With this knowledge before me, and with a sense of the responsibility resting upon me for the care and protection of life and public property, already too long imperiled, I caused a notice to be served upon the proprietors of the Seaton building of intention to vacate on 15th of September, 1876, and leased the substantial structure located on the corner of Twelfth street and Pennsylvania avenue, known as the Shepherd building, a building of superior accommodations, and fire proof from the cellar to the roof. The rent to be paid is not in excess of the amount appropriated, $14,000, and is designed to accommodate the Bureau of Education as soou as the lease of the building now occupied by that office can be legally terminated.
In making this change, I have endeavored to act in strict accordance with the law, and for the benefit, solely, of the public service.
In my last report I suggested a change in the present cumbersome system of medical examinations. The experience of the past year confirms the belief I then entertained, that a simplification of the system should b>e made so as to better protect the interests of the Government, and at the same time facilitate the prompt settlement of deserving claims.
The Commissioner of Pensions, in a supplemental report, has clearly indicated his views in relation to the necessity which exists for a departure from the present system, which requires the services ot upward of 1,500 examining surgeons. The plan he proposes is, in brief, to divide the country into districts not exceeding sixty, giving to each a competent surgeon and an experienced clerk. Their duties would be to personally examine the claimants and their witnesses, and transmit the result to the Pension-Office, and thus do away with much of the ex-parte testimony, which, under the present system, involves the necessity of extended and uncertain correspondence.
The Commissioner believes that under the plan proposed the clerical force of his office could be largely reduced, and the necessity for special agents obviated, and estimates that the cost to the Government would be less than at present, aside from the security which the system would afford against the payment of fraudulent claims.
The magnitude of the interests iuvolved renders the subject one of great importance, aud I earnestly commend the views of the Commissioner to the attention of Congress as worthy of special consideration.
EDUCATION.
The report of the Commissioner of Education for 1876 contains the abstract of the reports of the several State and city superintendents and other official educational publications, showing for each State and Territory the school population aud the enrollment aud attendance in the public schools, the number of teachers in the schools, with rate of compensation, the public-school iucome aud expenditure, and the constitutional and legislative provisions in each State touching public instruction, with more or less full intormation for each State respecting
