Chapter 416.
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CHAP. 416.— An act to provide for closing up the business and paying the expenses of the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims, and for other purposes.June 2, 1886. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Accounting and disbursing officers of Treasury to audit and pay accounts of assistant counsel, clerks, etc., Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims prior to January 1, 1886. That the proper accounting and disbursing officers of the Treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized and directed to audit and pay the compensation not already paid of assistant counsel on behalf of the United States, subordinate clerks, accountants, computants, expert examiners and assistant examiners, janitors, messengers, watchmen, and scrub women employed by the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims prior to the first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-six, at the rate of compensation fixed by said court, and in accordance with vouchers approved by said court and certified by the presiding judge thereof, and also to audit and pay all other necessary expenses of said court up to the day last mentioned, approved and certified in the manner aforesaid, to be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and to be reimbursed out of the unappropriated moneys of the Geneva award fund.
Sec. 2. That the said accounting officers are hereby also directed toAndrew H. Allen to be allowed in his accounts, as disbursing agent, money paid upon vouchers certified by court allow to Andrew H. Allen, in the settlement of his accounts with the Treasury Department under his appointment as disbursing agent, made by the Secretary of State on July twentieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, all sums of money which he may have paid, covered by vouchers approved and certified as described in the preceding section, and also compensation for his services as such disbursing agent, at the rate fixed by the Secretary of State in his letter of May second, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, up to the first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-six, so far as he has not already been paid.
Sec. 3. That the powers of the clerk of said court are hereby extendedPowers of clerk extended six months from December 31, 1885, to close up business of his office. for an additional period, not to exceed six months from and after the termination of said court, on the thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, for the purpose of closing up the business of his office, and for depositing the records, documents, and all other papers of the court or its officers in the office of the Secretary of State, as provided in the act reestablishing said court, and the actVol. 22, p. 98. therein referred to; and said clerk is hereby authorized to employ suchAssistants authorized. assistants as he may deem necessary for the purpose of enabling him to carry into effect the provisions of this act, not to exceed in number those heretofore employed, said assistants to be paid monthly, at the same rate of compensation heretofore paid them, from and after said thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, on vouchers certified by said clerk, under the direction of the Secretary of State, from said Geneva award fund; and all disbursements shall be made by said clerk, under the direction of the Secretary of State.
TheDisbursements under direction of Secretary of State. Secretary of State is hereby authorized and directed to Sale of furniture, etc.make sale of all furniture and other property in and about the building used and occupied by the said court, and which were procured for the use of the court and the officers and employees thereof, at such time and place and in such manner as be shall deem most advantageous to the Government, and to cover the proceeds of such sale into the Treasury.
Sec. 4. That it is hereby made the duty of the Secretary of State,Secretary of State to make estimate of expenses etc., of closing up business of court. with the assistance of the clerk of the said court, to immediately after the passage of this act make an estimate of the cost and expenses for the salary and pay of the clerk and the employees under him, and all other necessary incidental expenses, for and during the time from said thirty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, not to exceed six months as aforesaid, as shall be judged necessary, as aforesaid, for completing the journals, records, and other entries and business of said court required to be completed, and for putting in order, arranging, and delivering to the Secretary of State all said records, journals, documents, papers, and other property lately appertaining to said court and which are hereinabove named: *Provided however*, That the said expenses*Proviso*. provided for in this section to be estimated as aforesaid shall 78 not exceed the sum of fifteen thousand dollars; and that any sum whichNot to exceed $15,000. may remain of the amount so estimated and deducted from the said fund for the purpose named in this section shall be by the Secretary of State covered into the Treasury of the United States; and the said Secretary of State shall further make an estimate of the net amount which will probably be realized and covered into the Treasury from the sale of the furniture and property hereinbefore named.
Sec. 5. That the amount which shall be paid out and distributed inMode of ascertaining balance of award. payment and satisfaction of the judgments of the first and second class which are now existing as rendered by the said court against the Geneva award fund, and in payment of the expenses, salaries, and other outlays contemplated and provided for in this act, and in the act reestablishing the said court, approved June fifth, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, shall be ascertained in the following manner:
To the sum of nine million seven hundred and three thousand nine hundred and four dollars and eighty-nine cents, this being the amount of the said Geneva award fund remaining in the Treasury, as disclosed by the Treasury report of June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury to the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives dated April twenty-second, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, shall be added the premium realized from the sale of certain bonds in which the said fund was invested, namely, the sum of three hundred and eighty-five thousand one hundred dollars and seven cents, making ten million eighty-nine thousand and four dollars and ninety-six cents; and to this sum shall further be added the estimated value of the said furniture and property, as provided for in section four of this act; and from the aggregate sum so ascertained shall be subtracted the estimated cost of the services and expenses provided for being estimated in section four of this act, and also the amount provided for in section one of this act, together with all the other expenses of the. court; and from the amount so ascertained shall be further deducted the aggregate of the judgments of the first class which have already been paid, and the Distribution.balance shall be applied as follows:
First, to the payment of the judgments of the first class yet remaining unpaid as provided in said act, approved June fifth, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, and the residue shall be paid out and distributed pro rata upon the judgments in favor of claimants of the second class; as provided in said last named act. And the amounts so ascertained as aforesaid are, for the purpose of Appropriation.making the payment aforesaid, hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Approved, June 2, 1886.