Brown v. United States (113 U.S. 568)

by William Burnham Woods

United States Supreme Court

113 U.S. 568

Brown  v.  United States

James Brown, the intestate of the appellant, was a boatswain in the United States navy. The petition in this case was filed against the United States by the administratrix of his estate in the court of claims to recover a balance of pay which she alleged was due to Brown at his death. The court of claims found the following facts: Brown, the decedent, was appointed a boatswain in the navy of the United States, January 4, 1862. On October 22, 1872, the naval retiring board, before which he had been ordered by the secretary of the navy under the provisions of section 23 of the act of August 3, 1861, (12 St. 291,) reported that he was incapacitated from performing the duties of his office, and that there was no evidence that such incapacity was the result of any incident of the service. He was accordingly, upon the day last mentioned, by order of the president, retired on furlough pay. From October 22, 1872, to June 30, 1875, Brown received pay at the rate of $900 per annum; and from July 1, 1875, to June 6, 1879, at the rate of $500 per annum. On the day last named he died. The court further found that the acts of August 3, 1861, (12 St. 290,) and of December 21, 1861, (12 St. 329,) were soon after their enactment construed by the president and navy department to include warrant officers, and under that construction it had been the uniform practice of the president to place warrant officers on the retired list, and large numbers of these officers had been so retired. No protest or objection was made y Brown during his life-time, either to his retirement or rate of pay. The accounting officers of the treasury had uniformly held that longevity pay to retired officers was not authorized by section 1593 of the Revised Statutes.

From these findings of fact the court of claims deduced, as a conclusion of law, that Brown was legally placed on the retired list, and had received the full amount of pay allowed him by law, and was not entitled to recover, and entered judgment dismissing the petition. The appeal of the petitioner brings that judgment under review.

John Paul Jones and Robert B. Lines, for appellant.

Sol. Gen. Phillips, for appellee.

Mr. Justice Woods delivered the opinion of the court. He recited the facts in the foregoing language.

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