The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-03-28
THE LATE BOUNTY LAND ACT.-GRRAT INCREASE
In THE BUSINESS or THE PENSION OFFICE.

Several northern and western journals have stated with
an assumed air Of semi-ofe authority that under The
operations Of the recent bountyand act March s. 1852
some two hundred millions OF Of the public domain
would be disposed Of The opposition presses have eagerly
AvAed themselves Of this differences alike
preudics heintegrty and Of The members Of
the late Congress The original grew Ola
misconcepton Of the existing law and i only BE-
counted for from the circumstance that amendments
adopted ia the Senate and House. during early stages
Of the bin widely extending its objects which after
wards stricken After consulting the most reliable
sources Of information oblgngly placed disposal by
the Commissioners Of Pensions feel satisfied that not
more than hry-x is0ns OF Of the public lands
will be called for under the provisions Of the late act
leaving sll the country the residue Of
one thousand millions That this fact il susceptible
Of easy demonstration give below table showing the
probable maximum number of applications for bounty land
under the Of March last with the aggregate number Of
acres likely be called for under said applications
E.,insa,s Of tie aasbsr Of aPplieafoa together riA As
munLer Of Of The public lands BE- granted under Ae
prosisioas Of The act Of Hareh ,, 1855.
Acres.
G., 900 applications for so acres each $500 600
l25, 600 do 120 do is, 000, 900
short service, tless than month and over
fourteen days) 10000
Naval service $4,000
Wsgon-masters &c. 10000
Revolutionary eooV
All Others H,0Oo
100000
at leo acres each I6 900
Total s5,sOoooo
From the above estimae-and ofopnion that our
figures above rather than below the true mark will
be seen that thirty-fve million eight hundred thousand
of the public domain be divided among two
hundred and eightyve thousand applicants for patriotic
services rendered the country during the various
in which the United States has been engaged In other
words in this munifcent but just reward for patriotic
service Congress has provided unailing for the
honorable and certain support Of population of at least
two millions of souls To predict the result Of this great
national donation would be repeat the history of those
Commonwealth of the Aeghanies, whose maturity
of strength and greatness in the childhood of their exist
among the marves Of the age in which we live The
rich virgin lands of our western wilds await the
cupancy and ertizng hands of those who have richly
CURED their ttedeeds by perng life and limb in defence
of their country.
Before the passage of the last bounyand act the BUSH
of the Pension Office aruous and complicated in
the extreme demanding from the chief the lowest sub
ordinate the exercise such qualities patience caution
vigilance and application business which be
weared into negligence from its monoonous character
Since the passage of that act the clerical force OF this bu
reau has been increased until it numbers eghyfye
under the immediate direction of s Cole esq chief clerk
and the necessary accommodations be
cured twenty twenty clerks will be
poyed This sounds like very large force TO be en-
poyed in only one the executive bureaus but when
consider for the amount of intricate,
pcaed business be disposed of and to be disposed Of
carefully methodical and in strict conformity to the
rious acts Of Congress regulating pensions and bounty
lands disposed to regard the number employed as
wholly inadequate to the requirements of this branch Of
the public service Not deal in assertion, will
now direct the attention OF the reader to the morkng eff
fecs of the of March g. 1855 This is merely Of
the many bounyand acts passed by Congress devovng
upon the Pension Office to render operative. Since the
18th of March the following have been the number Of app
cations the Pension Office for bounty land under the
last act
Applications.