Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-18

yey of officers Of the senior grades disabled by the in
hrmties OF age The creation Of such list ought
be mistaken for extension of the pension system The
officers who would be placed already in the re-
cept OF full pay without performing any duty The
tenn often recommended would retire them reduced
compensation promote efficient officers in their stead and
thus greatly contribute to the good of the service with
out any new imposition on the Treasury
Proposed Increase of Caoal,y
The cavalry force now authorized is inadequate by the
demonstration of experience the of the service
No troops generally efficient against Indians and
the immense extent of frontiers requires that at least
one regiment of horse should be added to the
ishment The number of prvates allowed companies
of all should in no fall below srour, with
sliding scale upwards to eghtyfour at the discretion Of
the Executive
Proposed Extension of The Pension La,os
Itwould seem but just that the pension laws provided
for the navy should be extended to the army No
is for the discrimination between these kindred
branches of the public service The pensions in both
out of the general fund and both share
dangers and undergo equal yicisstudes, in the
discharge of duties the rewards should be appoint
ed to EACH The widows and orphans OF deceased naval
officers seamen, and marines receive fveyear pensions
renewable every five years. whether the deaths occurred
in battle caused by disease contracted in service
while the widows OF army officers receive pensions only
when their husbands have been killed In action and then
but for five years. and the period has been extend
ed Widows of the enlisted (non-eommissoned Off
and privates of the army receive pensions,
matter what the circumstances although the laws allow
pensions the widows and orphans volunteers whether
officers privates) who may have been killed. have
died from any cause while in service. Such unequal le
gsaton ought surely to be corrected and time could
be more appropriate than the present THEY'VE year pen
sons granted the widows &C. of the Mexican have
just expired, or about expiring These relicts and
children of gallant officers are, almost without excep
ton, IN the humbest circumstances The subject pen
sons is well presented in report dated January 1896
made by the Committee Military Affairs of the Senate
See Senate Documents No. 49, Sd volume 1st session,
10Th Congress; also thereto annexed extracts from my
annual reports dated November % lS4 and November
20 1916.
most obedient servant WINFIELD SCOTT.
Extract from annual Report from Headquarters Of the Army,
Washington, NoUem6er %, 1S4l.
81 beg leave to recall attention to some
provision of law in favor widows and orphans regular
ceved diseases contracted in servceherc being such pro-
vision already made in behalf Of the widows and orphans
navy, volunteer and militia officers dying under such ccu
stances Indeed the whole Of army pensions widows
and orphans and disabled officers requires equitable
vision"
Ertract from annual Report from Headquarters of the Army
NeD York. Nopenl5er %, 1886.
Our pension system, including allowances widows and
alike regulars volunteers, and militia
men, disabled and in service and to their families when the
officers and die of wounds other disabilities the
poorest in all Christeudonl. please see Crosss
or HetzeFs Nil Lds following the references of the index
under the heads, Pensions to nvads and widows and
phans, provisions for.9 /. The limitation half pay
GLIDING half sabsistence 2 To the half pay of Heuan
colonel $50 month"; matter how much higher the rank of
the disabled deceased officer land less and less inferior
grades Requiring the highest Of disability ene
the officer to receive that of ha pay and
The limitation to fire years. respect to both widows and
orphansare all disreputabe to statute book and cvza
ton. trust the whole system may be literally revised"