The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-12-08

pended balance of $414, 10S 40 available for
the remainder Of the present fiscal year.
Fees received during said year amounted
to $136, 30429 in excess of the expendi-
lures, The appropriation asked for the
next fiscal year is $575,570. The number
of patents during the past year is less than
that issued during the preceding year.
This fact is no proof that the enterprise
of the country has diminished, or of de-
ficiency in the application of their imita-
tive genius and scientific attainments to
industrial pursuits and arts The result is
due to the increased labor which has been
bestowed by the office upon applications
whereby frivolous and worthless contriv-
ances have been rejected. recommended
last year the abolition of the right to ap-
peal from the decision of the Commits
sioner to one of the Judges of the Supreme
Court of the District This appeal from
an executive to judicial officer, is a
strange anomaly unknown in the practice
of any other bureau, has worked only evil,
and that continually. 1t can now only be
taken in er parte cases to the court. Even
this limited change in the pre-existing law
has been attended with the best practical
results"
The Secretary of State speaks at length
of the beneficial effects of the visit of Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail to Washington.
He says: "At the time Of their visit very
little hope was entertained that war could
be avoided; but simple, clear, and per-
fectly frank statement of the attitude of
your administration was made to them both
by yourself and the officers of this depart
ment. No attempt was made to hide from
them the gravity of the situation or abso-
| lutte necessity of their accepting the new
condition of things. They were made to
understand the hopelessness of continued
conflict with the United States, through
whose country they had passed from The
Upper Missouri to the capital,
and urged to trust implicitly and peacefully
to the good will of the government and
people of the United States, and to accept
the necessity of looking, in the future, to
agriculture rather than to hunting for sub
siStence. The visit made a favorable, and
| sincerely trust, an enduring impression on
their minds. impending war, with all its I'M
numbered horrors, its waste OF blood and
treasure has been arrested. The influence
of the leading Sioux ChieftaiRs continues
to be on the side of peace, and this exam
pie has been followed by all the principal
warlike tribes, which last year were threat
ening our frontier settlements. To perpet-
much, however. remains to be done The
reservation assigned by the Peace Commits
sion of 1868 has not been absolutely Sc
cured, and | am aware of no reason why
the right of the Indiaas to it should not be
respected and confirmed by positive act.
Until this is done they cannot be perma-
nently located or induced to give up their
wandering habits and adopt a new mode
of life. Our delay in taking action on this
important question has already excited the
distrust of our good faith, and, if longer
continued will, fear, render their disGf-
fec,ion complete. l earnestly recommend
that the attention of Congress be called to
tue subject.
The consent of the Osages to remove
from Kansas to the Indian Territory, hap
PLY, ends difficulty which once foreboded
serious trouble The wrongs inflicted on
these Indians, by encroashmcnts on their
reserves, were of the most atrocious char
acter"
The speedy completion of the Cherokee
treaty now before Congress, is recommend.
ed. The survey of the lands Of the Choc-
taws and Chicaksaws is in progress. The
Secretary recommends that, before the
Land Office is established, the allotments
made to certain supposed spectators by
statute and treaty, OF which, the Choctaws
complain, be investigated and reconciled.
The statistics Of business in the Pension
Bureau during the past year, were made
public some time ago. Secretary Cox, in
treating Of this branch of this department,
says: " Tho committee has devoted special
attention and energetic eifrts, first, to
thorough examination of the evidence pre-
sented in support of pension claims, thus
kn Of Eo+
tiOus and unfounded; second, to a search
ing inquiry in regard TO the present list of
invalided pensioners, with view to a more
just and uniform graduation of the existing
rates; and, third, to the asccrtainment and
cancellation Of fraudulent claims hereto
fore allowed. The actual amount saved by
the disallowance OF unjust claims cannot
be accurately estimated, but from other re-
forms | have mentioned Il reduction OF 81.
10000 has been made in the amount re-
CURED to pay pensions allowed prior TO
the current year. The amount of invalid
pensions stopped under the last b:en-
nial examinations was S44,5S4; of those
reduced, SS3, 1874: of those stopped dur
ing the year by order OF the bureau. SOL
63S; of those so reduced. %5,3l6: and OF
other pensions so stopped, $1,000; aggre-
eating annually $161,062 During the
same year the sum of $40, 103 A was fraud
ulently drawn by women who had remar-
ried, nearly the whole OF which has been
recovered. The sum of S6,122 .56 was re-
ported as retained by attorneys in excess of
legal fees, large proportion Of which has
been restored to the pensioners Forty at
tOrneys were arrested for violations Of the
statutes, of whom eighteen were convicted,
eleven acquitted, three escaped, and the
cases OF eight were pending at the close of
the year. Sixty five pensioners were arrested
for fraud, Of whom twenty-five were con-
victed, nine acquitted, four escaped, and
the cases of thirty were pending at the
close of the year.
In view of the actual and attempted
frauds upon cOlored pensioners and aDpli-
cants for pension, in the States of Alabama
Mississippi and Tennessee, "a special com
mission was appointed to make thorough
investigation. They examined, and reported
upon 80 cases, and their labor disclosed
an enormous amount of systematic extor-
ton and fraud upon pensioners and the
government
g If the balance Of the existing appro-
priatiOn in the Pension office remaining
unexpended the 1st of July next be with
held from the Treasury, and applied to that
service, the amount required for the next
year will be $4,000, 600 less than the an
propriation for the present fiscal year.
1.-The Bureau Of Education has received
applications for information from all the
sections OF the country, and from abroad
A large part of the facts and statistics nee
essary to answer these inquiries satisfac-
torily have never been collected. Congress
has not authorized the printing of any of
the several reports emanating from the bu-
reau, and the Commissioner was, until last
August, compelled to answer by cores
pondence inquiries made of him. Three
thousand copies of the circular of infor-
nation was, by my direction, then printed.
They have been distributed, but the de-
mand has not been supplied The Com
missioner has prepared condensed Aate-