United States in all cases where the judgment below was in favor of the petitioner, and said appeals were taken only in consequence of this requirement. THE COURT OF CLAIMS. The following is a summary of the business before the Court of Claims during the last year: Miscellaneous cases disposed of during the year.. Total... Amount claimed in miscellaneous cases decided... Total amount claimed...... Amount awarded in miscellaneous cases. Total amount awarded.. Miscellaneous cases decided in favor of claimants... 731 44 775 $1, 132, 151 00 2,922, 208 97 4,054, 359 97 $652, 442 77 1,766,361 96 2,418, 804 73 699 32 14 10 24 Number of cases appealed to Supreme Court of the United States by claimants.. Total appealed....... Cotton cases decided in favor of claimants.. 41 3 Of the 1,985 suits brought during the year, 1,114 are suits by employés of the Government to recover the difference in their daily wages between eight hours' and ten hours' labor. Two hundred and twenty-four of the cases brought during the year are claims by postmasters and ex-postmasters for additional compensation under the provisions of the acts of July 1, 1864, (13 Stats. at L., 335,) and June 8, 1872, (17 Stats. at L., 283.) Forty of these cases are suits for the refunding of money collected by the Internal Revenue Department. Four hundred and eighty-nine are cotton cases. Forty-two are miscellaneous. In 66 of the cases no printed petition has yet been received, and the nature of the claim is not known. Many of these cases may be grouped in classes, and the decision of one of each class in which the facts are similar, and the principles of law are identical, will determine all the others involving the same principles of law and the same state of facts. There should be some legislation modifying the twelfth section of the act of March, 1863, relating to the affidavit to be filed in support of the petition of claimant. As the law now stands, verification by the affi la vit of the claimant, or his agent or attorney, that he believes the facts stated in the petition to be true is sufficient. Many petitions are filed verified by the affidavits of claim-agents or other persons who cannot possibly have any knowledge beyond hearsay of the facts which they swear they believe to be true. It is certainly not asking too much of any person who has a claim against the Government that he should state it distinctly and swear to it with certainty; or, if it is impossible for the claimant to make the verification, then the agent should state that the allegations in the petition are true of his own knowledge, except such matters or acts as are therein stated to be upon information and belief, and as to such matters he believes the statements to be true. Neither the commissioners of the Court of Claims, nor the court itself, can now enforce the attendance of witnesses for examination. Much testimony is lost to the Government by this want of power. The United States district courts should have authority to issue subpoenas directing attendance before commissioners of the Court of Claims, and be given power to punish as for contempt any failure to obey the command. Many of the rebel records and archives are now in the possession of the Government, and would furnish much valuable evidence to defeat excessive and unjust claims, if they could be used. The heads of Departments having their custody should have authority to properly certify them as the records of other Departments are now certified, and they should be competent evidence, their credibility and conclusiveness to be determined by the judges from all the facts and proofs in the case. APPROPRIATIONS. The following statement shows the expenditures made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, from the various appropriations made by Congress and placed under the control of this Department. It will be seen that all the appropriations have been sufficient for the purposes for which they were made, and in some instances unexpended balances remain to their credit. Exhibit showing the expenditures made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, from the various appropriations made by Congress and placed under the control of this Department. Salary of the warden of the jail in the District of Columbia: Appropriation... $2,000 00 Amount expended. 2,000 00 Support of convicts transferred from the District of Columbia: Appropriation.... $10.000 00 Amount expended. 6,177 26 Prosecution and collection of claims due the United States: Appropriation... Defending claims for seizure of captured and abandoned property: Amount expended........ Salaries and expenses of commissioners to codify the laws: Appropriation............. Appropriation act June 22, 1874... Amount expended..... Balance...... Salaries and expenses of metropolitan police: 3,102 25 $2,500 00 2,500 00 $12,000.00 3, 175 03 15, 175 03 12,000.00 3, 175 03 Appropriation.... Amount expended.. $207,530 00 204,500 00 3,030 00 $17,000.00 16,999 99 01 Current expenses of the Reform-School of the District of Columbia: Appropriation... $9,040 00 Amount expended... 