The Portland daily press., 1866-05-23
EouA1rzArroN OF BouNrrEs. The bill re-

EQUALIZATION OF BouNTrEs. = The bill re-
ported by the House Committee on Military
Affairs, to equaize the bounties OF soidlers'
sailors and marines who served in the iate war
for the Union, will be taken up tins week. "
reads as follows: y iL L al-A
Section 1. That instead of any grant OF land
or other bounty, there shall pc allowed !Ie and
marine, who faithfully served as such IN the
army. navy or marine corps ofthe United States,
and who has been or who may hereafter De nom
orably discharged from such service, the sum OF
eight and one-thIrd dollars per month, or at the
rate of one hundred dollars per year, as herein
after provided for all the time during which
such soldier, sailor or marine actually so served
between the 18th day of April, 1861, and the
- day of April, 1865, and in the case of any
such soldier, sailor or marine discharged from
the service on account of wounds received in
battle, or while engaged in the line of his du-
ties the said allowance shall be computed and
paid up to the end of the term of service for
whiehhis enlistment was made, and in case OF
the death of any such soldier, sailor, or marine,
while in the service, before the end of the term
Of enlistment, if discharged on account OF be-
ing wounded, as before provided, the allowance
and payment shall be made to his widow, or, IL
tnere DE no widow then to the MINOR chlloren
of the deceased.
SEC 2. That in computing and ascertainjng
the bounty to any soldier, sailor, or marine, or
p his proper representatives, under the prov1sloLs
of this act, there shall be deducted therefrom
any and all bounties already paid or payable
under existing laws by the United states, SO
B that in no case shall the aggregate amount OF
bounty allowed and paid exceed eight and one
third dollars for each month of actual faithful
service, or at the rate of 500 per year; and in
the case of any sailor or marine to whom prize
money has been paid or is payable, the amount
of such prize money shall also be deducted
and only such amount of bounty paid as shall,
together with such prizes, money and any other
J bounty paid or payable by the United States,
amount in the aggregate to the sum allowed by
this act.
SEC. g. That no bounty under the provis-
ions OF this act shall be paid to or on account of
any soldier, sailor, or marine, who was a cap
tured prisoner Of war at the time of his enlist
ment, nor to any one who was discharged on
his own application, or request, unless such
discharge was obtained with a view to enlist
ment, or to accept promotion in the military
service of the United States, or to be trans
ferred from one branch of the military service
to another, and who did actually enlist or ac-
cept promotion, or gas SO transferred, and no
bounty shall be paid to any soldier, sailor, or
marine discharged ON the application, or at the
request of parents, guardians, or other persons,
or on the ground of minority.
Isl SEC A. That whenever application shall
be made by any claimant through any attor'
new or agent, the claimgnt shall furnish his
post Office address, giving the name of the
county and State in which it is sit
uated, and the amount of commission or fee
which the attorney is to receive for his services
9 in the settlement of the claim, which charges
in no case shall exceed the sum of $5. The
Postmaster General upon ascertaining the
amount due shall cause to be transmitted to
such claimant the full amount thereof less the
fee to be paid to the attorney or agent, which
fee shall be paid to the attorney or agent, in
person, or transmitted to such address as the
attorney nav direct.
SEC. 5. That any attorney or agent who
shall receive from any claimant sum
greater than s. for the prosecution of any
claim under the provisions of this
act upon conviction thereof shall pay a
fine not to exceed the sum of $1,000 or impris-
onment for term not less than one year, or
both, as the court or jury may adiudge, and
shall forever thereafter be excluded from prose-
cutting claims of any nature whatever against
the Government of the United States.
SEC. 6. That in case the payment shall
be made in the form of a check, order, or
draft upon any paymaster, National bank,
or Government depository, in or near the
district wherein the claimant may re-
side it shall be necessary tor the claimant to es
tablish by the affidavits of two credible wit
nesses, that he is the identical person named
therein butin no case shall such checks, orders,
or drafts be made negotiable until after such
identification.
u SEC. 2. That it shall not be lawful for
any soldier, sailor or maine to hereafter as
sign, barter or sell his discharge, final
statement, descriptive list or other
papers, for the purpose OF transferring,
assigning, bartering or selling any interest in
any bounty under the provisions of this act;
5 and all such transfers, assignments barriers or
sales heretofore made are hereby declared null
and void as to any rights intended SO to be con-
veyed by any such soldier, sailor OF marine.
SEC. s. That no adjustment or payment of
any claim of any soldier sailor or marine, or of
h proper representatives under the provisions
of this Act shall be made, unless the applica-
of this Act