is supposed will remain on hand at the end of the present year Then deduct the amount embraced therein to meet deficiencies in the present year And the amount properly chargeable to the next fiscal year will be found to be 1. 1.9 Only $6,268 81 more than for the present year, notwithst increase of clerical force rendered indispensably necessary in the of the bounty land law of 1850. Census. ། a The estimates of last year embraced nothing under this head, appropriations being then thought sufficient to meet all dema experience of another year, however, would indicate otherwise, reason the further sum of $150,000 is asked, to complete the w gratifying to find that in estimating for such an extensive servi an approximation to the actual cost was attained. United States courts. Here there is an apparent excess over the estimate of las $79,306. The appropriation for the st fiscal year fell short of expenditures of that year, about $20,000, which was supplied out of the And also the additional amount included for $20,000 00 25,000 00 $672,053 00 45,000 00 627,053 00 And the excess of the estimate for the next fiscal year over that for the present year is only $34,306; an increase of expenditures not inconsistent, it is believed, with the increase of judicial districts and the business therein, and not greater than the average of the annual increase of expenditures for judicial purposes. Pauper lunatics and agricultural statistics. Under these heads the estimates are the same as last year. Public buildings. Under this head the estimates for the next fiscal year are $62,770 29 less than they were for the present year, notwithstanding they embrace items to the amount of $51,834 71 to meet deficiencies in the appropriations for the present fiscal year. The estimates for the next fiscal year amount to $418,504 71 to the present year 51,834 71 And the amount properly chargeable to the next year will be 366,670 00 The estimates for the present fiscal year amounted to - $181,375 00 51,834 71 533,109 71 And the amount properly chargeable to the present year will be Which is $166,439 71 more than is now estimated for the next fiscal year. Penitentiary. Here the estimate for the next fiscal year is $2,690 less than that for the present year. This diminution of expenditures results from the increased productiveness of the institution, arising from its better management. Merican boundary survey. The amount embraced in the regular estimates, or the present fiscal year, was The amount included in the estimates for the next year is $100,000 200,000 There would, therefore, appear to be an excess over the estimate for the present year of $100,000; but this is merely apparent. After the regular estimates had been submitted, letters were received from the commissioner, making such representations as to the cost of transportation and the scarcity and high price of provisions, &c., in the country along the line, as to render it necessary to ask for a larger sum. The facts were communicated to the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Finance in the Senate, and they were requested to increase the appropriation to $180,000. This was not done, however, and there was consequently a very large deficiency in the appropriation for the current year. The present estimates include this deficiency as being $80,000, which added to the appropriation of $100,000, makes the expenditures on account of the present year $180,000; and deducting it from the gross amount of the present estimates, leaves $120,000 only chargeable to the next fiscal year, being $60,000 less than the amount required for the present year. PENSION OFFICE. This bureau has charge of two distinct branches of business, viz: pensions and land bounties. Pensions may be classed under six different divisions: First, to soldiers of the Revolution; Second, to widows of revolutionary soldiers: Third, to invalids; Fourth, to widows and orphans of soldiers in the Mexican war: Sixth, Virginia half-pay and cominutation claims. The whole number of pensions of all classes now on the rolls is 19,611. of whom 13,467 were paid during the first two quarters of the present year, the latest period to which we have reports. The number added to the rolls during the year was 2,297, and the number of deaths reported, 765. The whole amount expended for pensions during the year ending 30th September, 1851, exclusive of navy pensions, is about $1,-139,848. Revolutionary pensions. The first act granting pensions to revolutionary soldiers was passed 18th March, 1818. The whole number pensioned under that act, up to the present time, is 20,485, of whom only 1,383 now remain on the rolls; being a reduction, since my last report, of 149. The next law on the subject was passed on the 15th May, 1828. Under it, 1,155 pensions were granted. At the date of the last report but 162 remained on the rolls, of which number 34 are supposed to have died during the last year, as only 128 are reported as being now on the rolls. The third and much the most comprehensive law, granting pensions to soldiers of the Revolution, was passed 7th June, 1832. 