Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-02-02

RIGA in Congress assembled, That the biennial
examinations of pensioners required by an act
approved March three, eighteen hundred and
fifty nine, may be made by one surgeon only,
provided lac is surgeon of the Army OF Ma.
Wy, or an examining surgeon duly appointed
by the Commissioner of Pensions nor shall
the biennial certificate of two unappointed civ
ii surgeons be accepted in any case except up.
on satisfactory evidence that an examination
by commissioned or duly appointed surgeon
Is impracticable.
Sec. 2. And be IL further enacted, That all
fees paid to examining surgeons for biennial
examinations, or for examinations specially or
dered, as provided by the eighth section of the
act to grant pensions, approved July four
teenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, shall
he refunded by the agent for paying pensions
in the district within which the pensioner on
claimant resides out of any money appropria-
ted for the payment of pensions, under such
regulations as the Commissioner of Pensions
may prescribe. .-.., s...-.....-
Sec. 3. And be IL further enacted, That dec
larations 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 affirma-
ton 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 a court is holden, persons duly
qualified to administer oatbs, before whom
declarations may be made and testimony ia
ken.
Sec. 4, 44nd be IL further enacted That sec.
fion twelve of the act to grant pensions, ap-
proved July fourteen, eighteen hundred and
sixty-two, is hereby repealed. And the Com
missioner of Pensions is authorized and en-
powered to detail, from time to time, clerks in
his Office to investigate suspected attempts at
fraud on the Government through the Pen
sion Office, and to aid in prosecuting any per-
IONS SO offending, with such additional COM
pensaton as is customary in cases of special
service. -
Sec. 5. And be IL further enacted, That
all persons now by law entitled to less pen
sion than hereafter specified, who shall have
lost both feet in the military service of the
United States and in the line of duty, shall be
entitled to pension of twenty dollars per
month and those who under the same condi-
tons have lost both hands or both eyes shall
be entitled to pension of twenty-five dollars
per month.
Sec. g.. And be 10 further enacted, That no
pension claim now on file, unless prosecuted
to successful issue within three years from
the passage of this act, and no claim hereafter
filed, not thus prosecuted TO a successful issue
within five years from the date of such filing
eudil uc dtullttcu NltnOut SATISFACTORY record
evidence from the War Department to estab-
lish the same and in every case ia which a
claim for pension shall have been filed for
more than three years after the discharge or
decease of the party on whose account the
claim is made, the pension, if allowed, shall
commence from the date of filing the last pa
per in said case by the party prosecuting the
same.
Sec T. And be IL further enacted. That on
fba IF a
sion, such pension shall terminate, and shall
not be renewed should she again become
widow.
Sec. 8. And be IL further enacted, That ex-
aiming surgeons, duly appointed by the Com.
missioner Of Pensions, may be required by him
from time to time, as he shall deem for the in
terests OF the Government. To make special ex-
aminations of pensioners on the rolls of their
respective districts and such examinations
shall have precedence over previous examna-
tons, 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 board |
of three duly appointed examining surgeons !
who shall meet at place to be designated by
him, and shall review such cases as may be Or
dered before them on appeal from any special
examination as aforesaid, and the decision OF
such board shall be final on the question 50
submitted thereto. The compensation of all
snch 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 man
ner as the ordinary fees of appointed surgeons
are or may be authorized to be paid.
Sec. 9. lind be IL further enacted, That
those persons, not enlisted soldiers in the Ar
my, who volunteered for the time being to
serve with any regularly organized military or
naval force Of the United States, or when per-
sons otherwise VOLUNTEERED and rendered service
i'm any engagement with rebels or Indians
since the fourth day of March, eighteen hun
dred and sixty-one, shall, If they have been
disabled in consequence of wounds received in
battle in such temporary service, be entitled
to 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 of any such persons as may
have been killed in the temporary service afore-
said shall be entitled to pensions in the same
manner as they would have been had such per-
sons been regularly mustered Prorided,
That no claim under this section shall be val
id unless presented and prosecuted to sue
cessful issue within three years from and after
the passage of this act All such claims shall
he adjudicated under such special rules and
regulations as the Commissioner of Pensions
may prescribe most etfectually to guard against
fraud.
Sec 10. Ind be IL further enacted, That
if any person entitled to an invalid pension
under the provisions of the act granting pen
sions approved July fourteen, eighteen hun
dred and sixty two, has died or shall hereafter
die while an application for such pension Is
pending, and having a widow or dependent
relative entitled to receive a pension by rea-
son of his service and death, as provided in
said act. then the pension to such widow or
other person shall commence from the date at
which the decedent' invalid pension would
have commenced had he survived, subject to
this is amendatory.
Sec. IL. And be IL further enacted, That
all enlisted soldiers in the Army who shall
have become disabled in the service, whether
they shall have been regularly mustered in or
not, shall be entitled to the same benefits OF
the pension laws as those who have been regu-
larry mustered into the United States service /;
and the widows or other dependents entitled
to pensions by law, as prescribed by the act Of
July fourteen, eighteen hundred aud sixty two.
Of any such soldier who may have been killed,
or shall have died, or shall hereafter die, by
reason Of any GSind received or disease con-
tracted while in said service and in the line of
duty, shall be entitled to the same pension as
though such soldier had been regularly mus
tered into the service.
Sec. II. And be 1t further enacted, That the
lees OF agents anu attorneys lUf making out
and causing to he executed the papers neces-
sary to establish claim for pension, bounty,
aud other allowance before the Pension Office,
under this act shall not exceed the following
rates: For making out and causing to be du-
~ executed declaration by the applicant,
with the necessary affidavits, and forwarding
the same to the Pension Office, with the requi-
site correspondence, ten dollars which sum
shall be received Ivy such agent or attorney in
full for all services in obtaining such pension,
and shall not be demanded or received in
whole or in part until such pension shall be
obtained; and the sixth and seventh sections
Of an act entitled IAN act to grant pensions"
approved July fourteenth, eighteen hundred
and sixty-two, are hereby repealed.
Sec. I3. And be IL further enacted That
any agent or attorney who shall, directly or
indirectly, demand or receive any greater COM
pensation for his services under this act than
is prescribed in the preceding section of this
act, or who shall contract or agree to prose
cute any claim for pension, bounty, or other
allowance, under this act, on the condition
that he shall receive q per centum upon any