Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-06-11
THE AMENDED BOUNTY LAND
BILL.

upon the following bill, amendatory OF the
Bounty Land bill, it now only requires the
signature of the President of the United
States to become law:
AN ACT to amend the act in addition to certain
acts granting bounty land to certain officers
and soldiers who have been engaged in the mil
itary service of the United States, approved
March 3, 1855.
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States Of
America, an Congress assembled, That in
all cases where certificate or warrant for
bounty land for any less quantity than one
hundred and sixty acres shall have been is
sued to any officer or soldier, or to the widow
or minor child or children of any officer or
soldier under existing laws, the evidence up
on which such certificate or warrant was is
sued shall be received to establish such serv-
ice of such officer or soldier in the application
of himself, or of his widow or minor child or
children, for certificate or warrant for so
much land as may be required to make up
the full sum of one hundred and sixty acres,
on proof of the identity of such officer or SOL
dier or, in case of his death, of the marriage
and identity of his widow, or in case of her
death, of the identity of his minor child or
children: Provided, nevertheless, That if, up
on review of such evidence, the Cotnmis-
sioner of Pensions shall not be satisfied that
the former certificate or warrant was proper
ly granted, he may require additional evid
ence, as well of the term as of the fact of
service.
Sec. 2. And be 1t further enacted, That
in all cases where pension has been granted
to any officer or soldier, the evidence upon
which such pension was granted shall be re-
ceived to establish the service of such officer
or soldier in his application for bounty land
under existing laws; and upon proof of his
identity as such pensioner, certificate or
warrant may be issued to him for the guam
tity of land to which he shall be entitled;
and in case of the death of such pensioned
officer or soldier, his widow shall be entitled
to certificate or warrant for the same guam
tty of land to which her husband would
have been entitled if living, upon proof that
she is such widow; and in case of the death
of such officer or soldier leaving minor child
or children and no widow, or where the wild
ow may have deceased before the issuing of
any certificate or warrant, such minor child
or children shall be entitled to certificate
or warrant for the same quantity of land as
the father would have been entitled to re-
ceive if living, upon proof of the decease OF
father and mother: Provided, nevertheless,
That if, upon review of such evidence, the
Commissioner of Pensions shall not be salts
fled that the pension was properly granted,
he may require additional evidence as we'll
of the term as of the fact.
Sec. 3. And be at further enacted, That
so much of the third section of the "Act in
addition to certain acts granting bounty land
to certain officers and soldiers who have been
engaged in the military service of the United
States" approved March 8, 1855, as requires
the party claiming certificate or warrant
under the provisions of said act to establish
his or her right thereto by record evidence OF
the service for which such certificate or war
rant has been or may be claimed, be and the
same is hereby repealed; and parol evidence,
where no record evidence exists, may be ad
mitted to prove the service performed, under
such rules and regulations as the Commits
sioner of Pensions may prescribe.
Sec. 4. And be IL further enacted, That
the eighth section of the act above mentioned,
approved the third day of March, in the year
eighteen hundred and fifty-ive, shall be con-
strued as embracing officers mariners, sea-
men and other persons engaged in the naval
service of the United States during the Rev
olutionary war, and the widows and minor
children of any such officers, mariners, sea-
men and other persons engaged as aforesaid.
Sec. 5. And be 1t further enacted, That
the provisions of the said act shall extend to
all persons who have served as volunteers
with the armed forces of the United States,
subject to military orders, for the space of
fourteen days, in any of the wars specified in
the first section of the said act, whether such
persons were or were not mustered into the
service of the United States.
Sec. 6. And be 1t further enacted, That
the widows and minor children of all such
persons as are specified in the last preceding
section of this act and are now dead shall be
entitled to the same privileges as the widows
and minor children of the beneficiaries named
in the act to which this is an amendment.
SEC. Z. And be 1t further enacted, That
where any company, battalion or regiment,
in an organized form, marched more than
twenty miles to the place where they were
mustered into the service of the United States,
or were discharged more than twenty miles