The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-06

j mense value of the deposits OF prec-
/ ions metals within our, territorial
Limits. ME mineral lands on the Pa :.
cifc slope belong to the Government,
| Int II has not provided for the disposal
I Of them. or,for the developement of
| the treasure which they contain. In
the absence of legislation by Con
| gress. and with its tacit consent, these
! mines have been worked, by .indiyid-
uals, vast expenditures made, and a
| species of possessory right acquired
which has been recognized by State
laws, and maintained and svindicated
by State tribunals. The act of Feb
ruary n, 1865, declares that no action
in the courts of the United States for
the recovery Of any mining title, or
for damages thereto, shall be affected
by the fact that the paramount title
to the land on which such mines are,
is in the United States. and the .Su-
preme Court has held that mining in
terests, apart from the fee simple
rights in the soil by patent, existed
before that actwith the implied sane
ton of the Federal Government. The
exploration and working of these
mines have largely contributed to the
national wealth, and our legislation
should, ] submit, be controlled to
some extent by existing rights and in
terests, which are the legitimate re-
suits of our policy of sinaction. The
wisdom of Congress can devise meas
ures which, by placing this vast in
terest under the control of positive
law, will render it tributary in great
err degree to the public prosperity.
Copious details are furnished and
many topics connected with the pub
lie lands ably discussed In the inter-
esting and elaborate report of the
Commissioner. ,@s ee.r;ess5. III.
I ybs93 aoe PENSIONS. u IGeasa-ki. 4
+. By reason of the increased rates of
pension, more than thirty three mil
lions of dollars will be required for
this branch of the service during the
next fiscal year. mt ~ ~ en.
Samuel Downing, of Edinburg,
Saratoga County, New York, is the
only surviving soldier of the Revolu-T
ton, His name was inadvertently
omitted in the last annual report of
the Pension Bureau to this depart
ment.
The names of nine hundred and
thirty-one widows of revolutionary.
soldiers appear on the pension rolls at
the close Of the last fiscal year. 1908 i
The invalid pensioners disabled in
the wars prior to that of 1861 do not
exceed three thousand. The widows
and minor children who receive a
pension by reason of the services and
death of those who served in such
wars, number one thousand two hun
dred and twenty-seven.
During the last fiscal year twenty
two thousand six hundred and forty
five original applications for. invalid
pensions were granted, at an aggregate
annual rate of one million seven hum
dred and fifty-six thousand eight hun
dred and twelve dollars and twenty
cents. The number of such pensions
thatw were increased was one thousand
two hundred and sixty-three, at an an
nual amount of increase of forty-three
thousand nine hundred and fortyzsix
dollars and twenty-five cents. The
total amount awarded to army inva-
lids during the year thus appears to
be 81, S00,764 40.
During the same period twenty
seven thousand and seventy-six erigi- 4
nal applications of widows and de ]
pendant relatives of officers and sol 1
diers of the army were allowed, at an
aggregate rate of two million seven
hundred and forty-three thousand
seven hundred and eleven dollars and
seventeen cents per annum. The in
creased allowance to such persons was
two hundred and ninety-nine dollars
and ten cents; so that the sum requir-
ed to meet pension claims of this de-
scription allowed during the past year
is 50, IA, 010 q.
The whole number of ne,1 army
pensioners of all classes added to the
rolls during the year ending June 30,
1866, was, accordingly, forty-nine
thousand seven hundred and twenty
one, and requiring for their payment
four million five hundred thousand |
five hundred and twenty three dollars
and thirty-seven cents per annum.
The number dropped from the rolls |
during the same period, on account of |
death or other causes, was nine thou
sand three hundred and forty two,
whose annual allowance amounted to |
eight hundred and eighty thousand
one hundred and seYenty-three dol-oI
lars and sixty-two cents. ql-ua,.ss il
On the Both of June last there were |
on the pension rolls fifty -four thou
sand six hundred and twenty invalids,
whose yearly rate of pensions was four |
million one hundred and twenty
eight thousand seven hundred and |
eighteen dollars and fifteen cents:
and sixty-nine thousand eight hun
dred and eighty-nine widows and de-
pendent relatives, alta yearly rate of |
seven million two hundred and
eighty-four thousand four hundred |
and four dollars and eleven cents
making total of 124,5O9 army ben.