National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-04

oHttui bCfuuny must De eNtrtlscu hha
borough review made Of all evidence onered to
awful claims. The result Of all this IA, that a
srEe percentage Of the evidence offered Is I'm
perfecty prepared, deficient In substance or
suspected for fraud, and the correspondence had
and In Calculating doubtful points, amounts TO
hundreds OF letters per day. II would astonish
some persons who are always ready TO charge
~ msps ssms " ,Sey soSd nave
personal knowledge Of these facts; and yet
neither the once nor the parties appearing be-
tore II are IN fault. The defect Il IN the system
q parts evidence IL the criminal. Were means
Afforded for across-examlnationo Of all applicants
and witnesses these dlfficulties and delays
would disappear; and right here ! assert tnat
one half OF the amount now taken from the
pockets Of the pensioners to compensate agents
Tor procuring their pensions would pay the en-
lire cost Of such system, to say nothing OF the
upon fraudulent claims that would he saved.
But to return to the examiners. After hts
labors are completed, and In hts opinion the
s.re. bfief Of The evidence eS therein n upon pom
ine with q statement OF his decision showing
from what date and at what rate admitted; or,
name as examiner.
This action Is entered In record showing o
disposal OF all claims, and the case IL then taken
hands Of q clerk, who Is styled receiver, and Is
selected for his superior judgment and familiar
lty with the law and the rules Of the once. IL Ia
SSy 70 s.y e SysE ss o Sn al c
approve or dlsapprove Of the examiners action.
II the former the case passes on 10 the chief Of
division, under whom all the business Of that
exceptin cases involving unusual questions, Is
pro Jormn, and from his desk the case Ooe- TO
the certificate section for issue, from whence,
proved brief, goes to the Commissloaer's desk
tor his review and signature, and thence to the
Secretary OF the Interior for his signature and
ssce.sd ~ ons sn snoe ~ ~ ,ne Erection
BY the receiver II 10 sent to the rejected nles.
All reflections are subject tn appeal to the secre
tary, or 70 be reopened upon the presentation Of
new and material evidence. After the issue OF
the cetIncate the claim Is supplied with q new
wrapper, upon which certificate number and
lts history Is indorsed, Is entered upon the adj
mltted records, and after being reported TO the
pension agent, finance division, to The Third Au-
ditor OF the Treasury, and to the Second Comp
troller, 1t Is placed IN the admitted nles. Upon
the dies OF these two divisions are found
5000 PENDING CLAIMS,
which are being slowly reduced In number, the
receipt OF new claims nearly equalng the dis
posal Of old ones. The adjustment Of claims
died under the act Of February II, 1871, granting
pensions to survivors OF the war OF 1919 who
served sixty days, and to their widows, Is not
embraced In this statement they having been
organized into q separate division, In which a
force OF nifty clerks has been constantly en-
ployed since the organization thereof, In May,
ISL, Il having been delayed until that date by
ne 2. ne 70 20 va Is
claims have been filed, Of which 2o,o2o have been
admitted and $3.50 rejected. Unusual Efforts
have been made to reach an early decision In
these cases, the extreme age OF the applicants
rendering 1t necessary that prompt action should
be had. In this division, known rs tho "isl2
DIVISION" the claims are carried through the en-
tire process from receipt Of the application TO
rolls.
THE BOUNTY LAND DIVISION
also forms part Of the judicial branch. Therein
all claims for bounty land filed under the act Of
March 8, 1855, which Is the latest general pro-
visions In that behalf, are adjusted.
The formula OF action resembles In Its general
features that Just described, though the very ex-
tensive fiies and records OF this division renders
their examination very laoorious. No provision
having been made allowing bounty land to sol.
ders and others who served In the late war, the
number OF claims for bounty land now passed Ia
not very great, and the inclination OF the once
Is TO scrutiuize very closely such - are pre-
sented. 50 many years have elapsed since they
became entitled that this suspicion Is JUSTIFIED
The earlier acts allowing bounty land for ser.
vices 10 the Revolutionary war granted to I
$50, to 4 colonel 800 acres, and In reduced
amounts TO each grade down TO non-commjs.
stoned Officers and privates, who received iOt
acres.
