Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-12-15


Indian Department. The agencies OF Michiili
mackinac. and the Saut St. Marie, have been
cunso,dated. and those of the OHIO Indians. OF
the Eastern ChOctaws, and ct the Eastern Creeks.
have been limited to the S1st OF December next.
after which they will be discontinued. A cor
responding reduction has been made IN the ex.
enditures. amounting. as the estimates viii
show. to the annual SUN OF twelve thousand sew
en- hundred and fifty dollars. in the ordinary ope.
rations Of that branch Oi the public service me
progress Of the system Of emigration Will enable
the Department to carry into effect your ins'fue.
tons with relation TO further dimlnution OF
these expenses, and no opportunity will be omit
ted. consistently with the public interest, 10 &C.
complish this desirable object.
The impol ant duties imposed upon the depart
ment BY the act OF Congress OF June z, 1859.
entitled I. An act supplementary to the act Tor
the relief Of certain surviving officers and soldiers
of the revolution have been executed as lar
as possible. As will be seen by a rrpOrt OF the
officer in charge of the Pension Bureau. up.
wards OF twenty thousand applications nave been
presented under that act OF these. more than
six thousand have been examined; and have been
admitted. rejected. or returned for supplementary
! action The number of cases so TAR exceeded
the anticIpations which had been formed. that the
strength nf the Off was wholly inadequate to
prompr examination of them; aud a system OF
! procedure was therefore adopted. involving some
additional expense, TO meet which, II Is hoped
an appropriation will be ma'Ie,) but calculated
greatly IL facilitate the execution OF the business
| Additional clerks were rmployed, and division
| OF labor WAS established among ihem. bv which
| each case cdnid b. thorou.bly examined. and
brief aDaly sis snbmIi'ed in a prescribed form.
| By assigning 10 pa,icuiar persons the duty of
deciding whether tnesp condemned statements pre-
sent such clans as come "ihn the established
resul tions, every re.sonab g facility, compatible
with proper investigl ton. j, given TO the pro-
gress of the business, AID vet the important ac
ton upun the whole IL ei,'rus,td only IN five prin
cIpa clerks in the bureau, who, from their
| experience, or other qualifications. are fully
| competent to the discharge ct this duty. and who
act under the more immediate irectlon Of the
| faithful officer who has 50 long presided over the
Pensinr Bureau.
kls certainly very desirable, that all these
claims should be investigated and ided with
the least possible delay. The bounty or the JUS
ice of their country has come late enough 10 The
remnant of that heroic band. unO Ibid the founda-
lions of our national prosperity. wi,hnut the &C
| currence of furihe' unnecessary delay 10 the all
ADMINISTRATION of tie az; and have fell il nv tu.
| tv 10 cause the r1r>t prompt and vigorous mea-
| -urrs within the reach 1t the d partment 10 be
| taken. in order 10 eii,rrt this object.
| Sul. iu,t regord To The public interest, and
the exercise OF proper precautions TO guard against
! fraudulent claims. necessarily 'nterpose DELAYS
IN ;hp management of this business, which. with
! nut a knowledge Of the circumstances. NAV have
| appeared unreasonable. But they are not So.
They could not, aud cannot be. avoided The
regulations adopted to give effect 10 the at. and
| reported at the last session Ia the Pension Con
rnlttees of both Houses. proceeded. III some med-
| sure, upon new principles. IN the system Ut "vI.
| ience required 10 be submitted l. was mani
fest. that if the plan adopted with srea, proPre:y
fourteen wears ago, when the firs, pension act
was passed. we're adhered to in all Cases arising
under The recent law, bu, few would be found.
who could claim lis benefits. Since that period.
death has reduced the number of the revolution
AIRY patriots, and advanced age and lnfirmly have
| eufeebed the powers of the Survivors. Direct
postiye evidence, therefore, 1T Identity and ser
vice, cannot be procured i'll ny cases, nor with
| out difficulty, in scarceiv any In mis- state Ut
things, and where no documentary evidence eX
lists, land this has been preserved ~ out few o'
the Srates,) the applicant Is Allowed 10 state IN
detail the nature. extent and duration OF his SER
1 vice, and all the important facts connected With
it. viii h he can fecolect. The regulation, pre-
scribe the general mode IN which thi- de, aration
must be- made and the questions to DE- put to the
applicant. The proceeding must take place be-
| fore some court of reonrd. keep, in eases Of pc
culiar inIirmiY; and the favorable op'nun Of the
cour, is indispensable" to the success Of the appli
cation. The declaration must also b., corrobora.
ted by the testimony Of respectable individuals,
acquainted with the applicant. and bearing evil
dence to the Evolutionary belief of his revolution
ary services, in the neighborhood where he has
resided.
| Ii is obvious that the mere preparation and
transmission Of these papers ought not to entlle
the party to the relief he seeks II it did, great
frauds would be practlsed. The general form
Of the proceedings is an important auxiliary in
the administration OF these duties, bat it is not
all; nor is II indeed the principal element in the
process Of investigation. The narrative Of the
applicant. referring to the names of officers; to
the numbers and stations Of regiments and corps;
aud to marches. battles, and other historical
events, is carefully examined, and compared
with the records in the department. and with