Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-12-11

The report of Secretary Smith of the Inte-
rior Department, treats at length of Indian
affairs, the public lands, and the Pacific rail-
road, of which the president gave concise alb
stracts in his message. 1t also embraces the
report Of the commissioner of pensions, which
makes the aggregate payment of pensions last
year, under the old pension acts, TO amount to
$3.50, Sea decrease Of $282,077 from 1861.
The payments averaged about seventy-eight
dollars to each recipient, independent Of land
grants. Under the new act, the total number
of applications from the army as invalids, up
to the l4th instant, was 4,4ll, of which mum
Der Ats have been admitted; of widows there
have been 5,l6l applicat ons; of mothers,
COL Of minor children 20, and of sisters, 10.
Adding to these the applications received from
the navy, the grand total is found to be TO-
S04 but this doubtless includes a large num-
Der whose claims will be finally rejected 20
not coming under the intent of the law The
commissioner expresses his belief that the an
nual sum required to carry out this Just and
humane act will not exceed seven millions of
dollars statement which viii go far to alay
the apprehensions which existed in many quar-
tiers. The commissioner suggests that Con-
X
pensions which shall dispense with the services
of agents Of the pensioners, by whom too large
a proportion Of the pensions is absorbed BY
the present mode, he says, the process is such
as to need, in most cases, the Intervention Of
an attorney or agent in preparing the required
papers to enable the pensIoner to draw tie
small sum semi annuallye du him. At best
these steps involve no little expense, as COM
| parel with the amount to be received, and of
ten they have led to exorbitant charges on the
| part OF the intermediate person. As result
Of the present system, the pension certificate
| Is often eft IN other hands than those of the
| rlgh4ul possessor, who is led to believe that
! the complicated formalities attending the draw
ing Of his pension are such that the certificate
can be Of no use to him without the aid OF its
| custodian, and that, too, at a cost materially
| reducing he som-annual stipend intended for
| the pensioners exclusive benefit. The COM
missioner thinks that even without additional
legislation, more satisfactory mode, MT I'M
ike that pursued in paying soldiers in the
field or at a military post may be adopted, to
the great relief Of pensioners. as well as of
disbur8ng agents, and equally satisfactory 10
the accounting officer of the treasury depart
| ment
The business of the patent Office has exhb-
| tied increased activity. For the year ending
| September Both there were received 5 .cO2 ap-
pllcations for patents, of which 1892 were
| granted. In the same time 81 caveats were
| filed, and 20 applications for extension were
received, of which Is were granted Seven
teen hundred patents remain in the Office await
| ing the nayment of the lee which is due on
delivery. The law specifies no time within
| which patents must be taken from the Office
| This causes large accumulation for an indefi-
mite period. The law should be amended in
such manner as to require the applicants to
take the PATENTS and pay the fees within a
| specified time; or, upon failure TO DO SO. 10
forfeit their right TO the patent, as well as to
the fees paid. The balance in the treasury to
the credit of the patent fund on the LIST of DC
tober, 1861, was Sl6,750 q. From that
date until October /, 1862, there were reoeiv-
ed in payment of patent fees, Sle3, 405 81
appropriated by Congress, S50,s55, AZ. J.
ring the same period there were expeeu
SlS2,S53 50, leaving to the credit of i i pa
tant fund on the Isl Of Oct. 1862, S4S' 81