Those who have been permanently disabled in both feet, or in one hand and one foot, or otherwise incapacitated from performing manual labor, but not so much so as to require attendance, twenty dollars per month.

Those who have been totally and permanently disabled in one hand or one foot, or otherwise disabled as to incapacitate them from manual labor equivalent to the loss of a hand or a foot, fifteen dollars per month. (R. S., § 4697.) From and after the 4th June, 1872, all persons entitled to a less pension than hereinafter mentioned are entitled to pensions as follow:

Those who have lost the sight of both eyes, or the sight of one eye, the sight of the other having been previously lost, or have lost both hands or both feet, or have been permanently and totally disabled in the same, or otherwise so permanently and totally disabled as to render them. utterly helpless, or so nearly so as to require the regular personal aid and attendance of another person, fifty dollars per month, (act June 18, 1874,) and after the 18th of June, 1878, seventy-two dollars per month. (Act June 18, 1878.)

Those who have lost one hand and one foot, or have been totally and permanently disabled in the same, or otherwise so disabled as to be incapacitated from performing manual labor, but not so much as to require attendance, twenty-four dollars per month.

Those who have lost one hand or one foot, or have been permanently and totally disabled in the same, or otherwise so disabled as to render their incapacity to perform manual labor equivalent to the loss of a hand or a foot, eighteen dollars per month.

Those who have lost a leg above the knee, or an arm at or above the elbow, are rated at the second class, and are entitled to receive a pension of twenty-four dollars per month from and after June 4, 1872. (Act June 18, 1874.)

Those who have lost the hearing of both ears, thirteen dollars per month from the same date. (R. S., § 4698.)

Those who have lost one hand and one foot, or have been totally and permanently disabled in both, are entitled to a pension for each of such disabilities, at such rate as is provided for each disability. (Act February 28, 1877.)

From and after March 3, 1879, those then on the pension rolls, or who may be thereafter placed thereon for amputation of either leg at the hip joint, are entitled to thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents per month. (Act March 3, 1879.)

TIME AND MANNER OF PAYMENT OF PENSIONS.

1303. Pensions are payable quarterly, on the fourth days of March, June, September, and December of each year, by the pension agents appointed to make such payments at convenient points throughout the country. The establishment of these pension agencies is vested in the President by law, the number in any State or Territory not to exceed three. The number down to a recent date was fifty-three, but by a consolidation of districts it has been materially reduced.

1304. Within fifteen days preceding the periods mentioned, the pension agent is required by law to prepare a quarterly voucher for every pensioner on his list, and to transmit the same by mail to the address of the pensioner, who, on or after the days named, must execute and return the voucher to the pension agent. Upon the receipt of the voucher properly executed, and a proper identification of the pensioner in the manner prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, the pension agent is required to transmit his check for the amount due by mail to the pensioner and payable to his order.

1305. The number of pensions on the rolls of the several agencies on the 30th of June, 1878, was as follows:

The sum paid during the fiscal year ending at that date to the several classes of pensioners was $26,530,792.10.

1306. The head of the office is the Commissioner of Pensions. Subordinate to him is a Deputy Commissioner, who is charged with such duties in the office as the Secre tary of the Interior may prescribe or the law may require. No duties are specified by law as devolving upon him other than as may thus be prescribed by the Secretary, except that in case of death, resignation, absence, or sickness of the Commissioner it is provided that he shall perform the duties of that officer until a successor is appointed or until such absence or sickness ceases. (R. S., §§ 472, 473.)

1307. In addition to these, a Chief Clerk is provided for by law, who, as in the case of other bureau Chief Clerks, has general supervision of the clerical business of the office.

1308. A medical referee is also provided for, who, under the direction of the Commissioner, has charge of the examination and revision of the reports of examining surgeons, and has such other duties to perform touching medical and surgical questions in the Pension Office as the interests of the service may demand. (R. S., § 4776.)

The organization of the office is constituted of the fol lowing-named divisions for the transaction of business: 1. Mail Division.

2. Division of Records and Accounts.

3. Medical Division.

4. Invalid Division.

5. Navy, Old War, and Bounty Land Division.

6. Widows' Division.

7. Special Service Division.

To specify the duties of these divisions, we commence with

I. THE MAIL DIVISION.

1309. In this division the office mails are received, opened, registered, and distributed.

II. THE DIVISION OF RECORDS AND ACCOUNTS.

1310. This division has charge of the admitted files; the records of admitted pensions; the abstracts and accounts of pension agents; the issuing of pension certificates; transfers of pensioners from the rolls of one pension agency to those of another; miscellaneous correspondence relative to certain admitted cases and with the several pension agencies; the preparation of requisitions requiring the signature of the Secretary of the Interior upon the pension fund, for the payment of pensions; the issuing of duplicate certificates for payment of pensions and certificates for exemption of invalid pensioners from the biennial examination; the examination and approval of the accounts of examining surgeons; the examination of vouchers for payment of arrears due deceased pensioners. It also has charge of the issuing of all orders to pension agents with regard to payments of pensions, suspensions, reductions, droppings from the rolls, &c.

III. THE MEDICAL DIVISION.

1311. This division is under the charge of the medical referee, an officer before referred to, and whose statutory duties are particularly mentioned in section 1159 of this work. It attends to the appointments of examining surgeons, the revision of all certificates of examinations of pensioners, and to all medical questions in the adjustment of claims for pensions. The head of this division reviews

all cases in which appeal is taken to the Secretary of the Interior from the decision of the Commissioner of Pensions, and determines the claim in its medical aspects.

IV. THE INVALID DIVISION.

1312. In this division are adjudicated claims for invalid pensions, and attention is given to all matters pertaining to the right and title thereto and to the increase of such pensions. This is one of the examining divisions of the office, of which there are three in number. In these divisions the applications for pensions of the different classes are respectively examined with regard to the sufficiency and form of the proof required to establish the claims. Calls are also made upon the Second Auditor, the Adjutant-General, and Surgeon General of the Army for information as to the applicant's service; also for evidence as to the disability alleged, which may appear upon the rolls and other records in possession of the bureaus under charge of those officers.

1313. Besides the Chief and Assistant Chief, this division, as well as the other examining divisions, consists of a corps of numerous examiners and clerks, to whom are distributed the different claims and the papers connected therewith, to which they are expected to give the most careful consideration, to the end that the proofs correspond with the requirements of law, that error and fraud may be detected, and that the bounty of the Government be not imposed upon by persons not entitled to share therein.

V. THE NAVY, OLD WAR, AND BOUNTY LAND DIVISION.

1314. This division has charge of all claims for navy pensions, and all army pension claims on accourt of disability incurred prior to March 4, 1861; also of claims on account of services rendered in the war of 1812, and claims for bounty lands.