Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1871.djvu/18

16 at an annual aggregate rate of $2,995; 117 original applications of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives of those who died in the Navy, at an aggregate rate of $17,394; and 7 pensions of the same class are increased at a total yearly rate of $282. At the close of the last fiscal year there were borne on the rolls of Navy pensioners 1,377 invalids, at an annual aggregate of $125,233 25, and 1,673 widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, at an aggregate annual rate of $257,682, making the number of such pensioners 3,050, at a total annual rate of $382,915 25. The total amount paid during the said year to Navy invalids was $190,045 52, and to widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, $391,342 09; a total amount of $581,387 61.

The number of pensions, of all classes, granted during the past fiscal year was 17,060. During the same period there were dropped from the pension rolls, from various causes, 8,251, leaving a grand total of 207,495 pensioners on the rolls June 30, 1871, at an aggregate annual rate of $22,804, 994 29. The amount paid during said year for pensions of classes, including the expenses of disbursements, was $33,077,383 63, being $5,296,571 82 in excess of the amount paid during the preceding year. This excess is chiefly owing to the operation the act of July 8, 1870, making pensions payable quarterly, whereby the whole amount of pensions accruing between March 4, 1870, and June 4, 1871, became due and payable within the fiscal year just cloud.

There were 2,598 bounty-land warrants issued during the year, for 406,160 acres, an excess of 840 over the number issued the preceding year.

Eight thousand nine hundred and eighteen persons availed themselves during the year, of the benefits of the act of June 30, 1870, providing for artificial limbs and apparatus for resection, or commutation therefor, of whom 7,707 preferred the latter.

There are now on file, unadjusted, 33,182 claims for invalid pension, and 35,597 claims of widows, orphans, and dependent relatives, a total of 68,779 claims. On the 13th ultimo 24,844 claims for pension of survivors of the war of 1812 had been received, and 7,101 claims of widows or such soldiers, making a total of 31,945 applications of this class, 7,871 of which have been disposed of. The Commissioner estimates the number of those now living who are entitled to the benefits of said act to be 32,444; their average age seventy-nine years; their average duration of life less than six years; and the amount that will be required to pay, during the life of the pensioner, all pensions granted by said act $18,095,855 44.

The act of July 14, 1862, and the act supplementary thereto, make no provision for pension to the following officers in the naval service, their ranks having been created by acts passed subsequently to that of 1862, viz: Admiral, Vice-Admiral, rear-admiral, commodore, ensign, and secretary to Admiral and Vice-Admiral I recommend that the right of these officers, their widows, orphans, and dependent relatives be recognized by statutory provision.