, 1864-10-03


is q surgeon Of the army or navy, or an exam
lining surgeon duly appointed by the Commits
siOner Of Pensions nor shall the biennial certi-
iicate Of two unappointed civil surgeons be
accepted in any case, except upon satisfactory
evidence that an examination by q commissioned
or duly appointed surgeon is impracticablc.
Sec. 2. And be it further eadcte,, That all
fees paid to examining surgeons for biennial
examinations, or for examinations especially or
dercd, as provided by the eighth section Of the
act to grant pensions, approved July fourteenth,
eighteen hundred and sxty.two, shall be refunded
by the agent for paying pensions in the district
within which the pensiOner or claimant resides.
out Of any money appropriated for the payment
Of pensions, under such regulations as the Com
missioner Of Pensions may prescribe.
Sec. 3. And be 10 fIrther enacted, That de-
clarations Of pension claimants shall be made
before court Of record, or before some officer
thereof having custody Of its seal, said officer
being hereby fully authorized and empowered to
administer and certify any oath or affirmation
relating TO any pension or application therefor |:
PROVIDED, That the Commissioner Of Pensions
may designate. in localities more than twenty
five miles distant from any place at which such
q court is holden, persbns duly qualified to ad.
minister oaths. before whom declarations may be
made and testimony taker.
Il Sec. 4. ARd be Il further enacted, That sec
ton twelve Of the act to grant pensions, approved
July fourteen, eighteen hundred and siXty-two,
is hereby repealed And the Commissioner Of
Pensions Is authorized and empowered to detail,
from time to tim, clerks in his Office to invest
cute suspected cttempts at fraud on the Govern.
mcnt through hc Pension Office, and TO aid in
prosecuting any persons SO Offending, with such
additional compensation as is customary In cases
Of special service.
Sec. s. ARd be is further Enacted, That all
persons nov by law entitled to q less pension
than hereafter specified, who shall have lost both
feet 10 the military service Of the United States
aud in the line OF duty, shall be entitled 10
pension OF twenty dollars per month; and those
who under the same conditions have lost both
hands or both eyes shall be entitled to pension
Of twenty-five dollars per month.
Sec. 6. And be Il further enacted, That no
pension claim now OF flc, unless prosecuted 10
a successful issue within three years from the
passage OF this act, and no claim hereafter fled
not thus prosecuted to o successful issue within
five years from the date Of such fling shall be
admitted without satisfactory record evidence
from the War Department to establish the same I;
and in every caso in which claim for pension
shall have been filed more than three years after
account the claim is made. the pension, il allowed,
shall commence from the date Of fling the last
paper in said case BY the party prosecuting the
same.
Sfc.7. And 5c Il further enacted, That on
the rcmarriage Of any widow receiving pension.
such pension shall terminate, aud shall not be
rencwed should she again become widow.
See. e. ARd Be IL further enacted, That ex-
amining surgeons, duly appointed by the Com
missioner OF Pensions, may be required by him
from time 10 time, as be shall deem for the inter.
ests Of the Government. 10 make special exam
nations Of pensioners on the rolls OF their re-
spcctive districts, and such examinations shall
have precedence over previous examinations,
whether special or biennial; but when injustice
is alleged to have been done by any examination
so ordered, the Commissioner of Pensions may,
at his discretion, select q board of three duly
appointed examining surgeons who shall meet
at place to be designated by him, aud shall
review such cases as may be ordered before them
on appeal from any special examination as afore-
said, and the decision Of such board shall b. final
on the question 80 submitted thereto The com.
pensation OF all such surgeons shall not exceed
that which has been customarily allowed in such
cases, and shall be paid out Of any appropriations
made for the payment OF pensions, in the same
are or may be authorized TO be paid.
Sec. Q. ARd BE- it further enacted, That those
persons, not enlisted soldiers In the army, who
volunteered for the time being to serve with any
1 regularly organized military or naval force Of
the United States, or where persons otherwise
volunteered and rendered service in any engage
ment with rebels or Indians since the fourth day
OF March, eighteen hundred and sixty-0ne, shall,
II they have been disabled in consequence Of
wounds received 10 battle In such temporary
service, be entitled to the same benefits Of the
pension laws as those who have been regularly
mustered into tho United States service; and
the widows or other dependents Of any such
persons as my have been Killed in the temporary
service aforesaid shall be entitled to pensions 10
the same manner as they would have been had
such persons been regularly mustered: ProUided,
That no claim under this section shall be valid
unless presented and prosecuted to q successful
issue within three years from and after the pas
sage Of this act. All such claims shall DO a1ju-
dicatcd under such special rules and regulations
as the Commissioner Of Pensions may prescribe.
most ciectually to guard against fraud.
Sec. TO- ARd he Il further enacted, That if
any person entitled 10 an invalid pension under
the provisions Of the act granting pensions, at-
proved July fourteen, eighteen hundred aud sixty
two, has died or shall hereafter die while M up
plication for such pension spending. and having
widow or dependent relative entitled 10 receive
o pension by reason Of his service or death, as
provided in said act, then the pension to such
widow or other person shall commence from the
date at which the decedeni's invalid pension
would have commenced had he survived, subject
to the conditions Of this act and the net 10 which
this Is amendatory.
Sec. II. And be Il FURTHER enacted, That oil
enlisted soldiers 10 the army who shall have be.
conc disabled In the service, whether they shall
have been regularly mustered in or not, shall
be entitled 10 the same benefits Of the pension
laws as those who have been regularly mustered
into the United States service and the widows
or other dependents entitled to pensions by law,
prescribed6 the net Of July 70 irtecn, eighteen
hundred and sixty-two. Of any such soldier who
may have been killed, or shall have died, or shall
hereafter die, BY reason Of any wound received
or disease contracted while IN said service and in
the line Of duty, shall be entitled to the same
pension as though such soldier had been regularly
mustered into the service.
4 Sec. ~. And bs II further enacted, That the
ICES Of agents and attorneys fLr making out and
causing to be executed the papers necessary to
establish a claim for pension, bounty, and other
allowance before the Pension Office, under this
act, shall not exceed the following rates For
making out and causing to be duly executed q