of admiral and vice-admiral be temporarily revived, to be filled by
officers who have specially distinguished themselves in the war with
Spain.

I earnestly urge upon Congress the importance of early legislation
providing for the taking of the Twelfth Census. This is necessary in
view of the large amount of work which must be performed in the
preparation of the schedules preparatory to the enumeration of the
population.

There were on the pension rolls on June 30, 1898, 993,714 names, an
increase of nearly 18,000 over the number on the rolls on the same day
of the preceding year. The amount appropriated by the act of December
22, 1896, for the payment of pensions for the fiscal year of 1898
was $140,000,000. Eight million seventy thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two dollars and forty-six cents was appropriated by the act of
March 31, 1898, to cover deficiencies in army pensions, and repayments
in the sum of $12,020.33, making a total of $148,082,892.79 available
for the payment of pensions during the fiscal year 1898. The amount
disbursed from that sum was $144,651,879.80, leaving a balance of
$3,431,012.99 unexpended on the 30th of June, 1898, which was covered
into the Treasury. There were 389 names added to the rolls during the
year by special acts passed at the second session of the Fifty-fifth
Congress, making a total of 6,486 pensioners by Congressional enactments
since 1861.

The total receipts of the Patent Office during the past year were
$1,253,948.44. The expenditures were $1,081,633.79, leaving a surplus
of $172,314.65.