The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-05


naAfng and confirming grants to settlers but the sx
section required TO close its session on the LIST OF Sop
tember last. IL unable to finish the business
n< ed to AMI il therefore becomes
IL old board or create 81 new one
The latter is perhaps the bster course and it is sup
posed that commissi oner viii be sufficient, who
should be appointed for limited period with an hority
70 decide upon such Claims from any cause have not
New land riots frequently carved out of old
ones the made to effect from their
rage The officers the old districts cannot receive
timely notice TO prevent sales their offices OF
the districts To obvate this difficulty aud
NOT withdraw unnecessarily from the TIE lands IN
me new districts previous TO their thorough organiz
Mon il is proper provide by general law that he new
Offices shah 20 into operation for six montn. from
me passage of the Law establishing them, unless in the
Judgment of President an earlier peod Is necessary
The affairs Of the Pension once bave been copduc ed
With great efficiency signal ability Its business has
Igey Increased and rendered me aoors Of the Commits
.ioner and his suho arduous and Most
OF the difficulties have been overcome and every branch
up to date except that having charge of boun lands
granted by the recent act Of Congress certain
and soldiers who have been engaged in the military
wee Of the United States Strenuous and unremtting
ersrts have been made promptly TO execute this
some complaint from the apparent want of promp
titude Of the Pension Office; but the facts luci
bureaa clearly show there was not the slightest foanda
tasn for it. The amount OF preparatory labor very
great to perform which with desirable despatch was
yend the power Of the force in the Pension Office
had to deail IN all OF of the clerks from the
Office. such has been the Commissioners that
the law Is beir carried into efficient effect than
any Of ike character ever was before The whole work
will he completed in less time than anticipated
pumber of app ica,ions TO the 2Oh ultmo was 225 9t
the examined number 81, 500 OF which SO so, have
been allowed, 24,t0S suspended rejected and the
number OF warrants issued So s17 covering 65'S $40
aSres.
In the outset the Department directed the applications
20 be taken for examination in the order in which
they presented to protect taOse distance
who could neither come nor employ agents here The
same rule prevails in regard 10 pensions.
TIE miss of Pensions upon his being satisfied
al the cessation of the disability of invalid pensone
and after the latter has had am ole opportunity TO show
Its continuance and fails neelects should have
me power 20 suspend the payment of the pension,
ST. Ike tie pensioners from the roll. No doubt
sAn be entertained that mary whose claims are based
upon this ground drsgiog their pensions semi an
Aually although since the allowance they have entirely
recovered The nature of the disease ia the
Ae1csn war, ard which has 50 much engthened the
Ds1 indicates this Certainly OF them have bee
re.tcred to coed health bur failed to communicate the
set to the Pension Office thorough Investigation of
sas matter would probably produce strange deveiope-
closures
The pension Ian arc az crnaa ,,na;rasto5 ard 80
hictng thsti is morally impossible TO execute them
isaetory They possess neither uniformity equality or
Justices Their defects are so obvpns and CARING that
oursory examination will satisfy the most ske ptc
tne necessity Of revision. would be hard task to
devise more incongruous or perpexing system than
ne present complicated one
IL may become advisable to fall back upon the old prin
sple OF ndigence. to which every having any claim
10 humanity would cordially subscribe. If it
sumed and the mertorious and eedy soldier his widow
q minor children could receive enough to supply their
necessary would raise the slightest obsc-
tion to such manifestation of the pubic gratitude Sow
they are in receipt Of a few dollars a month which al
know L. entirely insufficient for tie most ordinary pur
poses If pensions confined to this class and their
erstuites properly enlarged the system would meet with
universal approval
hitting 10 two prosecutions for perjury and forgery
committed in pension and hand warrant cases Many
criminals have set up this plea and escaped the vigilance
OF the Dun eau apo the prosecuting officers In most cases
1t hard detect the culpit before the time for the
sstuion OF criminal proceedings has expired There
nine convictions curing the last year and like number
Of prosecutions are now y nding
The number of pensioners the rolls of the al
agencies Tor pay ing enons was on the thtieh day Of
june last a. 4Ss aud the amount dsbarsed during the
hast fiscal year 81 sos liz 81
The in the hands Of the pension agents have at
1eIg been reduced to what required for the semi
Annus nts, allowing small margin, having been
reduced IN The aggregate from Se4S tl5 50, on the
31s MAJ ch, 1853 $3.50 099 IS the S0th June las
In my last report | renna ked tha- from the large
amounts it had been customary Tor them to have
hand IL not doubted that they had been fully
persatec Tor Their services The more information
fsiaed In this regard he confirmed am in the
when the agents governed by the existing stringent
law must be sufficient the Offices earnestly sought
after ard the dunes were never more faithfully per
formed.
My attention early drawn to the fact that advances
10 considerable amount had been made to the agens
appointed for the payment OF army pensions under the
sets of 18th May, 1925 and 7th June, 1892. Each OF
these acts contains clsuse nasng The requisite appro
prnton tor the men Of AL The claims which may
admitted under it, and hence it has not been sary
to ask for yearly appropriations from Congress Ia these
in other Advantage had been taken Of this
" iiiaAe we asane felerAed W aug,
on examination, ~ was louno 'hat the am ount n
the hands Of the agents exceeded unier It. shat
sou'u o1 lequiie - oo auiins Perlo1
OF several quarters, and under the other, OF several
jar.
20 sails'ac'ory sutnoiy VIE cum - eAs. i'F win
saepg nc money ,toih me ireaus ~ wa W en-
mat no part OF " ma oeeh "tropilaea eAeept sach
pofuoh oniy as was ac.uily requtteu ~ ek'u6 Use
nnoer tne Aw. ns we .nsre,re gwen y az
continue the pracuce OF naslng sun advances ana 70
require hose aIeaos fnade 20 pe feiuneo 70 Tue irsa
ury' Inc result OF tls acuoh i eAo'tea " the ~
ter1ng stsT
Ame unit coneeed an! epala INTO tne treasury! uhner
the eel o May 10, 1873, from ist July, 1900 70 ~
june, 1880 ....:,.:.:..,... wv os
Amount collected and repaid irto the iFea-
suIy uhoer the az u june :, 100 ou'hs a., 80 :,
the Fame -oi 10 %
Making an aggregate Of .sZ9I ioi -
During The same per1tc the pay rnepts under
the same acts WERE
Under act q MAY 10, 1873 si5e, sa2 w