E. Statement of the amount of funds in the hands of agents for paying army pensions June 30, 1857. Georgia Huntsville. Tuscaloosa.. Little Rock.... Charles Rapley-. Fort Gibson Thomas Lanigan... $1,540 46 1,588 81 William H. Moore... $496 41 Monroe Donoho 1,110 36 908 27 4,677 86 1,798 70 1,698 62 1,037 63 Hartford San Francisco... Tallahasse Lloyd Bowers. Illinois.. Iowa. Kentucky Louisiana Maine Massachusetts.. Maryland Mississippi. Missouri Michigan. New Hampshire.. New York..... New Jersey... Ohio..... Oregon Territory Rhode Island Tennessee Vermont Virginia... Wisconsin Savannah Indianapolis New Orleans.. Boston.... Jackson. Oregon City Knoxville. 818 21 James S. Morel... 861 71 Alexander F. Morrison. 2,341 68 J. W. Chapman.. 2,079 46 Bela C. Kent 1,417 64 3,883 21 544 84 3,653 87 S. W. Dalton 2,169 30 F. Statement of the number and yearly amount of original applications, and for increase of navy pensions, admitted during the year ending June 30, 1857. Statement of the number and yearly amount of navy pensions on the roll of the several States and Territories June 30, 1857. F-Continued. Statement of the amount paid for navy pensions in the several States and Territories for the year ending June 30, 1857. Statement of the amount of funds in the hands of navy pension agents June 30, 1857. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS, October 15, 1857. SIR: I am required by the fifteenth section of the civil and diplomatic act approved August 4, 1854, to report to you annually the operations of this office, and the manner of applying the appropriations to be disbursed under its direction, in time to accompany the President's message to Congress, and I now respectfully proceed to discharge this duty. In addition to the usual annual repairs of the Capitol, I have been obliged to repair the heavy damage it sustained from the great hailstorm that occurred on the 21st of June. Every skylight in the buiding was broken, not only the exterior, but the costly interior glass, and the copper roof was materially injured. The roof also unavoidably suffers much damage from the work going on in rebuilding the dome, but by carefully watching it, and making repairs as soon as needed, I think it can be preserved from leaking. I have also caused such portions of the wood and iron work about the Capitol as was likely to be injured from exposure to the weather to be repainted. The chandeliers in the Senate Chamber and Hall of Representatives, which had become much defaced and out of order from long use, have been thoroughly repaired and renovated, and all the gas fittings throughout the building are now in good condition. The annoyance occasioned by the frost in the winter and spring of 1856, in frequently preventing half the lamps from burning, induced me to send an agent last fall to the northern cities to inquire into the manner of lighting, and the means of preventing the troubles which were the source of so much complaint in this city. His inquiries resulted in the ascertainment of much interesting and useful information in regard to the whole subject of gas lighting. He was enabled to apply an effectual remedy to the evils of which we complained, and ever since there has been no interruption to the lights from the effects of frost. The roof of the President's house also suffered much damage from the hailstorm. The copper was perforated in many places, and the joints generally loosened. The consequence was, the roof had to be overhauled, thoroughly repaired, and painted. This involved a considerable expenditure, which was not taken into account in preparing my estimate for the usual annual repairs of the house and grounds. The greenhouses in the President's garden were likewise very much damaged by the hail: more than five thousand panes of glass were destroyed. The ceiling of the east room and the wood work of the principal stories have been appropriately painted. Many other improvements have been made in and about the building, which were absolutely |