at a rate higher than that authorized by law.

I am unable to understand why frauds in the pension rolls should
not be exposed and corrected with thoroughness and vigor. Every name
fraudulently put upon these rolls is a wicked imposition upon the
kindly sentiment in which pensions have their origin; every fraudulent
pensioner has become a bad citizen; every false oath in support of
a pension has made perjury more common, and false and undeserving
pensioners rob the people not only of their money, but of the patriotic
sentiment which the survivors of a war fought for the preservation of
the Union ought to inspire. Thousands of neighborhoods have their
well-known fraudulent pensioners, and recent developments by the Bureau
establish appalling conspiracies to accomplish pension frauds. By no
means the least wrong done is to brave and deserving pensioners, who
certainly ought not to be condemned to such association. Those who
attempt in the line of duty to rectify these wrongs should not be
accused of enmity or indifference to the claims of honest veterans.

The sum expended on account of pensions for the year ending June 30,
1893, was $156,740,467.14.

The Commissioner estimates that $165,000,000 will be required to pay
pensions during the year ending June 30, 1894.

The condition of the Indians and their ultimate fate are subjects which
are related to a sacred duty of the Government and which strongly appeal
to the sense of justice and the sympathy of our people.

Our Indians number about 248,000. Most of them are located on 161
reservations, containing 86,116,531 acres of land. About 110,000 of