Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-02-28
RTvTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY z, 1867.
..,.n,,xn,icn OF Bsunsics.


a,er OF the war Is again before the
,s,,opal legislature, and is one in which
| a large number OF our citizens are inter
acted. The provisions OF the present
Nm sxci,es comment In various circles,
,ud has engendered In Congress sec
Seual feeling between the east and the
vest. While the measure proposes an
.suali,y to all soldiers, however short or
hong their service may have been, yet 1t
.,oyides for the deduction Of all State
and local bountes, which will bring
bet little money to the soldiers from
Few England, and taxes the property of
Nose States which paid liberal local
lounti.s to pay the bounsies OF States
sbat did not so literally provide for their
soldiers., While we favor a just and
equitable equalization Of bounties, we
mr. otest against paying for the dellnquen-
nv o, others in not having done justice
10 their own soldiers.
The history of the bill now before
Congress may be given in brief as fol-
laws: Gen. Schenck OF Ohio, at the last
session reported the main features OF
This bill from the committee on military
affairs, and 1t was passed by the House,
and sent to the Senate, where 1t virtual
" received no consideration. Suisse
an emily the bill, with the section pro-
yidinp for taking into account the local
ounties stricken, out was passed, and
made'ss an amendment TO the regular
appropriation bill, and this was not
agreed 10 by the Senate. Afterwards
Some tour or five sections Of the bill
Eroyidfpg additional bounties TO soldiers
AZ one hundred dollars was passed In
connection with another appropriation
bill. which constitutes the law now in
force FOR providing additional boun-
ties
The bill now pending before Congress
provides instead OF grant of land or
other soRRty there shall be paid to each
and every soldier who faithfully served
in the army or navy, who has been HON
orally discharged, the sum Of eight and
one-third dollars par month, or at the
rate of one hundred dollars per year for
all the time during which such soldier
actually so served, between the 18th
day of April, 1861, and the 10th day OF
April, 1865. If the soldier was dis
Oh arged on account of wounds received
in battle or in the line of his duty, the
bounty shall be paid for the full term
for which he enlisted, In case of the
de ath OF the soldier, while in service or
after his discharge, before the end OF his
term of enlistment, if discharged for
wo binds. the payment to be made to his
widow, III not remarked and If there
be no widow, to the children under six
teen years Of age.
In ascertaining the bounty to be paid
10 soldiers there shall be deducted any
and all bounties already paid or payable
ander existing laws of the United
States, or by an State, county, city, towr
or other municipal organization, or by
voluntary association so that the aggre
gate amount paid in any case from al
so urces, shall not exceed eight and one
third dollars per month of actual ser
vice, or at the rate of 800 per year. Nc
soldier or substitute who was a cap
tured prisoner at the time of enlistment
or who was discharged on his own ap
plication or that of his friends before
the 9Th OF April, 1865, unless for thu
purpose Of re- enlisting, or to accept pro
motion, Is entitled to the bounty. TIL
soldier, in order to avail himself Of tn
provisions of the bill, must make hi
application within two years from tn
passage OF the law. The law, If passed
repeals the act giving the additiona
DO unity OF 500 now in force.
We have given this statement Of tn
main provisions Of the bill with the ex
esption of the method for collecting, TO
the information Of those directly inter
ested also that the people may judge c
the Justice of the unequal taxation
will impose apon those sections OF tn
seuntry that have paid local bounties t
encourage the soldiers who went to tn
field " represent them in the army, an
per esive the Injustice of paying thei
money to help other and richer con
msni,ies for furnishing their just quota
Of men. We do not complain OF tn
principal OF equalization but of the d.
aactions proposed to be made, whic
gives the general government the &C
vantage of the local bounties we hav
peid. We know it all comes out of Ii
people, but should we Of the East pa
more than our just proportion OF boul
ties 70 soldiers Of other States when "
have once paid to our ownf
We see no mere reason for the dedu
ton of local bounties than for dedu
- r,11ay have maid tn far