The New York herald., 1863-12-10

4 anaue accut,.,lat,oR OF balances in hands.n
During toe year bouniy lard war; nts have ee~a
sSued ealing "a tie aggregate for "a 80 Ana
II appears from the Commissioners report tsAi ue
whole amount II rnoney expended government &c
pensions 10 The OF ls scai year s9l 0eo
66o and mat He quantity q land " n'ed 'or military
| per acre, would amount 90 ssG, ,37oL17
At tse last rUvidei for acreasa %
zeal oroe Of the Pension Oncc and happy
being Sbe to say that IL enabled the Commri5ner
dispose of ne groatiy Increased amount ., tfsinss~
thrown upon Il with Satisfactory promptituae nurng
the drst hbar,er OF the presspi asoai ysn ira
claims were admitted, ard a mitch larger uGmoer ca
amlned andsnspended for further evidence.
The Commissioner estimates she Whole aumtcr ~
claims that VIII be admitted duing ihe pSnseni cal
Tho apponsment or surgeons, authorized by tse act
OF July ID, 1852, 10 make the biennial exAminat1ss of
pensioners aud to examine apyicants for lnval pea
sions has been attended with marked advantage ana
saving 10 sae government tor the nformst,oa ~ Tue
public and those more immediately interested ne tcra
miss has embraced his report the a the
surgeons hs appointed In tue several States with Their
post Office address.
Tue Of Sd March 1889 SECURING the biennial ex.
animation OF invalid peusoaers. prescrbes that the
aminstoos saIi be made ny two surgeons or
The Commissioner IS OF the oPnion. In which concur.
that the examination viii be satisfactorily made BY
elnge surgeon regularly appointed by the ooe aod an
less to the psrtice interested and most
hcaon of the law in this respect is therefore recon
meuded.
NAVY PENSION pJNp-cIAms wSe~s swysse
| RELATIVES.
The increase OF the navy penso< fund from the sale of
prizes amounts at the present tsse 10 probably and
! half miioo or dollars.
ne old laws IL relation TO the navy pension fund seem
TO authorize require the Of this money
but as the question not entirely free from doubt rec
ommend tho passage Of law authorizing the depart
ment To invest the amount which has beeo and here
after be derived from the sale Of prizes in
bonds and apply the interest thereon ~ the payment OF
PENSIONS Vhat the Secretary az the Treasury be
authorized by law 20 credit this fund with the interest
which would emaaaually therecn so invested
arising under the act Of July H. 1862; and will fus
psha rule OF action for the Pension Bureau constantly
recurring cases OF like character beg leave TO refer TO
ho sec nd third and fourth sections OF ,ta act make
NJ fn eNaf
orphan SISTERS the case be, OF any officer other
person named in the first section who has died since the
sth day Of March, 1861 who shall thereafter die by
reason of any wound received or disease contracted while
in tho service of the United States. and tie line OF
circumstances, disease of which he died. Some months
previous to his death he tendered his resetion his
declining health impaired by disease, which ultimately
proved fs.a incnpacitaed hiuH from the efficient dis
charge of duty His resignation accepted. the
claim OF hs widow for pension was rejected in the Pen
sion Office solely upon the ground that he at te
time Of he death in the naval service OF the United
states The case was, by appeal brought before the de-
| partment.
action Of the Pension conformed to the
s,rucon which bad been given 10 preceding acts Of Con
| gress granting naval pensions Some OF those acts
expressly confined che right Of the claimant when
the death OF the oeer occurred during the period Of his
service Other acts such as that OF sl3 and the second
section Of the act OF 1914 secure TO the beneAcares for
speciac period half o. tn the monthly pay 70 which the
Attorney General Butler decided that the death of Off
Ger seaman before the expiration Of his service
essential under the latter acts To the validity OF the
widows claim to pension He subsequently withdrew
that opinion and although considering such claim with
in the general equity OF the system, he came to conc
sion adverse 10 It under those acts owing TO their pec
liar rhraseology and from the tact that Congress- had
given construction 70 them by the continuing acts Of
| May %, 1923, and June %, 1899
The Of 1862 does direct terms include from
its benefits the widow other designated relatives OF
persons, who after their resignation discharge shall
die OF wounds received dsese contracted n the
service and in the line Of duty, does il determine
the amount Of ension by the monthly pay Of the de-
deceased at the time OF his death The latter provision
would seem TO require that the connection Of the deceased
| Rv ho
uniform practice Of the Pension Bureau under the exist
ing sSt Military pension was granted to The relative:
the claim In other respectsas free from objec ion Uni
om ~ the a q the act s sssEsSe and
It be nanifesty wrong. Although, in The former egisa
ton Of Congress military and naval pensions grant
cd under separate aud Independent enaciments, both
of pensions provided for and placed the
footing by the act under consideration No dstnc
tion is made between the two branches Of the
could not sanction decision making such distinction
and satisfied that the action Of the Pension Bureau
in retard TO military PENSIONS amply justified
the Spirit and not in violation Of the letter. OF the stat
The effects and consequences OF the opposite c,nstruc
on are worthy o! attention. According to II pro.
