New-York tribune., 1881-11-28

caucus before the organization CT every House sicc
that time. Mr. Sherwood says that be has Deen as
sured the support of every member Of the Michigan
delegation and of large number OF tne Inen@nel, pes
elect from other States. cancus OF Kepuoncaini i
| members to nominate officers or tne houso VIII
| probably be held next Saturday.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE. PENSION BUREAU.
IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27. - Something over
| 500 OOO, 600 have already been paid out for ar
rears Of pensions, and Commissioner Dudley esu-
mates that it will require S235 600 900 more to pay
the remaining claims which have already accrued
under the arrears OF pensions bill making an ex-
penditure of $685. 900 600 under act which Con-
gressmcn and Senators thoughtlessly passed at the
request of a ring of Washington pension claim
agents Commissioner Dudley asks for S2O,OOO,OOO
to complete the work of the present fiscal year. and
for 500 600 900 for the next fiscal year, leaving
$11J, 100000 to be provided for in the following
year in addition TO current claims amounting TO
between $3.50, 900, 0000 and $40OOO,OOO. He
thinks Congress should know the full extent OF the
Nations liabilities under the arrears bill, and
should provide for their discharge without delay.
Commissioner Dudley wants authority to employ
two or three hundred lawyers to go about the
country and make a personal examination of pen
sion claimants and their witnesses, to determine
whether the statements set forth in their petitions
what Commissioner Bentley laborcd for years to
obtain. Commissioner Dudley has one great ad-
vantage in his work which his predecessor
did not have. During tho incumbency of the
latter it was not lawful TO send an agent
into the field to examine into the merits
of a claim unless something suspicious appeared on
the face of the claim. AS it was the chief function
Of the pension claim agent so TO prepare the papers
case that nothing winch could throw doubt
upon its validity should appear, and thus give
warrant for its examination by special agents, very
few of the thousands of claims passed every year
were ever examined by the agents of the Govern
ment, excepting, of course, such examinations as
could be made in the Pension Office Of the papers
submitted, and of the fragmentary records which
survived the shock of war, and were TO
be found in the War Department In
fit of repentance Congress after refusing to grant
Mr. Bentleys request, repealed the restriction
against sending out agents to examine pensioners
personally, but failed to make adequate provision
for the employment oi the agents. Colonel Dudley
desires that this omission shall be RENE lied, The
pension claim agents have less to oppose the
request now than they formerly had, for all the
claims which could be filed under the arrears act
have been sent in, and the claim agents fees which
Will aggregate something more than S2,OOO,OOO III
addition to those already secured safe and will
be paid as fast as the claims can be adjusted.
Ine necessities of the Pension Office pressing,
and the debts of the Government under the arrears
act are unGuestionablv valid. There is no reason
for delay and Congress should act at once. 1t is
probable that COngressmen and Senators will be
less inclined to take the advice of Washington
claim agents than they were.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE MINT.
UNEXAMpLED RECEIPTS AND OPERATIONS AT THE
MINT, OWING LARGELY TO TIE INFLUX OF GOLD
FROM ABROAD
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-The annual report
Of the Director of United States Mint for the fiscal
ended June 80, 1851, has been submitted to the
Secretary OF the Treasury. II contains in addition "a
the customary detailed statements OF the operations OF
tho mnts and assay Offices, much valuable information
in regard to the production OF the precious metals the
United States and in the world their IN the coinage
Of this and foreign countries consumption In the arts
and manufactures specie circulation and eXamina-
tion of the OF prices comparing the paper and
metallic circulation for series OF nftysiI years with
percentage OF yearly prices the prices o
staple articles indicating the annual variations in the
purchasing price OF money.
The gold and silver received and operated
upon by all the mints and assay Of
fees exceeding by than SjO.OOOOO0 the receipts
of any prevons year, amounted TO S22G,225.522 4G
OF which S9337l ,l0l 0l gold and $50, ,s5i i2l 45
silver This large due continued influx
of gold from abroad, $9J 900 deposited being
from that source alone.
The coinage facilities OF the mins have been tested to
their fullest extent in converting the bullion into coin
The gold coinage amounted TO S7s,733 SOL Of which
SIS $50 in double eagles and the balance in
coins OF lesser denominations.
The coinage Of silver was confined TO the mini
mum value Of silver bullion required to be
coined by the law authorizing the coinage OF
the standard silver dollar, S27,G37,05j Of which
we're struck, average OF about s2,30OOO0 month
OF subsidiary coins only $l20l 70 coined and Of
base metal or minor coins, SlO5,l l09 %.
In addition to the coinage the ulntS and offices
manufactured fine standard sterling and impaired bars
$6,5i2,232 80 in silver In the rcneries ll4l07Qil0
OF gold and silver bullion separated and
fined producing 1885, 4I3 25 OF standard gold
and 01!1, ,13oS6 ounces OF standard silver The pur-
chases OF silver bullion for the coinage OF the silver dol
cost of $2257s,9Il ~. This obtained by
direct purchase or IN settlement for silver parted
charges silver deposited for return in bars. or
the coinage OF dollars during the year. $1770G,02l
dollars since the passage OF the act for their coinage has
been, up TO November ], Sl00G72,705, of which
held by the Treasury for the payment outstanding
silver certificates, leaving $7,737GO5 for disbursement
by the Treasury in ordinary payments.
The usual examinations and settlements were made at
the close Of the year. The magnitude and importance
transactions between the supcrin
tendents and operative officers Of gold aud silver bullion
funds amounting $l2s, ,O00, 900 were examined
weighed or counted at the time Of settlement ana their
yaiuc ascertaiDod
The wasages OF the operative officers of all the mnts
assay Offices found 10 be In all within the
legal limit and the total wastage, considering the
amount received and worked, much less than that
OF the preceding year The net actual loss to the
Government on the immense amount operated upon
ring the year only $l2,20i lG.
From data received at the Mint Bureau the Director
estimates the production Of the United states during
ast fiscal year TO have been OF gold $3G5OOCOO and OF
silver at its coming values, $42 100000, total Of
$7S 100000.
The inquiries heretofore instituted in re-
gard TO the annual consumption Of gold
and silver in the arts and manufactures
have been continued, and with grutIfyug
results Manufacturers OF ewciry and other articles
and materials OF gold and silver reported consumption
of over Sl0O00OO0 in gold and nearly SO 800 900 in
silver. OF the gold used $3.30O,00O reported as
United States coin melted. The Assay Office at New
York delivered to tho manufacturers during the year
S. 100000 of gold in bars and -. 100000 in silver.
Taken together they appear to indicate consumption OF
81 900 900 In gold and SO 600 900 In silver