a
special report at an early day. It may then be necessary to make some
further recommendation in regard to legislation for the government of
that Territory.

The steady growth and increase of the business of the Patent Office
indicates in some measure the progress of the industrial activity of the
country. The receipts of the office are in excess of its expenditures,
and the office generally is in a prosperous and satisfactory condition.

The report of the General Land Office shows that there were 2,459,601
acres less disposed of during this than during the last year. More than
one-half of this decrease was in lands disposed of under the homestead
and timber-culture laws. The cause of this decrease is supposed to be
found in the grasshopper scourge and the droughts which prevailed so
extensively in some of the frontier States and Territories during that
time as to discourage and deter entries by actual settlers. The cash
receipts were less by $690,322.23 than during the preceding year.

The entire surveyed area of the public domain is 680,253,094 acres, of
which 26,077,531 acres were surveyed during the past year, leaving
1,154,471,762 acres still unsurveyed.

The report of the Commissioner presents many interesting suggestions in
regard to the management and disposition of the public domain and the
modification of existing laws, the apparent importance of which should
insure for them the careful consideration of Congress.

The number of pensioners still continues to decrease, the highest number
having been reached during the year ending June 30, 1873. During the
last year 11,557 names were added to the rolls, and 12,977 were dropped
therefrom, showing a net decrease of 1,420. But while the number of
pensioners has decreased, the annual amount due on the pension rolls has
increased $44,733.13. This is caused by the greatly increased average
rate of pensions, which, by the liberal legislation of Congress, has
increased from $90.26 in 1872 to $103.91 in 1875 to each invalid
pensioner, an increase in the average rate of 15 per cent in the three
years. During the year ending June 30, 1875, there was paid on account
of pensions, including the expenses of disbursement, $29,683,116, being
$910,632 less than was paid the preceding year. This reduction in amount
of expenditures was produced by the decrease in the amount of arrearages
due on allowed claims and on pensions the rate of which was increased by
the legislation