New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-19
FOGyIsM IN THE LASDOFFICE.

FOGyTsM IN THE LASD-OFFICE.
Common-sense people have rampant conte npt
fer the red-tape 81 stem Of England-a system Of
routine which permits an army - perish through
the want Of things perhaps on board transport,
because "the C0mmissarat " has not received
orders from the Department, through half
dozen officers, to give ont the articles where
wsnted. The "system was properly exem-
pli6ed years ago by the comic Salmagundi,
in the care of Prisoner ofWar from Tripoi.
1t became necessary for the prisoner in ques-
ton to have new pair of breeches, and accord
iDgy he applied 10 his keeper; his keeper applied
to his superior officer; his superior officer sent
to the officer in charge Of the clothing, who re-
fused to di-burse pair Of ien-shillug breeches,
because it was contrary to precedent and he had
no authority, and he accordingly referred the
c,se to the commander of the station; the con-
msnder could find nothing in the regulations au-
thoIiziDg the disbuI sement of apair of bresches
to a prisoner of. war, and so he seat the ap-
plcstion to the Waf-Oflice at Washington.
1t is probable that the War Department took
time to examine the law of nstions; at any rate
it took time, and then replied that there was no
law authorizing the disbursement, and referred
the application to COngress-Shen it met. So
the prisoner made his humble petition to Con-
eress, stating that he came from warm cir
mate, aud therefore had the more need Of re-
plenishing his dilapidsted wardrobe Immediate
ly, closing his petition with the usual form
" snd your petitioner will ever pray" Con-
gress gave him ample time. 1t referred the
matter to Committee; in three weeks the
Committee reported that to grant the petition
would be setting bsd precedent. Some be-
nevolent individuals, however, were disposed to
risk the danger and order ths breeches. So
they commenced debate, which was continued
lorg enough to pay for seventeen thousand pairs
of breeches, and meantime the poor fellow was
sans eul0tte.
Have we not something equally absurd in the
every day BUSH ess at the Land Department in
Washington If an old soldier, poor, needy aud
suffering for the bounty offered him, happens
through excitement to spell his name in his APP
plcation "Reubin"---dotting thei perhaps acct
dentally Ibis claim is thrown out, because Red
Tape discovers that he formerly spelled it "Reu-
"bsn," and sends back a response more official
than sensible, that there is no such name as
"Reubin Smith" on the record.
In another instance John r. SAUCES signed
hs name 81. X SAUCES, and his land-warrant is
kicked overheard till he can learn to write his
name every time alike; or what is still worse in
this case, because Red Tape himself has written
it John r." the applicant shall not write it
~. Notwithstanding Justice of the Peace
certified that he knew him to be the same man.
Claimants for land.warrants re rejectedd,ily
for just such trifiug discrepancies; and if var
rant be Issued to John Smith, and he honestly
assigns il, MAKING the Assignment in all due
form of law, properly certified, bat should hap
pen to sign his name, as he always does, "Jno.
Smith," and the purchaser takes the warrant
TO Western Land Office, he is met by Red
Tape who tells him that there is discrepancy
between the body of the warrant and the assign
ment, and therefore it is rejected. Meantime
John Smith is 8 thousand miles away, and per-
hsps cannot be found until some one who is
more fortunate in meeting the requirements Of
Red Tape has entered the land One warrant
was rejected, evidently signed by an aged sol
dier who in his iDfrmity had omitted one stroke
Of the pen in making the letter n. Poor old
soldier, He had no business to be old and in
firm, He should have been a writing. ms ster
rather than warrior.
While such abominable old-fogyism exists in
the Land Office, We advise our readers to be
careful when they have anything to do with
land-wsrrants, to see that Reuben is always
Reuben and that John is always John, or else
they may learn to their cost that Jno does not
pass for the genuine John, or that J. z. will not
answer for John R., with the Red-Tape Office,
notwithstanding it might be fully proved to
mean the selfssme person.
One care however, has occurred where no
csutioR would have availed to save an innocent
purchaser from loss. A letter from the Pension
Office under date of July Is, Gays:
81 have to inform you that we have good reason to
believe that the papers false and forged which
Land Warrants No. 20 4s2 for leo acres issued under