The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-05

tunity of expressing their will on the subject
Bounty Lands.
Donations of public lands in consideration Of
military service have been made, under different
laws to various classes of soldiers. The fret grants
of this kind were to
Soldiers Of The War Of 1912.
In my last report the whole number of warrants
issued TO soldiers of our last with Great Britain
was stated to be 2s, 97S. Since that time the fol-
lowing additional warrants have been Issued, viz:
for $40 acres; So for 100 acres; and SO for 40
each There are still $50 claims suspended Tor
further evidence.
Mexican Wtr.
There have been 80, lao applications filed for
bounties under the act of nth of February, lof7,
granting lands or scrip 10 soldiers engaged in the
war with Mexico. In all SO 800 claims have been
allowed, and warrants or scrip issued to the par
ties entitled. The warrants and scrip Issued
since the last annual report follows, viz:
1920 warrants for 100 acres each
223 warrants for 40 acres each.
63 certificates for 500 each; and
, certificates for S25 each.
6,l9l suspended for further evidence
The Bounty Land L1e Of 2Sth September, 1850.
This act is much more liberal and comprehen-
sive in its provisions than any previous law OF a
similar character 1t gives to all persons living, and
to the widows and minor children ofsuch as dead,
who have been actually engaged in the military ser
vice of the United States, In any war from lI9O to
the close of the Mexican war, for the period OF one
month or more, bounty land, graduated IN guam
tiy according to length OF service. ii all the sol
diers engaged in these were now living, or
represented by persons entitled TO the OF the
law, the number of claims would not be less than
fue hundred and fifty thousand; and, assuming 80
acres the average grant to each, the quantity OF
! land disposed of would be t0rty.tolT millions 81
acres Making proper allowance for those who
had died leaving no representatives entitled to
claim, the former Commissioners OF Pensions estl-
mated the number of applicants at t,Oo hundred and
fifty thousand The result has proved that he did
not over estimate the number Between the 2Sth
Of September and 5th of November, 1850, 9,4lS APP
plications filed. On the LIST of November,
1851 the whole number received was about l5I OOO
and, as they still coming in rapidly, it will not
fall far below 10000 at the commencement OF the
session of Congress.
The duty OF acknowledging, registering, en-
dorsing, fling, investigating, deciding, and issu
ing warrants for such vast number Of claims, in
voved great labor and responsibility. 1t was ne
cessary, in the first place. to prescribe forms OF
application and modes of proof by which they
were to be established. The next step was to col
lec, arrange, and classify the rolls of the different
companies, extending through period OF near
sixty years, and embracing more than hall a mil
lion of soldiers; that the claim of each applicant
might be compared with them, and his identity
and term of service accurately ascertained
No provision had been made by law to enable
the office to dispose of this immense increase OF bu
sness. Hence at first, the celebrations" were
merely tied up in bundles, in the order IN which
they were received, and deposited in room for
for their examination. For months the re-
ceipts ranged from 900 to 800 per day. There
was, consequently, large accumulation OF them
before the necessary preparations could be made
for investigating their merits and issuing the war
rants.
Under these circumstances, and knowing that
tardy execution of the law would defeat the pur-
poses of those who passed it, and deprive many aged
persons of the benefit of its provisions, felt war
ranted in assumin the responsibility of increasing
the force Of the Pension Office with reference to that
particular service. This course approved by
Congress at its ast session, and appropriations
promptly made, not only to pay the clerks who had
thus been employed, bat for still further addition
to the force.
With the view of ascertaining how many addi-
tional clerks would be necessary to keep pace with
the number of applications, called on the late
Commissioner for an estimate OF the probable mum
Der which would be submitted during the year. He
could of course form his opinion only from the cts
before him in relation TO other laws OF similar ma
ture. From these data he concluded that the mum
Der presented within the first year would be about
fifty thousand, one fifth of the whole.
Guided in some measure by his estimate, but
still desirous of making allowance for con
tingcncies, / asked for number of clerks
sufficient to adjudicate and issue warrants for
10000 claims, which were granted, II was soon
found, however, that the number Of applications
would be almost three times great had been
supposed. As far the means at my disposal
would allow, have endeavored to meet the ener.
gency. Sonic additional clerks have been
ployed. Others who could be spared for time from
my office have been detailed to do duty in tue
Pension Office, and the clerks of that bureau have
been required to work an hour longer in each day
than has heretofore been customary. In all these
efforts to advance the progress of the business,
received the cordial cooperation, not only OF the
head of the bureau and his efficient acting chief
clerk but of the large body of his assistant clerks
engaged on that business who have manifested
the most laudabe zeal in the discharge Of their
respective duties.
The first warrants were issued about the first Of
February last. For some months the number sent
out each day was comparatively small, because
many OF the clerks were engaged in acknowledge
ing the receipt of claims corresponding with claim
ants, and registering, fling, and preparing the
cases for adjudication.
| Notwithstanding all these difficulties of the
l57 900 claims which had been flied on the LIST OF
November, 1851, 10000 had been examined and
$4,000 carried into warrant; 1900 have been
jected suspended for further consideration. The
number of warrants now Issued daily exceeds 400,
and by the meeting of Congress the aggregate
number of warrants issued will be about TO- 900.
Thus it will be that, In the short space Of
nine or ten months, almost many cases have
been adjudcated under the act of 1850 have been
disposed Of under the law of 1877, in relation to
Mexican warrants, since its passage.
| 1t may not be improper here ~ remark that ii
has been the invariabe rule OF the office TO act on
the cases in the order of their presentation If
there have been occasional departures from it,
they have been the effect of accident, and not of
design Complaints have been made to me from
various quarters that the rule had been violated,
but 1t 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
bad been suspended for some defect or nformaity.
As a is ascertaincd to belong to tins
Glass; it is laid aside until the defect can be cup
piled, and in the mean time the office proceeds
with other applications in their appropriate order.
Any other rule would cause endlcss delay.
The Report of the Commissioner Of Pensions con-
tains many valuable suggestions Of amendments
and notifications of the existing laws, to all Of
which respectfully invite your attention. The
most important are the following, viz:
| First. That the benefits of the pension laws be
confined to those who rendered the military SER
vice, and to the widows and minor children Of auch
dead.
Second That more efficient provisions be, adopt
cd to prevent frauds under the various pension
laws, and more especially under those relating 90
snvalids
Within the laEt year twp hundred aud thirty Ono
| applications for invalid pensions presented
from two OF the Western States, all of which were
authenticated according to the forms of law. But
the Commissioner having conceived the suspicion
that many of them were fraudulent, / caused
| confidential agent to visit the neghborhood and
| it ascertained that only sixty were Just,
| and thai the residue were fraudulent.
Third. That warrants for bounty lands under the