The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-31

&C.; which is the precise language Of the act IN
respect to the distribution OF arms and equipments,
and might be applied 10 the distribution oi he books
also.
II is estimated that an appropriation Of ,Ooo
per nnnum, for five successive years in every nsii
century, would spread the means OF military dis
ciplinc or tactical instruction drought M 10 the
science aud xpcrcnce Of the age) throug hout the
militia of the Union. aud the books above enuiner-
ated furnish, by the texts, plates' explanauons,
and remarks the means Of sclfnstructon for both
officers and men.
have the honor to remain, sir, with high re-
'pe"t' your H'oat obedent 4S5Tsnl, r,p, SCOTT
To Hon. c. NJ. CoNaAp,
Secretary OF War.
Report OF the Commissioner of Pensions
PsNsIoE OFFICE, November 20, 1851
Sin: have the honor to submit herewith the an
nual report, exhibiting the operations of this
branch Of the Department for the past year;
Bounty Land Lar of 2Sth September. 1850.
In view of its prominent Importance at the pres
ent time, / commence with the progress made IN
the execution of the act OF 2sth September, 1901,
"granting bounty land to certain officers and SOL
diers who have been engaged IN the military ser
vice Of the United Statcs" The act had been IN
operation about two months when took charge oil
the bureau, and claims had been filed under 1t ave
raging about eight hundred and fifty per day. lhe
force of the office barely sufficient TO discharge
its current dutes the services OF most oil the clerks
employed under the act OF 1877 having been dls-
pensed with. No legal provision had been Inaue
for the prompt despatch of this extraordinary In
crease of business; and hence when these claims
we're received they were deposited In room pro
vided for the purpose, until arrangements cooio
bo made for their regular examination. Thou
sands of claims had thus accumulated when en-
tered upon the duties of the office, and they CON
tinued to increase until the receipts were sometimes
upwards of fifteen hundred per day
1t became necessary at once to devise suitable
system for dsposing OF this mass; to prepare iorms
and books of registry, and to commence the lss,i-
ing of certificates as soon as the same should De
engraved and printed, as ordered by the Depart
ment. Nearly all the clerks employed IN the sur
vice new hands, unacquainted with the ousi,
nes5 and hence some considerable Tune eiapsed
before il could be fairly under way.
The first certificates, or warrants, were issueo
about the lst OF February; but, in consequence OF
the unavoidable delay at the commencement, the
correspondence connected with this particular
branch became exceedingly voluminous. Many
of the claimants aged, others in reduced CIR
cumstanccs and all anxious to avail themselves oil
their country's bounty. Notwithstanding these I'M
pediments and others which might be mentioned,
nearly one hundred thousand claims have been re-
gistered 20 the lst instant upwnrde OF seventy.sx
thousand have been adJudicated, ana more thah
ffty four thousand warrants Issued to the same
period of time being nearly oil the cases passed by
The examining clerks which were i'll proper condI-
ton to be allowed.
IJp 10 the Let of November about one hundred
and fifty-seven thousand had boon hled icav-
| ing, after deductng suoh as were iuily or par
| taIiy actsi on, upwards Of eighty thousand still
]
twenty-five thousand at the time mentioned) re,
quire much more labor than, the same number of
ordinary claims, and give rise 10 heavy CORE
| spondence.
executing the law have subjoincd tabular state
ulent, brought down TO the date OF this report To-
gether with estimate OF the proDable conoltion
of things on the Ist pro1imo.
II will thus bc perceived that iii the short period
OF nine or ten months nearly as many cases pave
been adjudcatcd under the act OF September lS5V,
,t..if m
can war; and that very large proportion oil war
rants have been issued.
The number III cases filed under the act of lsH
NAV be stated at 90,l4s
OF which there have been carried into
rants, or scrip oai'oo
| I.o,vi,c, spsncnded for various causes 6l9I
Since the last annual report BUS warrants nave
been Issued for sci vices in the Mexican war These
| necessarily required much timc care, ana auen-
| ton, most of them being suspended cases. mucn
| labor is also employed IN the examinations neces-
sary TO prevent the OF more than one warrant
| to claimant under both these laws In many
cases applicants filed separate applications i1r their
services IN the several Indian wars, and In that Oh
| 1872 So Ionr as the reaiInentul and State regis-
tries were in nrrcar, there was no suhcient check
to prevent this evil, and hence, IN some cases two
or more warrants have been Issued TO the same
| person for different services. These rcgisuies,
| however, have been brought up TO date, and are
now kept SO; and most OF the second Issues have
been prevented II is scarcely necessary to add,
are adopted 10 prevent injustice TO the Government
| The passage of the act of 25th September, 1850,
having induced inquiry into The rights oil those VINO
served in the of 1912, many just claims Tor that
| service have been brought to light. The numerous
| examinations necessary to decide whether claim
ants under the act OF 1850 had received or were en-
titled to bounty for services in the Of 1872 have
materially increased the labors of the latter division
| in this office. Ninctytwo warrants have been isa
sued in the past year, under the acts OF 2ith De
cembcr, lSll llth of January. 1872, and loti DE,
| 10 o,It thcro nnN hundred
| Hfty suspended claims under those acts.
Thus it will be that since the last report
from this office there have been issued, under the
acts of 1911, 1912, and lSl4, nnety-two warrants
| to wit:
50 warrants for l6Oacres each, amount
SO warrants for 40 acres each, amount
warrant for 800 acres, amounting to $40
Under the act Of llth February, lS47--
'''-V VII inc to- to ~ ~ 4s4, 100
"h,o1n'' ing TO ~ " 1920
Under the act of 1850, to 1st Nov. 1851
ing to I,59s, 400
10 ,543 warrants for so acres each, amount
ing to l,563,440
"a, COS warrants for 40 acres each, amount
and SO certificates for 5 100 each, in lieu of 100
acres and certificates for S25 each, in lieu of 40
| acres.
| In the execution of the act Of 1850, amendments
have been occasionally suggested, TO some of which
it may not be improper to advert in this report.
No provision has been made for hotlla men and
other mariners who performed duty on land, and
who were not entitled to prize money. To all such
itwoud seem to be just that the law should be ex
tended we'll to those who were in battle or IN
actual conflict with the enemy, but whose term OF
service less than month IL is also recon-
mended that in cases where an officer or soldier
was living when the law passed, and who made
| application for its benefits, but died before war
! rant could be issued, leaving neither widow nor
minor children, provision should be made for the
| benefit Of the heirs at law.
| 1t being doubted whether the laws now in force
sufficiently provide for the punishment of persons
who may fraudulently issue, sell, or put in circu
lation any false or forged land warrant or ceruh-
| cate, or shall forge the same, or in any manner,
either as principal or accessory, be concerned in
the manufacture of such warrants, or procure the