Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-12-09

matter, requiring your special attention These reports
are satisfactory in the views they exhibit of the course
Oh tue admin strata and oil the reduced expenditures
winch are required for the service of the coming year
AZ te last session OF Congress much of the laws
authorizes the comforting of brevcts for years
vice IN one grade was repealed, and the nomination of
all officers who had completed that prior the re-
peal was confirmed This change seems to bear with
some severity upon those who had served during the
greater portion, but not the whole of such The
eSiahng laws and the practice under them, held oa
ocers rs AN nducenent to good conduct the prospect
oil promotion, alter ten years faithful services
grade In military life, the hope Of professional dsnc-
ton, is essential y and honorable DISCHARGE of the
duties TO which its members devoted II this do
stroyed or neglected, little than mechanical
cution of these duties can he exnected I'm or ,r,nv
tins sentiment ia as dear and much cherished as in
any ether; and T not the cause il is certainly the
accompaniment, of jealous devotion the public
OF this law. had entered upon what may be termed
their probation. expected and had right expcct that
q, us termination they should have complied with the
condition. by faithful service the reward held would
be granted TO them | venture respectfully suggest,
whether justice does not require such modification OF
s law as TO authorize the granting of bcvets TO every
one whose term Of ten years had commenced before its
repeal at the end of such term, if the condition OF the
law shall be fulfilled. This would the ultimate
abolition OF the practice, which Congress had in view
while it would be giving due weight To claims
founded, if in riHt certainly i'm sron,r consdcra
tons connected with the services and situation Of the Of
fcers This valuable class of the community is exposed
10 every vicissnde, incident 10 climate and situation,
ana the pccurliy consideration they receive barely
suihcent to enable them to the demands TO which
they are liable
showing The necessity ola thorough Investigation into
me operation OF the laws granting pensions and eratues
Tor military services 1t asccrained, that many frauds
iaVS Deen committed, some IN the application for pen
sion and others i'll the continuance ofthese payments AS
these disclosures have been the result of accident s
impossible to Judge to what extent frauds have been
comitted bat enough las occurred to satisfy me- that
some new mode oferocecding sessenully necessary 10
detect and check these abuses.
l the administration of the laws ON this subject tho
parties required TO make certain declarations before
the Judicial tribunals and the opinions ofthese tribunals
i'm a
application In the administrative examination of the
papers submitted in support of claim, if the of the
applicant Is found upon the recorded er-rolls and
has identity IS established by his declaration and the
proper certificates, the pension granted n matter OF
course In far the greater number of cnses however
no userrolls OF the corps exist and frequently where
they do exist tcy defective, AID resort TO other
testimony IN the examination Of the claim becomes
therefore, necessary Here, detailed statement
OF services required from te party, combining the va
rios circumstances connected with such duty best cal
culated enable the proper examining officers 10 COM
pave the statement with the records Of Office and
with other facts known TO them and thus assist in de-
tectng fraud if any exist In addition to this ecrt
cate OF two respectable persons acquainted with party
IS made necessary stating his age and the opinion i'm the
neghDorliood where he resides, that he soldier the
Nevoaton and their concurrence therein, and this
must be added the certificate and opinion Of the proper
court upon the whole matter.
Besdes this of proceeding which is applicable
mos particularly TO the militia claimants, very few mus
ter-ros Of which remain the testimony of two persons
actually acquainted with tho services OF the applicant 10
necessary wherever he served in the regular army and
his aInc is not to I've found Inus,erroll as IN that
case evidence is Eaeessary so rebut the presumption
against him
This system. adopted upon great consideration
andit is difficult to how the law be administer.
ed If further requisites demanded But experience
has shown that the prescribed certificates are sometimes
granted without due cautOA and that persons esirons
OF converting the provisions of The law to their own be-
hct have boen enabled procure official attestations
and even the seal of the court under circumstances cal
culated to weaken, u not to destroy, the public conf
dcnce IN these safeguards Seals have likewise been taken
from useless atteslaons and affixed to others and direct
"rgcrcs have heen committed in tho preparation of the
whole papers And these proceedings have resoried
10, not only to establish the original claim by placin
the applicant upon the roll butaso establish his RIGHT
TO each seuiannua payment by proving his identity Ii
IS obvious, that system, depending for IFS Correctness
upon the conduct Of such variety of persons and off,
eees, not responsible TO the General Government and
where frequently natural sympathy for thu, claims Of
the time and veterans would lead to much
practical rclaSaton, be liable 10 abuse; althoug
III very recently the extent TO which such abuses may
lye gone was not suspected. Some plan now necrs
shry, by Which re- examination may be made. plan
which, while it 10 the honest and gallant sryi,
yors OF the Revolution, al that they expect and all that
he country has provided shall at the time lay open
TIE frauds which have been committed and prevent their
occurrence hereafter
In the Report Of the Commissioner of Pensions bis
views upon the subject given, which appear to mo
practical andIldcious and such ask for them your
favorable recommendation TO Congress- An examina-
ton, at the residence, in the neighborhood Of each
person now drawing pension into the circumstances Of
his case appears me 10 present The ouv caect,al
means of accomplishing the desired object tndertake
by proper persons and conducted with proper discretion
1t could scarcely fail 10 confirm the grants made to no
iraudulontly obtained by dishonest ones 1t appears
to me that ike expense Of such measure ought not To
delay its immediate adoption. 1t is impossible even sc,
conjecture the amount of surreptitioas claims II may
be tar greater than the data before the Office cnahi
ms 10 estimate And possibly conjecture and recent dis
closures may have led to The suspicion that the ramjca
ions OF the system haze been extended. and The
abuses greater, thana dnqiry may confirm I'm the
enc ease the beneficial result would be the relief Of the
Treasury from fraudulent payments and the pnishnen
Of those concerned in them And in the other II would
be satisfactory to know, that while the bounty ofthe Go
nent has been justly appropriated it las been inn
properly applied.
The provision &C law for the establishment OF pensio
Office, branch of this department. expires by lis own
limitation at the end of the present session Of Conores
IS essential to due execution Of the duties connected
with the system OF pensions aud gatutes for military
seryccs That tins arrangement should be renewed and
continued. The applicants aud grantees SO numerous
the aggregate amount disbuysed great eWialno nj
nualy and the doubtful questions both ofaet aud min
epic, so frequent and complicated that unlcss q branch
Of administration, carefully superintendent IS DEVOTED
exclusively to this sergice the public interest must ma
tsrielly suffer.
The CoIn'mssoner sc Indian Affairs has exhibited in
detail tlc transactions IN tie important branch Of tho
public service eoniided 70 lis supcrntendcncc iisonIy
necessary that should advert 10 the more prominent
sGbJee which have received, which require the ac
ton Of the Government
The commission for the adjustment Of unsettled refa
tiona With tie indians west oi Tie Mssissiop fcrmna
cd, by the provisions Of tie act nsGiuing it, in July
last Important boehs have rcsulted from the abOrs Of
the COMMISSIONS ~ tlc adjustment Of difficult cues.
tons connected With Che Indians Of that region and in
The treaty arrangements which have boon entered into
BY thcm The country assigned for the permanent resi-