New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-03
PENSIONS

| the accommodation Of the business OF the
| Patent Office
PENSIONS.
The amount paid for pensions in the last
| fiscal year was $30i6,J34 an amount larger
by S37, O84 81 than was paid during the pre-
ceding year. OF this amount $23, l3I 40
was paid und the act of Congress Of Feb
r1ary IL, 1871, to survivors OF the war Of
1872.
The annual increase of pensions by the
legislation of Congress has more than Lost
| pace with the natural yearly losses from
the rolls. The act Of Congress of June 8,
1872. has added an estimated amount of
$4,000 per annum to the rolls without in
creasing the number Of pensioners. We
can not therefore, look for any substantial
decrease of this department for some time
to come, or SO long as Congress continues
to so change rates of pensions
The whole number Of soldiers enlisted in
the war of the rebeli was 2 68S, 523. The
total number of claims for invalid pensions
is 10000, being but siXpCr cent OF the Whole
number of enlisted men. The total number
of claims on hand at. the beginning of the
year was 81 $50. The number received
during the year was 26,574 The number
disposed of was 30, l78, making a net gain
of Il, 604. The number Of claims now on
file is 1905. On the thirtieth of June,
1872, there were on the rolls the names OF
%, I05 invalid military pensioners ll3,Jl8
widows, orphans and dependent relatives,
making an aggregate Of 208,003 army pen
sioners.
At the same time there were on the rolls
the names of l449 navy pensioners and 1920
widows, orphans and dependent relatives,
making the whole number of naval pen
siOners 3i79. There have been received
since the passage of the act, to provide pen
sions for survivors Of 1879, go 5j7 applica-
tions prior to June 80, 1872. OF these there
were allowed, during the last fiscal year,
20, l26 claims, 1915 were rejected, leaving
1880 claims pending at that date The
numberof pensions Of ali classes granted
during the last fiscal year was 333, 038
During that period there were dropped
from the rolls, for various causes, 9I04
names, leaving a grand total of 232 ,229 pen
siGuers on the rolls on the thirtieth of June
1870.
Il is thought the claims for pensions on
account of the war Of 1879 will all be dis
posed of BY the fist OF May, 1873 1t is
estimated that $30,480,000 will be required
for the pension service during the next
fiscal yeac
THE CENSUS.
The ninth census is about competed.- Its
early completion is a subject OF congratu-s
lation, inasmuch as the use to be made of
the statistics therein contained depends
very greatly on the promptitude Of publica-
ton. The Secretary of the Interior recon-.
uends that census be taken in 1875, which
recommendation should receive the early
attention of Congress.
The interval at present established be.
tween the federal census is so long that the
information obtained at the decennial pc
Rod as to the material condition, wants and
resources Of the nation is of so little prac.
teal value after the expiration OF the first
half OF that period, it should probably OBJ
vlate the constitutional provision regarding
the decennial census.
II a census taken in 1875 should be di
vested OF all political character, and no re-
app0rt1Onment of congressional representa-
ton be made under it, such a census, COM
ing as 1t would in the last year of the cen
fury Of our national existence, would fur
nish novel monument Of the progress Of
the United States during the century.
EDUCATION.
The rapidly increasing interest in educa-
ton is q most encouraging feature in the
current history of the country and it is no
doubt true that this is due in a great meas
ure to the efforts Of the Bureau Of Educa
ton, whose officers are continually reeeiv-
ing evidences which abundantly prove it's
efficiency from the various institutions of
learning and educators of all kinds through
out the country
The report of the commissioner contains
a vast amount of educational details of
great interest, The bill now pending be-
tore Congress providing for the approDria-
ton Of the net proceeds of the sales of pub
nc lands for educational purposes, to aid
the States in the general education of their
rising generation, is a measure of such great
Importance to our real progress, and is so
unanimously approved by the friends of