The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-09
PENSION OFFICE

1t appears from the report of the Commissioner of Pen
sons that the business of his bureau up date in
all its branches and that material reduction of its cler
cal force will soon become necessary.
During the past year 209 invalid pensioners have
been added the rolls the aggregate of whose yearly t
pend is 1S75 that the allowances of 50 have been in
creased in the further of 81 $50 and that the whole
number of pensioners of this class the rolls in all
the States is 1916 requiring the annual sum of sl4642
So The claims of eleven surviving Revolutionary sol
des have been allowed and five have had their stipcnds
increased. One hundred and hftytwO claims have been
allowed to widows of Revolutionary soldiers for the az
gregatc annual of $S,354 06 and thirty have
had their pensions increased the further 070
80 per The number of revolutionary soldiers vet
alive and drawing pensions is 25 and the number of wi
dows of deceased Revolutionary soldiers is 42O9 The
annual required for the former is Sl4 134.29 and
for the latter 1894 ,450.S5.
The number of revolutionary soldiers whose deaths
have been reported during the 04 and OF widows
624 One hundred and eighty claims have been al
lowed to widows and orphans OF the army whose yearly
class the rolls is 45 and their pensions amount
to Sl07 029 % per The whole number of army
pensioners the rolls under all the acts is 1928
and the sum of their stipendS is S9O2,7OO29 Thirty
claims have been allowed to nvaids of the navy requr
ing S14S550 perannum, and thiry-twO to widows and
orphans ofdcceascd naval officers &c. requiring the
of So 696 The whole number of navy pension
es the rolls is S92 pensions to the
aggregate of Sl30501.10 per annum. The entire
amount paid during the year ending June 80 1858, for
army and navy pensions, exclusive of the halfpay pen
sion claims adudcated by the Third Auditor of tho Treas
ury. and Of what are termed unclaimed PENSIONS, was
S1,130, 95.
Under of June 3, 1855 renewing and continuing
TOR lie, or during WdoWhood the halpay pensions pre-
vousy granted to certain widows and orphans for the
limited period of five years 81 claims have been allowed
involving the immediate payment of SAC 03 5 and S44
OS7 annually thereafter The whole number of claims to
be allowed under this act is estimated to be not less than
600 The report asserts saving to the treasury OF
20 during the past year the result of the BE
cretay decision to discontinue the practice pronounced
by the Attorney General to be egH of paying to the
children of deceased revolutionary soldiers and of their
widows the pensions they might have drawn but did not
claim during their lifetime
The whole number of bounty land warrants issued dur
ing the year is l3 SIS, which require 203 420
land to satisfy them This added the quantity repor
ted last year, makes the whole amount of public land
granted by the United States for military services, 81,
1882 The number of bounty land claims the
suspended files, under the of lS47 and 1855 which
may may be established by further evidence is
about $4,000 1t appears that $685. $50 of bounty
land is yet due officers and soldiers of the Revolution
and to soldiers of the late with Great Britain which
if claimed be awarded unless the Limitation of the
time within which the warrants must be issued be eN
tended which the report recommends Numerous frauds
under the bounty land laws have been detected during
the past year. covering 175 900 # land -Four Of thu
perpetrators of them have been convicted and sentenced
has escaped punishment under the statute mitine
prosecutions years after the commission of the of
fence and thirteen others against whom indictments hav
been found await trial Besides these it is intimate
that strong suspicious exist against other parties agains
whom the evidence is sufficient to Justify iudcia
proceedings
The Commissioner states that the laudabe desire of hi
predecessors to execute the recent bounty land wit
dispatch commensurate with the number and necess
ties of their benefcares prevented their making sue
permanent records of their labors they designed
that he is having this necessary work accomps shed
Allusion is made to forthcoming report in answer
call from the Senate for information as to the amour
expended on account of pensions in the several State
since the foundation of Governments it stated
the already paid by the United States for mitar
service in land and money estimating the land 81
per acre. amounts to about $l6S 424 202 The Comm