a billions atti
Jim is sick always sick wheu tl
is any bard job like rolling logs
hand: Stove lias gone to Court;
two Henrys and Dick are Hrs!
hands but they are gone, too
witnesses in a caseof quarrel beta
the two todies, Emma and Harriet
- m ? ? *- -
Tho Bpiscop&l Church of Louis:
at its recent Council resolved to
connect itself with the Church of
United States, lt passed resolut
of respect and condolence for the
of Bishop Polk, acknowledging
valuable services ns the Father of
I h?cese.
Local IteixLa.
KEE* CoOi^-In these sultry day*, a viait
t<i Mr. McKeuzi?'s ???-cream garden u
conducive to comfort, Ico-cream, ol ter bet
add Roman punch CHU he obtained at alt
hourn of the day and evening.
THE BTJR?ONO OK COLUMBIA.-An inter?
esting account <>t tlie "Sack arni Destrue
i tion of the City of Columbia. S. C.," ka?
j just been it-sued, in pamphlet form, from
the I'hwriis nt.-am power pres?. Order??
can be tilled to any extent.* Single copie?
50 ceutH.
BOOK AJCD Jon PaiXTiNG. -The l'hanis
office i? flo* fully snpplieil with carda,
I colored and white paper, colored ink, wood
type, etc., and IB now in condition to exe?
cute all manner of l>ook and job printiutf
in the shortest possible time, (?ive ns a
call.
BARBECUE.-Mesar?. Pope & Starling pro?
vide a barbecue for their friends, at Star?
ling"8 butcher pen, near Fislicr's Pond, to?
day. This, we ire satisfied, will bc pleasing
intelligence to those who are fond of a de
? licious piece of highly seasoned pork or
: mutton.
J COTOT OF APPEALS.-Thc Court, on Fri
; day, was occupied, until 2$ o'clock, iuhear
j ing thc cause of Belcher ?t Belcher ts. A
i P. Conner. Mr. Wilson for motion. Mr.
I Burt contra.
Ezekiel I^ong <i<?.?t. Mary Oliver, was
j stricken oft'.
I Eli Manning, Ex'r, (lils. Franklin Man
i ning. Brief road.
J Court adjourned until Monday.
j Corros FREIOUTS TO NEW YOKE. -We
learn that under the new arrangements by
! the various companies on the lino via
1 Charlotte and Portsmouth, cotton will be
! received at the Charlotta Railroad Depot.
I and receipted for, to bc delivered at New
! York, at the moderate freight of seven dol?
lars per bale. This will bc a great saving
of trouble aud expense to shippers, saving
drayage, wharfage and the expenso of re?
ceiving, forwarding, Ac., and will, further?
more, not be attended with so much delay
I i
j as by other routes.
i Arrangements, it is expected, wdl Ix*
i abortiv made for the transportation of
j other freights, either way, by this route.
SEW ADVERTISEMENTS.-Attention is call
I cd to the following advertisement*, which
j are published this morning for tho first
; time:
j P. W. Kraft -Guns, Pistols, Ac.
; Mrs. J. P. Recd-Ladies' Hats, Ac
! J. L. Lumsden-Ale, Ac.
I John C. Dial-Catien-, Ac.
John D. Bateman- Country Hams.
(aplurrd Confederate I?roperty.
j By the Acts of July and August,
' 18G1, nil property of citizens of in
: surrcctionary States found therein or
iu transita, and all vessels belonging
! to insurgents, wore required, when
! captured, to be forfeited, and the
j proceeds of sales paid into the Trea
! sury for the use of the United States.
: The proceeds of large captures of
? such property, amounting to several
; millions of dollars, are claimed by
I military and naval officers, and they
. are accordingly taking measures,
j through the admiralty courts, to have
i the property condemned and ad
I judged to their own use and that of
the naval pension fund. The ques?
tion is now ponding before the Su?
premo ('oort whether such property,
Ro captured, should l>e forfeited to
the United States or for the benefit
of the captors. In view of these
, facts, the House ot Representatives
! not long ago directed the Secretary
\ of the Treasury to withhold a distn
I bntion of the proceeds until the judi
i eial question shall be determined,
and requested him to biko such
; means as in his judgment might seem
proper to have the claims of the
United States in such cases fully de?
termined. The Secretary, in re?
sponse, says that it does not appear
by the files of the Treasury Depart
ment that tho receipts of any such
property as is described in the House
j resolution hail been claimed by of
i ficers of the a.my; nor does it dis
I tinctly appear how much, if any, has
: boen claimed by officers of the navy.
GS7 prize cases have l>een decreed.
? amounting to nearly $23,000.000,
I which amount, deducting say one
half credited to the navy pension
fund, has been paid as follows:
; Amount paid to officers of the navy,
$4,762,000; and to eidisted men of
the uaw, $5,341,000, or a total of
1810,103,000. The files of tho de
I part nient do not furnish satisfactory
j means of determining what propor
j tion of these amounts consists of the
? proceeds of property comprehended
; in the scope of the Acts of July and
? August, 1801. Inasmuch as that
! fact is not distinctly shown by the
' certificates of distribution, it can bo
', ascertained only by an examination
of the records of the several cases on
' the liles of tho respective courts,
j Thu law of June, 18<>4, expressly pro
j vides that the net amount decreed foi
distribution to the Uni*, ed States or
I to vessels of thc navy '-hall be order?
ed by tho court tobe paid into the
i Treasury,'to be distributed according
j to tho decree of the court, which thc
j Secretary says, in this respect, seems
! to leave no discretion to the depart?
ment, lt further appears that thirty
two cases romain pending in the
United States Supreme Court, and
.2I.S coses in the Circuit or District
Courts-in all. o?X> e.;ises; all of them
nominally cases of prize of war, but
more or leas of which may be cases
; of revenue forfeiture under the Acts
i of July and August. The amount in
litigation is equal to ?9,500,000. Thc
?Secretary has taken steps to investi
gate thc character of all these case,
i I Cor. Baltimore Sun.