32,986 persons have been beneficiaries under this act, but only 4,813 now remain on the rolls. Widows of revolutionary soldiers. The first law granting pensions to persons of this class was passed the 4th July, 1836. Under its provisions 5,068 have received pensions. The number now on the rolls under that act and the act of 21st July, 1848, is 2,774. The act of 7th July, 1838, granted pensions to widows of revolutionary soldiers who were married prior to 1794. Of 11,191 who received the benefit of that law, only 186 received their pensions during the first two quarters of the present year. The act of 24 February, 1848, extended the benefits of the law of 1838 to such widows as had been married prior to the 1st of January, 17941. The whole number pensioned under this act is 5,790, of whom 4,294 are yet on the rolls. The act of 29th July, 1848, extended its benefits to those who were married prior to 1800, and, under the law, 960 have been pensioned, all of whom, according to the returns, yet remain on the rolls. It thus appears that time is rapidly sweeping from existence these venerable objects of national gratitude and munificence. Invalid pensions. The whole number of pensioners of this class now on the rolls is 5,359, of whom 617 have been added during the year. Mexican war pensions. The act of 21st July, 1848, and the supplemental act of 22d February, 1849, and the joint resolution of 28th September, 1850, gave pensions to the widows and orphans of soldiers killed in the Mexican war, or who died from disease contracted in the service. Under these laws 1,750 persons are now receiving pensions, showing an increase of 294 since the date of my last report. Navy pensioners. It has heretofore been the custom to report the statistics relating to pensioners of this class to the Secretary of the Navy, by whom they were communicated to the President. But believing that it would be more satisfactory to embody all the facts relating to the entire subject of pensions in a single report, I have deemed it proper to embrace this class with the others. It appears from the report of the Commissioner of Pensions, that the number of invalid pensioners of this class now on the rolls is 709, 29 having been added during the last year; that the number of widows now on the rolls is 481, being an increase during the last year of 92; and that the number of orphans is 38, 11 having been added since the last report. The aggregate amount required to pay pensioners of this class now on the rolls, is $147,261 96. Virginia half-pay and commutation claims. The half-pay claims examined and allowed since the date of my last report amount to $11,490, including the sum of $5,289 04 which had been previously adjudicated but not paid. No action has been taken on any commutation cases during the year. Congress having indicated a purpose to legislate in regard to them, I directed a suspension of further proceedings until the close of the next session, so as to afford them an opportunity of expressing their will on the subject. Bounty lands. Donations of public lands in consideration of military service have been made, under different laws, to. various classes of soldiers. The first grants of this kind were to Soldiers of the war of 1812. In my last report the whole number of warrants issued to soldiers of our last war with Great Britain was stated to be 28,978. Since that time the following additional warrants have been issued, viz: 1 for 320 acres, 55 for 160 acres, and 36 for 40 acres each. There are still 450 claims suspended for further evidence. Mexican war. There have been 90,146 applications filed for bounties under the act of 11th of February, 1847, granting lands or scrip to soldiers engaged in the war with Mexico. In all, 83,955 claims have been allowed, and warrants or scrip issued to the parties entitled. The warrants and scrip issued since the last annual report, are as follows, viz: 3,020 warrants for 160 acres each. 223 warrants for 40 acres each. 63 certificates for $100 each, and 2 certificates for $25 each. 6,191 cases are suspended for further evidence. The bounty land law of 28th September, 1850. This act is much more liberal and comprehensive in its provisions than any previous law of a similar character. It gives to all persons living, and to the widows and minor children of such as are dead, who have been actually engaged in the military service of the United States, in any war from 1790 to the close of the Mexican war, for the period of one month or more, bounty land graduated in quantity according to length of service. If all the soldiers engaged in these wars were now living, or represented by persons entitled to the benefits of the law, the number of claims would not be less than five hundred and fifty thousand; and assuming 80 acres as the average grant to each, the quantity of land disposed of would be fortyfour millions of acres. Making proper allowance for those who had died leaving no representatives entitled to claim, the former Commissioner of |