7,646 79 This Department is charged by law with the distribution of the Statutes at Large and Supreme Court Reports to the officers of the courts of the United States, and the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Interior are required to furnish these books to this Department, from time to time, as they may be published. In compliance with law, the Secretary of the Interior has furnished 408 copies of volumes 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 of Wallace's Supreme Court Reports. Of these there have been distributed to the officers of the courts 367 copies. The Secretary of State has furnished 425 copies of the Pamphlet Laws of the first session of the Forty-third Congress, of which there have been distributed to the officers of the courts 369 copies. UNITED STATES JAIL. In accordance with the provisions of the act of March 5, 1872, the warden of the United States jail in this District has submitted his report for the year ending the 31st day of October, 1874. The report gives a synopsis of the expenses of the jail during the year, the daily average of the number of prisoners, the offenses for which they were committed, and their disposition. The total number of prisoners during the year was 1,810. At the beginning of the year there were 104 males and 14 females in the jail. The daily average was 161, being an increase of the average over last year of 31. Of the number committed during the year 1,639 were males and 171 females. There were released during the year 1,496 males and 168 females, leaving in the jail at the close of the year 158 prisoners. There were sent to the penitentiary at Albany 48 males and 2 females; to the Reform-School of this District, 42. One was executed, one died, and twelve were pardoned by the President. Six hundred and sixty-two were committed on the charge of petit larceny and 521 on the charge of assault and battery, seven for murder, and the others for various causes, as stated by the warden. A statement of those tried, convicted, and sentenced is submitted by the warden. The expenses during the year were: For supplies, salaries of physician, guards, and employés, $23,580.57; subsistence of prisoners, $11,814.53; beds, bedding, and clothing, $874.87; fuel, lights, gas-fitting, sewerage, &c., $2,541.84; furniture, stoves, and other miscellaneous items, $725.19; repairs, and expenses of execution, $511.77; medicines, lime,. and other disinfectants, ice, and miscellaneous articles, $1,376.02; trans portation of convicts to Albany, $1,501.54; the aggregate expenses for the year amounting to $44,854.33, being an increase over the expendi tures for these purposes during the previous year of $3,791.31. This increased expense arises from several causes: first, from the increased number of prisoners. During the previous year there were committed to the jail 1,577, being 233 less than for the current year. It was also necessary to increase the number of guards, which was necessitated by the crowded condition of the jail and its great insecurity. No escapes have occurred during the year, nor since the present warden has had charge. As has been customary since the jail was placed under the direction and control of this Department, I have directed an officer to occasionally visit it and make a thorough inspection of the food and clothing provided for the prisoners. The food, I am informed, is wholesome and abundant, and clothing is issued to those in actual need of it. Owing to the strict sanitary precautions used, no sickness of any consequence has occurred during the year, indicating vigilance and care on the part of the officers and employés. In my last annual report I had the honor to invite the attention of Congress to the propriety of making some provision for the employment of those sentenced to imprisonment in the jail, and I again respectfully invite the attention of Congress to this object, and particularly to what is said in relation thereto by the warden in his report. METROPOLITAN POLICE. Pursuant to the act of Congress of March 3, 1873, the board of metropolitan police have submitted their annual report to this Department for the year ending the 30th of September, 1874. It will be perceived from an examination of the report that the regu lar force is made up as follows: 1 major and superintendent, 1 captain and inspector, 10 lieutenants, 20 sergeants, 200 privates or patrolmen, 6 detectives. Pursuant to law, there are also in the employment of the board the following officers: 1 secretary of the board, 1 property clerk, 3 clerks, 3 surgeons, 1 major, and 9 laborers. There are also under commission 73 persons as additional privates to do duty in various localities at the expense of the parties making the application for their appointment; making an aggregate of 256. There are detailed for duty at the central office or headquarters, 1 major and superintendent, 1 captain and inspector, 1 lieutenant, (as hack-inspector,) 6 detectives, 1 lieutenant, and 4 privates as sanitary officers. The District of Columbia is divided into eight precincts, to each of which are assigned 1 lieutenant, from 2 to 3 sergeants, and from 20 to 30 privates. Twenty-six members are detailed to special duty, as follows: 3 at the Executive Mansion, 2 at the police court, 2 at the railroad depots, 3 at police headquarters, as telegraph operators, &c., and 16 at the various station-houses. In the enforcement of discipline and efficiency, charges have been prepared and trials accorded in 94 cases, resulting as follows: 7 dismissals; 1 dropped from the rolls; 1 reduced to the ranks; 20 reprimanded; 8 fined; 10 cautioned, but complaint dismissed; 47 complaints dismissed. A very satisfactory state of efficiency is reported by the board during the year. There has been expended in the maintenance of the force during the fiscal year ending June 30 last the sum of $204,976.62, as appears from the statement of the disbursing officer of this Department who disbursed that appropria |