Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-22
OFFICIAL.
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| DIPARTxKxr TIE IxTKaIon
] PIsUoH OrrIcE, MARcH 90, 1851.
! New questions having been presented in the exc
cuton of the Bounty Land Act of September "a
1850, and some of the rules and regulations here
tofore prescribed either misinterpreted or disre-
garded, the following instructions, approved by the
Secretary of the Interior, issued for the benefit
OF all persons interested: 9s
l. The act Of February II, ls47, having restricted land
bounty for service in the Mexican the
stoned officers musicians and pvates Of the regular army
he claims Of commissioned officers in that service are for the
rs time recognised by the act Of 2sh Of September 1850
was not the intention of that to bestow bounty land on
ae chole army Of the United STATES whererr located but
only ON those whose service was connected WITH or had
direct reference to that nor can the act be properly
rued to embrace the officers and employees attached 10 the
war department in Washington their service not being Of
mat kind which was contemplated It is not that
officers should have been actually within the limits of Mexico
or on the borders thereof provided they actively
in the war and directly connected with its operations.
. In the war Of 1912 troops frequently called out By
State authority and not Immediately mustered in The service
of the United States If the Federal Government maid ucb
troops from the time Of their enrolment and before thew
were actually mustered in the service Of the United States
That payment is equivalent to recognition of their service
were paid by the United States furnishes convenient and
practical standard for estimating the period of service
g. The conflicts with the Greek Indians which
about 5ho May, 1885, and ended Both Of September 1897
are considered embraced by the of 1850 large bodies
Of troops having been mustered Ia the United States service
and several engagements having occurred attended by the
loss Of many lives In battle. within that period The DISTURB
Dances the southwestern frontier 1896 in the Cherokee
county in 1885 and 1887; and the New York disturbances
in 1888 and 1889, not considered embraced by the
provisions Of the act Of September 1850.
II has been settled that Indians who were regularly mug
tered into the service Of the United States and formed
Ponen part OF the line Of the entitled the benefit
Of the act In the Of the Cherokees who have an or
gained and Judicial system in operation the
affidavit in support Of application for land bounty must bc
made before Of their Judges whose official character shall
be certified by their principal Chief The Creeks having no
judicial officers the United States agent in that nation is a
thorzed to administer the necessary oaths.
has been heretofore stated that " teamsters and ar
GERS were not entitled to land bounty but this to be
understood, such acers belonged to the
line Of the army and regularly detailed for that parc
lar kind of service.
s. Surgeons employed by commanding officer at stpu-
lated rate Of compensation, but commissioned or belong
ing to the line Of the army, not entitled to land bounty.
Il has been decided by the Department that the sub
ute performing the military service and the employer is
entitled to the land bounty but when the engagement is
partly performed by BOTH each is entitled to his share accord
ing to the period of service.
g. Where the declaration Of the claimant on OATH support
ed by regular and authentic discharge in conflict with
the military rolls the former general rule will be prefer
red And where the rolls silent the claim
ant the positive testimony of officers and soldiers with whom
he served AMI whose found the rolls will be
ceived as evidence. s4
g. The act of September 1850, excludes oil persons who
have received entitled receive land bounty under any
act Of Congress, heretofore passed. In all applications here.
after presented, (reasonabe being allowed for these in
structons to circuate will be required that the claimant
shall state in his declaration that be has received il
entitled to receive such bounty.
TO- The Department has decided that widows entitled to
the land bounty Of deceased soldiers they widows
the passage Of the act Of September 3d. 1850. This the
law in its general application. But the widow Of officer
or soldier killed battle is entitled The maximum allow
Of hundred and sixty acres without reference
the period of her husbands service And, although
RED woman at the passage Of the act unmarried at the
1cte of her application, her claim is valid
IL. The death Of officer soldier maybe proved BY
satisfactory evidence and if officer soldier should die
after the declaration fled the Pension Office, but before the
issuing Of the warrant it shall be competent for the widow,
there be widow for the minor children to apply for
The said warrant and receive the filing the necessary
proofs Of title. t..'.. @sa
Considerable anxiety prevails in quarters regard
The execution Of this law and much impotence manifested
to whether applications forwarded have been received and
when the likely to be issued few e1plana-
lions will probably suffice Up to the time when the present
Commissioner entered upon the discharge Of his Duties he
ls December ls5O between thirty and forty thousand ap-
picaons received but the force employed had been
upon other branches Of the business special
acknowledgement had been made to claimants Early in De-
cember printed circular prepared and dispatched by every
mail, acknowledging the receipt Of claims but it i'm
possible for obvious reasons that this circular could be for
warded previous applicants necessarily confined
the future. ash}gtE ,tt es1sSHss r3aj eFm!
Hundreds, without knowledge Of these facts have been
surprised that their applications neglected. when
Others subsequently forwarded have been acknowledged BY
mail If those who sent their claims prior to the 10th Of De-
cember will wait patiently, they will in due time be advised,
either in the form of warrant by letter. assigning the
reasons Of suspension rejection. Up to this period, the
office, with all is force faithfully applied, has only been able
issue between and eight thousand warrants de-
caraons received in October and early in November Some
time, therefore, must eapse before the numerous claims which
arrived In November and early in December be finally
acted on, Of which the claimants be Informed by the
usual printed acknowledgment Up to the present time,
one hupdred thousand publications been received