The national Republican., 1867-05-17
DEPARTMENTAL.

NAVY BULLErrS-Ordered, May o.
Commodore Daniel B. Ridgely, to duty a
a member of the board Of visitors to tn
Naval Academy Acting volunteer Lieu
tenant Commander II. II. Garringe, t
command the s.-Ej, an>soea @. O. Is-.-
to the Sabine; First Assistant Enginee
James Renshaw, to the Shamokin; Actin
Assistant Engineer Isaac McAllister, I,
the Palos.
Resigned, May 9-Surgcon Job Corbin
Detached, May 9.-Acting Volunteel
Lieutenant W. +. Shankland, from com
mand Of the guard, and granted leave O
absence; Acting Master Seth W. Cowing
Acting Ensigns r. M. Wagstaff, Johf
Walker, David A. Hall, Master K. g. Fin
ney, John F. Sias, James o. Hutchusin
and James o. Baxter, from the guard, and
granted leave OF absence.
Ordered. - Acting Passed Assistant
Surgeon w. L. Wheeler, from the Don,
and ordered to the Onward.
IMPORTANT TO SOLDIER MRssESoRRs.-
Hon. Jos. Ii. Barrett, Commissioner OF
Pensions, has decided that enlisted men,
whether in the general service or in the
Veteran Reserves, detailed to duty in the
War Department as clerks or messengers,
IRE not entitled 10 continuance of their
pensions while in such service. They have,
he says, "entered the military service by
formal enlistment for term Of years are
liable at any time to be called to the per-
formance Of actual military duty, and are
subject to the articles Of war, being in oil
respects on the same footing, as regards
liability to military discipline, as other SOL
diers in the United States army
mo one questions that invalids Of the
Veteran Reserve Corps, who have not been
detailed for the performance Of duties es-
sentialiy civil, are legally debarred from
receiving pensions. But can 1t be said
that those who have been favored with po-
sitions which they prefer to life in camp or
IN the held, have also superior claim to
be pensionedH Certainly not, unless it
has been expressly SO provided by law.
"The terms Of the law on this subject are
concise and clear, TACT of April 20, 1874, J
ihat no person in the army, navy, or ma
rine corps shall be allowed to draw both a
pension as an invalid and the pay of his
rank or station in the service, unless the
alleged disability for which the pension
was granted to him be such as to have oc.
casioned his employment in lower grade
or in some civil branch of the service II
will not be maintained that the persons
questioned have been detailed for the dis.
charge Of civil duties on account Of any
greater disability than that under which
the members Of the Veteran Reserve
Corps are suffering, nor will it be alleged
that the latter as body receive any less
pay than other officers and soldiers OF like
rank or station in the army. Both classes,
in fact, receive the full compensated al
lowed to able.bodied men in same posi-.
tions. They do not, therefore, come within
any Of the exceptional classes specified by
the statute just cited"
PUBLIC LANDS IN MISSISSIPPI Com.
missioner Of the General Land Office il in
receipt Of returns showing that during the
month Of April last one hundred and fifty.
six farms, comprising in the aggregate s..
944 acres, were added to the productive
force Of the State Of Mississippi, under the
act of Congress approved June 81, 1866.