The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-16 00:00:00

7HE AIVNUAL REPORTS.

In continuation of the Annual Reports on the
Army we may now summarize that of Inspector-
General Schriver, on West Point, who says that
the Academy was never in a better condition. The
cadets are 224, but the law authorizes 290 when
the Southern States are all admitted. He enters
into the question of their increase, concluding that
400 can as well be educated there as 224, and re-
commends that number. The only additional ex-
pense will be for the board of students, there being
teachers, books, and apparatus enough. The neces-
sity for an increase of specially educated officers all
admit who have given attention to the subject.
Congress should be requested to take action in the
premises. The number of graduates to this time
is 2,273 ; there entered, but did not remain to gra-
duate, 2,447. The total cost of the Academy to
date is $8,236,372, including grounds, buildings,
books, works, instruments, apparatus, the pay of
teachers, and the board of teachers and cadets.
General Schriver denies that the Academy culti-
vates aristocracy and is tinctured with disloyalty,
and says that of living graduates in and out of the
service at the beginning of the war more than
three-fourths remained loyal ; and of these
in and out of the service, born in or appointed
in the South, one-half remained loyal. Of
the graduates belonging to the States that actually
seceded, more than one-fourth remained loyal. Of
the graduates who served against the rebellion more
than one-third were wounded, and one in five were
killed in battle. He says, in conclusion, that the
Board of Visitors recommend the Academy to ask
for $65,000 this year for repairs and. improvements,
and that the superintendent be raised to the rank
and pay of Brigadier-General.

The Hon. C.C. Cox has sent his report as Com-
missioner of Pensions to the Secretary of the Trea-
sury, and the following is an abstract of its most
interesting statistics :—" The number of original
invalid pensions admitted during the year was 9,325,
at an annual aggregate rate of $628,227 70 ; in-
crease of pensions allowed, 4,854, at an annual ag-
gregate rate of $280,487 28. The average rate of
original pensions granted is $67 371 or $1 35 less
than the preceding year. The number of original
applications, by widows, orphans, and other depen-
dent relations, is 19,242, being an annual aggre-
gate rate of $1,910,202 70. The increase of pen-
sions under this class is 27,053, at an annual aggre-
gate rate of $1,725,960. The whole number of
invalid pensioners borne on the rolls on the
30th day of June, 1868, was 74,782, and these
were paid in the aggregate at the rate of $6,828,025
26c., and the total number of widows, orphans, and
other dependent relatives in this class was 92,243,
who were paid in the aggregate at the rate of
$12,065,068 94. The total number of both classes
was 167,025, at a total annual rate of $18,893,094
20c. The original invalid pensions allowed num-
bered 135, at the annual rate of $12,890, and the
same class was increased 50 at the total annual rate
of $2,994. Widows, minors, and others admitted,
219, at the aggregate rate of $26,102, being an in-
crease of 72 at the total annual rate of $6,600. The
total number of navy invalid pensioners on the rolls
at the close of the fiscal year was 1,175, at an
annual rate of $94,833 75, and of widows, minors,
and others, 1,443 at $236,256, making a total of
2,618 pensions at $331,099 75. The total
amount actually paid to invalid pensioners during
the year ending June 30, 1868, was $97,340,
and to widows and others, $255,043 21. The total
amount of navy pensions paid was $352,388 21.
Prior to the date of the last annual report of this
office the sole surviving soldier of the revolution
pensioned tinder the general laws had died. Of
the two soldiers pensioned by special Acts of
Congress then on the rolls, Jno. Gray of
Ohio and Daniel F. Bakeman of New York,
Nancy Serena, widow of Joseph Serena of
Pennsylvania, still survive, the latter being the
only representative on the rolls of that class of re-
volutionary widows who were married prior to the
close of the war. Of those married. prior to Jan.
1, 1794, 55 survive ; of those married prior to Jan.
1, 1800, 45 ; and of those married since the latter
date, 787—making a total of 888 Revolutionary
widows on the rolls, being less by 109 than the
number returned the previous year. There are on
the rolls 1,303 widows and orphans of soldiers who
served in wars subsequent to the Revolution and
prior to 1861, an increase of 551 since the last re-
port. The total number of pensioners of all classes
on the 30th of June, 1868, was 169,618, and these
are paid at the aggregate rate of $19,214,183.95.
Pensions granted during the year, 28,921 ; number
dropped from the rolls, 14,752 ; number of increase
during the year, 32,029 ; amount actually paid for
pensions, including expense of disbursement,
$24,010,981.99, an excess of $5,391,025.53 over the
amount of the previous year." We extract from
the Ti ibune the report of the Hon. Jas. S. Wilson,
Commissioner of the General Land Office, which
equals in interest that of 1867. In addition to the
usual official topics, it will embrace a variety
of valuable information, all arranged under
thirty-six general heath, embracing the soil,
climate, territorial configuration, industrial and
commercial facilities, social progress and pre-
sent status of the different States and Ter-
ritories. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, in which the
Government title to the soil has been practically
extinguished by private appropriation under the
land laws, are grouped together in a single article,
showing, as the result of the beneficent land policy,
their growth into a powerful and intelligent civili-
zation. Each of the other public land States and
Territories is made the subject of a separate chap-
ter, showing the character and development of its
resources, the progress of settlement and culture,
the amount of public land remaining undisposed
of, the areas of surveyed and unsurveyed lands re-
spectively, with such other topics as are judged of
interest and value in bringing each portion of the
public domain into public notice, thus facilitating
its prompt disposal by settlement and sale. The
pre-emption and homestead policy is discussed from
a historical standpoint. The general and spe-
;..al grants for internal improvements are re-
nearsed, and the proceedings of the executive
authority in their execution are detailed, show-
ing the operation of this policy in building
up and developing the industrial and com-
mercial interests of the great West. The land
grants of the General Government in aid of educa-
tion form the theme of an article illustrating the
importance of popular intelligence in a free com-
munity. The different grants of Congress in aid of
public schools, of seminaries, and of colleges, espe-
cially of agricultural colleges, are analyzed, and
statistics showing the extension and development of
educational establishments of the country from the
commencement of our national existence, are given.
The following are some of the items from the re-
port :—" By the census of 1860 it is shown that in
that year our whole number of educational establ
lishments was 113,006, with 148,741 teachers, giv-
ing instruction to 5,417,880 pupils, the annua-
income being $33,990,482. In the absence of later
general statistics, the latest reports of educational
movements in some of the young Western cities
are cited as illustrations of educational progress
during the current decade. The grand totals of
these grants, amounting to nearly 80,000,000
acres, are greater than the united area ofNew
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecti-
cut, New York, New Jersey, andD eslatawtaerea.
nßdo,urnetry_
land grants, military reservations,
ritorial boundaries receive apropriatenosptieccei.al The
geological survey of Nebraska, under
sta-
tute, is reviewed in detail, and the continuation of
the geological survey of the Rocky Mountains re-
gions, subsequently ordered by Congress, under the
superintendence of a capable geologist, is noticed
with several important practical results. It is
ascertained that the country for 200 miles West of
Omaha is very fertile, and that beyond that point
it is available for grazing. The presence of coal is
clearly developed in very large deposits in different
localities. Iron ores especially of magnetic charac-
ter abound. Extensive forests of pine timber were
frequently met with, giving ground for an ex-
tensive lumbering enterprise. The peculiar cha-
racter of the parks of Colorado receives passing
notice. The Commissioner urges the import-
ance of geological explorations of the public