Washington sentinel., 1853-12-17
OF WASHINGTON SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER II,
Cases nowin hands OF examiners,

Cases nowin hands OF examiners, t8 .,
and at rolls. ..... $50. .-...... 3.6l9 ssb
Cases on suspended files ........ 50,n3 r.
It will REQUIRE I2,S66,560 acres of land to
satisfy the warrants already issued under the
act Of March III, lS47, and Il, ,53l ,24O acres to
satisfy those that have already issued under the
acts of September 2S, 1850, and March %,
1852; making an aggregate of %, 800 acres.
In executing the act OF September %, 1850,
found a large number OF claims filed by indi-
viduals belonging to various Indian tribes who
still retain their tribal character, but who claim
to have been soldiers in the various wars de-
scrbed in the said act, and entitled to its bene-
fits Some OF these claims have been admitted,
aud warrants have been issued. Others have
been suspended, because the claimants could
not comply with the rules established for all
claimants under this act The chiefs of some
of the tribes from which claims have been pre-
sented have demonstrated against any action
upon them, because the authority of the agents
presenting the same had been improperly OBJ
tanned.
also found great embarrassment attending
the examination and final disposition Of these
claims, in consequence Of the difficulty in COM
muncating with the claimants: their inability
to state the facts connected with their service
as explicitly as is desirable, and the want Of
muster-rolls, known to be authentic, to verify
their statements. These embarrassments are
greatly increased when the claims are presented
| by the widow and minor children Of deceased
soldier. Evidence of marriage and heirship,
and the proper appointment of guardians, is,
in most cases, next to impossible to be obtained
according to any well-established rules; and
the want of these regulations may lead to the
practice of frauds, and greatly increase the pre-
| sentation Of fraudulent claims. When war
| rant issues, it can hardly be supposed it can
| be located by the warrantee indeed, it may be
doubted whether he has the power to do SO,
| and it will become an article of purchase Of
little value to its owner. Waving, therefore,
all doubts which / entertain Of the intention of
Congress to extend the benefits Of this act to
| this class Of claimants, / have thought it advi
sable, under all circumstances, to suspend ac-
| ton upon them until Congress could express
its opinion upon the propriety of the measure.
If the country owes debt Of gratitude to these
persons equal to that due our own citizens who
served in these various wars, it may be more
for the interest Of all parties to discharge such
| debt in some other manner than the donation
of land, which the bene6ciaries can never per-
sonally enjoy. | trust the attention Of Congress
1 VIII DC ulrecteu 10 TINS sUDlect.
| 1t is to be regretted that the muniGcent gra
tuities government annually distributes to its
citizens should be made pretext for obtaining
money from the treasury through frand and
falsehood, and vet it is found that numerous
individuals, under guise of friendship for the
objects Of this bounty, have, with pretended
claims, sustained by the foulest perjury, obtain
ed liberal allowances. Some of these persons
have already been detected ndproseeuted Five
4 convictions have been had since April last, and
the guilty parties are now expiating their crimes
in the penitentary. Several others have been
arrested, and the evidence Of their guilt is too
apparent to leave any doubt of their conviction.
/ Others, whose guilt was no less palpable than
those now in prison, have escaped punishment
in consequence of the lapse Of time since the
/ guilty acts were committed. The act Oft Congress
! limiting prosecutions for this class Of offences
bars proceedings in two years from the time OF
committing the offence. Owing to the secrecy
with which frauds upon this office may be perpe-
trated, and the great difficulty in obtaining evi-
dence Of the facts speedily, would earnestly
recommend that Congress make such change
in this act as to allow prosecutions to be com
menced within five years after the commission
| of the offence. rtsgf
1t is made the duty of this bureau to make
/ the estimates and acquisitions for money to pay
the pensions under the different acts, in favor
/ Of the several agents for paying pensions. To
do this inteligently it is necessary to keep an
account in this office with each agent, wherein
! the agent may be charged with the amount he
receives, and credited with his disbursements.
Such an account, properly kept, will at any
/ time show the condition of each agency, and
i prevent an unnecessary accumulation OF money
at any place. or under any act. To enable us
i to carry out this object it may be necessary to
have further legislation, requiring pension
| agents to make quarterly returns to this Office,
4 or providing that their accounts shall be here
! settled.
/ The compensation Of agents for paying PEN
4 sions is a subject of complaint. The only al
4 lowance that can be made by law is a commits
sion of two per centum on moneys disbursed by
them, not to exceed in amount 1000 annu-
ally, which is to be in full for services and con-
/ tinpent expenses. 1t is manifest that this is
not adequate for the service and responsibility
| required at some localities. To remedy this
deficiency, there can be no doubt that some
benefit has been derived from the use Of The
money appropriated for the payment Of pen
sions, and deposited with these agents. 1t IS
not the policy Of our laws to allow any use to
be made Of the public money in the hands OF
any public officer, and every contravention OF
this policy should be discountenanced. 1t is,
therefore, respectfully suggested that the sala.
ries Of these officers should be SO arranged as
4 to afford them fair compensation for their
services, and that oil use Of the public money,
for private purposes, be entirely prohibited
I The clerical force in this bureau, as now es-
! tablished by law, consists Of fifty permanent
4 clerks. This number is not sufficient to per-
form the labor Of the Office with that considera.
ton and care that its Importance demands,
We have, consequently, been compelled to EN-.
ploy about forty other persons under temporary
appointments. There is no lack Of business at
present for the whole force now engaged. The du,
ties of many ofthese clerks areof a character to
require gentlemen not only ofhonesty and integ'
rity, but also of more than ordinary capacity
4 The adjudication of intricate claims, oft-times
4 involving large amounts and requiring patient
investigation, great research, and careful ex
animation, should not be committed to incom,
petent hands, but to gentlemen in whose action
y II Al. 4 L