vision is nade for the bere,ved and
helpless family Of deceased party who has received a
mortal wound or contracted fatal disease in the lire OF
duty If his death occurred after the expiration Of tho
disability ii is cer that, had he survived it, he would
have been entitled to pension proportonae to such dis
ability. The pension would not commence in any event,
until ter his discharge should tho disabled and dis.
charged die after receiving his pension
be excluded from the bounty Of Congress, although it
could be shown by ndispulabe proofs that his
the direct and inevitable result Of a wound received
the field or the deck from the enemies Of his country
1t seemed to me to be more in accordance with the
| legislative intention 10 hold that the death Of party
after his gnation discharge would be fatal
the claim Of his widow or relatives to pension
would advise that some limit should be fixed by law
within whch the death should to cntite the bepe
0cares named in the second and the following sections
Of the act 10 the benefit Of its provisions.
During the year ending 3oth September last 5,l33 ap
picatios and sl caveats received at the Patent
| olee twenty nine applications were filed Tor the ex
tension OF patents previously granted During he same
period 1887 patents issued and forty extensions
granted. Quite dimnution observable in the number
Of claims on which patents have been allowed but not
sued because OF the Donpaymcn OF the na' fee within
the time prescribed by law the number being 37o
The balance m the treasury 70 the credit Of the paten
cents OF the ofce to September 30, 1862 amounted
79 37s, making ,s entire for the year s22
have been ss9 sos. leaving balance hand the LIST
October, 1868, OF $37 1872
The work Of classifying the results oY the Eighth Census
tor Publication has progressed satisfactorily and the
printing Of the volume OF population statistics Is far
advanced az 10 insure It's completion and delivery early
the coming session OF Congress The succeeding volume
will be supplied to the two houses the capabi
ties OF the public printer will admit.
The marshas and assistant marshas in the loyal
have generally been paid In full for their services and
the accounts OF those employed to take the Territorial
census of Nevada, Dakota and Colorado, for which pro-
vision was made by the act OF March 1888 have been
pad IN part and the remainder are In process OF adjust.
ment The 1nal settlement Of the accounts of thou
sand two hundred and marshals and assistants in
states affected by the rebellion has been precluded by the
condition Of public Affairs a1d the refusal OF these
officers TO take the oath pre- cribed by law a condition
precedent 10 payment.
oo,u,ymryr HOSPITAL FOR rnE INSANE
The able reports from the Board OF Visitors the S
perntendent OF instruction OF the Government Hospital
for the Insane will be read by all with much interest
The advantages of this Institution at the present
cannot be overestmaed Those who, while engaged IN
the land aud naval service OF the country, in
this trying hour, for the preservation OF our
goveumsnt, are overtaken by mental disorders,
there md refuge and treated with the
hi hest skill which has yet been attained in the art
treating the insane. The success which has attended
their treatment, and the numbers who have recovered
are the uost hattering testimonials IN behalf OF those
who have had charge OF the Institution. Their devotion
10 their calling Is only be fully appreciated when Is
remembered that larger number OF patients have been
admitted TO this institution during the last year than
have before been admitted into any similar hos tai
In TINS country Ia the same space OF time Although
large number have been admitted, aud the increase has
been chiefly derived from the army and navy u Is graft.
Tying to be assured that neither the existence Of the
doubt a. TO the justice OF our cause dsrust
- L. Il