The New York herald., 1851-12-06

Of lsud da po-ed Of vould DO forty -four millions of
acres Making proper allowance for those who had
died leaving no representatives entitled to claim,
the former Commission er OF Pensions estisted the
number Of applicants at two hundred and df'y thou
sand Ths result has proved that he did not over
estimate the nsmber Between the 18th Of Sep.
tember and 5th Of November, $780, nine thousand
four huncred and eighteen sppiications were hled
On the lst Of November, 1851, the whole number
received was about one hundred and ffty seven
thousand; and, a. they are stll coming In rapidly,
it viii not fall far below one hundred and seventy
thousand at the commencement Of the session OF
Congress.
The duty of acknowledging, registering, endors-
ing, filing, investigating, deciding, and issuing
warrants for such vast number OF claims involved
great labor and responsibility. IL was Necessary,
in tie rst place. to prescribe forms Of application
and modes Of proof by which they were to be estab.
Ushed The next step vas to collect, arrange, and
classify the rolls of the different companies, extend
ing through period Of near nn.y years, ana em,
that the claim of each applicant might be compared
with them, and his identity and term Of service
accurately ascertained
No provision had be IN made by law to enable the
Office Co dispose Of this immense increase of busi
ness Hence at 6rst, the " declar stions" were
merely tied up in bundles, in the order in which they
were received, and deposited in . room for safe
their examination. For some months the receipts
ragged from 900 to 500 per day. There was,
consequently, Q large accumulation of them before
the necessary preparations could be msde for inves
tigatipg their merits, and issuing the warrants
Under these circumstances, and kno wing that
tsrdy execution of the law would defeat the pur-
po ses of those who passed it, and deprive many
aged persons Of the benefit of it's provisions, felt
warranted in assuming the responsibility Of increas-
ing the force of tie Pension Office with reference to
that particular service. This course was approved
by Congress at its last session, and appropriations
we're promptly made not only top:y the fh SleThs .ao
dition to the force.
With the view Of ascertaining how many addi-
tionsl clerks would be necessary to keep pace with
the mum Der Of applications, called on the late COM
missioner for an estimate of the probable number
which would be submitted during the year. He
could of form bis opinion only from the facts
before him in relation to other laws Of similar
nature. From these data he concluded that the
number presented within the first year would be
about 6f.y thousand, or one Afth Of the whole.
Guidedin some measure by his estimate, bat
still desirous Of making an allowance for eontin-
1encies asked for ber of clerks sufficient to
adjudicate and Issue warrants for 1000 claims,
which were granted. 1t was soon found, however.
that the number Of applications would be almost
three times as great as had been supposed. Astar
"a the means ct my disposal would allow, have
endeavored to N Get the emergency Some addition:
al clerks have been employed. Others who could
be spared for time from my own ONCE have been
detailed to do duty in the pension ofaes. aaa :.as
clerks of that bureau have been o.red to work an
nour longer in each day than has heretofore been
customary. IN 81 these efforts to advance the pro-
gress of the business received the cordial coops-
ration, not only Of the head of the bursau and his
efficient acting chief clerk, but Of the large body of
bis assistant clerks engaged on that business, who
have manifested the most lsudabls zeal in tae dis
charge Of their respective duties
The hrst warrants were Issued about the h.st OF
February last. For some months the number sent
out each day was comparatively small, because
many of the clerks were eng aged In acknowledging
the receipt of clans corresponding with claimants
and registering, fling, and preparing the cases fer
Notwithstandpg al these difficulties, Of the 49,.
900 claims which had been filed on the lst Of No
vember, 1851, 5000 had been examined and
"a, ZOO carried into warrant; 1000 have been re-
jected or suspended for further CONSIDERATION The
number Of warrants now Issued daily exceeds 400,
and by the meeting Of Congress the aggregate num-
Der Of warrants issued will be about 10000
Thus it viii be seen that, In the short space OF
adjudicated under the act of $780, have been dis
posed Of under the law of lS47 in reatisn TO Mexi
can warrants, since its passage
Il may not be improper here to remark that 1t has
been the invsriable rule Of the office to act on the
cases in the order of their presentation II there
have been occasional departures from it, they have
been the effect Of accident and not Of design Com
plants have been made to me from various quar-
ters that the rule had been violated, but IL was
found, in every instance, that the cases which it
was alleged had been improperly passed by in favor
Of junior applications were those which had been
suspended for some defect or informslity. As soon
u
Is laid aside until the defect be supplied, and in
ia meantime the Office proceeds with other appi.
cations in their appropriate order Any other rule
would cause endless delay.
,ains many valuable suggestions Of amendments
and notifications OF the existing laws, to all OF
which respectfully invite you attention. The
most important are the following, viz
First, That the benefits Of the pension laws bs
confined to thoss who rendered the military service
aad to the widows and minor children Of such as
are dead
second. ] hat more efficient provisions be adopted
to n-eyent frauds under the various pension laws,
ana more especially under those relating to inva.
lids.
Within the last ysas swo hundred and thirty one
applications for invalid pensions we're presented
from two of the Western States, all Of which were
authe nticated according TO the forms Of law. But
tho Commissioner having conceived the suspicion
that many Of them were fraudulent, caused a con-
fdenta agent to visit the neigbborhood, and 1t was
ascertained that only sxtyone were just, and th at
the residue were fraudulent
Third, That warrants for bounty lands under the
act Of 18th September, 1s50, be made assgnab Bile.
Most Of the holders OF these claims persons far
advanced in hfe, or widows orphans who have
not the ans Of locating them to advantage, and
csa therefore, only make them available by sale.
Fourth, The enactment Of q Law making II
felony 10 forge, utter or publish as genuine, any
forged land warrant or other evidence Of claim
against the United States for land or any endorse
The Circuit Court Of the United States ut Coium-
bus, Ohio, recently quasted indictment az ainss
prisoner for forging land warrant, on the ground
that there was 10 law OF the nited states making
il penal offence.
beg leave TO remark that the laws Of the United
states, in regard to the subject Of forgery are
ceedingiy detective. and need revxion. They are
generally specific, and directed against enumerated
Offences would respectfully suggest the propriety
Of inviting the attention Of Congress to this subject
arj Of recommending the passage of general Ia v,
similar in II 8 provisions to those adopted in Eng
laaj sDd nost Of the states Of the Union, aud com
prehensive enough TO embrace the forgery OF every
oorcsivable species Of paper TO the injury OF tho
United states or those having claims az sinst the
government fer money, lsno, or any thing olse OF
value
In addition TO the changes proposed by the Com
u ssiOner IN view Of the great Of the bust
ness OF the Pension Ofce, Respectfully recommend
that provision be made by Law for the appointment
OF al Assistant Commissioned OF Pensions. Tue
Com missioner judicial duties furoish hi TN full
patton, and render II absolutely impossible for him
10 authenticate and transmit the large number OF