Under the act OF 1855, before cited, all person,
who served fourteen DAYS, either In the army OF
navy, are entitled To 100 acres, and those who
were actually engaged IN battle, though thei
service was less than fourteen days, are likewis,
entitled.
Under the various laws governing these land
grants, warrants representing Is9s2,t5l acre,
have heen Issued. which. estimated at q. Is pei
acre. amounts to ss2, $3.50, which, added 4
t7s2, 60, 4l2TI that has been paid since the or
ganization Of the Government as pension make
Of the defenders Of the nation. This enormous
sum bestowed In gratuities Is ample refuta tior
Of the charge that republics are ungratcful.
FINANCIAL
The duties OF the finance division OF this
once begin when the decision OF the judicial
branches Is reached and the certificate OF pension
issues. The rolls reported BY those divisions are
entered In the agency registers, which are ar.
ranged to show payments for several years, and
the agents quarterly accounts OF disbursements
are compared with these registers aud errors
noted. When you consider that there are nov
upon the rolls the names Of 233,alo pensioners
who are paid quarterly through 81 pension
agents, and that the accounts reported by all
these agents are adjusted In the short space OF
three months, or between payments, you will
readily perceive the extent OF the labor In
In addition to this, the finance division is
charged Win All correspondence with the pen
~ a.on wv, ~ so,is ~, uh,.e .as
snS comnara,,e, wn.t aIso he not,1ed nv ~
mani N accmei nension IN belIs snS ic,a yan,,
aan,s,i.es. res,nrsainns nrda, ,hn w ~ Y,s
sen ,sts ressora, nn nnaer inc act Of July
ih,es v.a,a tSe ransfer Of nsvmen,. trnn' 10,
sanrcy 20 ,nn,ber. ihe iss,s ~ daai,. IN, onc
,sca,s. ~ H., ~ ,h".a ~, a. s nape oe,,
thas. ~ msnv MANI o,her ,h,ng. ~ ~,
~ ,ns ssnda AZ Ia es1tieman ~ ~,
The MI ~ lime 4 isfa rranted innrssss to nan
snd III. d,v,s,on sfter ,he nass.as u gsaes
sn ta,ors ,ha om. ,,a,,v NJ v,an, ~ y, .ne act
a ,oiinS',nn raassived" eexsmtna, .oI
a 90, ao,,ia,, ~ a,sn,i,n ~ ,ne. ~" Insueu
saenc,as d,shnrIIng nsnsIon monav ,,a. ~ .ne s
- so.s nsvmant. Pe~caad ~ ao3 oan ne ,. ase
nnm and of these Boston n he lSr1eSp navns
t,,, ., ae ,h.n a. sio o,o TN PaynR
u ,e,d ~ an 1890 \, ,ns, stysnnnsaa Aoun'
Ralu " ny asoney - anoou'eI, hsn-
snts ~ leUry' ""io" u'SouiSeS less uan
sf'oU per Annuln.
hIscELLASEous.
be described the duties of a dozen fe,tnre, n,
~ -. -, ,a,,.,, VI
tne ONCE Out wiz content mysei ny referring
TO those most prominent and OF the greatest i'm
portance; and chief OF these Is the special SER
Vice dIvi.lon. which ia charged with the inva.,i-
49,. y, ~ ,,.,,aa A. ,.sI.n $3.50. '.s ,.su
CATION =. ~ 1lA,nh, IN winch nAuu suspected,
and Of the criminal prosecution Of all persons
whose guilt Is apparent, and where proof sum.
clan, 10 convict can he had To aid tbe orp,a n,
- -, ~. s-,.,,S.. ". o.e ~
US onorts W 'essen 'he HAuuuieht anu uniaw-
full practices OF those transacting business with
abe sum 70 pay the expenses OF these inTesti
CATIONS.
Through this means the once 10 enabled to