Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-08-23
OUR VETERANS.
synopsis OF Important Laws Passed by the For
ty.First Congress-Doing Justice to
the Oflcer and Private, tho Liv-
Ing and the Dead.
Washington (July 20 Correspondence Cincinnati
IL


ed is one that soldiers may examine
with pleasure. Its acts and joint
resolutions, taken in order are those:
i. A large fund was found accu-
INFLATED from communication paid by
Quakers and others who had consci-
entious scruples against fighting, and
the tortoitures and fines arising from
desertions. The sum total was near
two millions of dollars. This was
transferred to the support of the ma
tlonal asylums for disabled volunteer
soldiers. By this and similar previ-
GUS legislation the various institu-
tons OF this character have been
made so efficient that il is no longer
necessary for any disabled soldier to
suffer from lack of home or sup
port.
:. 1t was found that large body
OF officers and those promoted to be
officers, particularly those in rebel
prisons when promotions in their
regiments were made, had been de-
prlved OF their just pay and allowan-
ces, some OF them for many months.
"A law was passed correcting the
wrong in ali these cases.
}. The government has taken upon
Itself to provide artificial limbs reg
ularly during life for all who lost
them in its service. Congress at the
last session enacted that every SOL
der disabled during the rebellion,
and furnished by government with a
limb, shall receive another one i'm
mediately, and a new one every five
years hereafter. If. however, those
entitled prefer, they are to receive
the money value of the artificial limb
instead, once in five years. This
money is to be paid by the Commits
sioner Of Pensions upon the ccrtif-
cate of the Surgeon-General Trans
portation is also TO be furnished from
the home of the soldier to the place
where the limbs are manufactured
or fitted Those who are so injured
rs not to be able to wear artificial
limbs are entitled to the money COM
pensation provided by the act
After the passage of this Law it
was found that it had been acciden-
tally limited to soldiers alone. A
supplementary bill was Immediately
passed extending its provisions to
sailors and marines.
4. All volunteer officers know how
difficult it has been to settle their
account. Under the red tape of the
departments it has been an impossi-
bility even for some of the most
faithful and careful officers in the
field. Congress has cut through all
this tape, by directing that where
no frauds appear on the face Of the
papers, such credits as seem just will
be allowed, and the officers account
settled. This applies to the army
and navy alike.
3. The Marine Hospital service
was thoroughly reorganized and
placed upon an efficient footing
Hereafter sick and disabled scamen
will be comfortably cared for in the
hospitables at the principal forts
This act largely benefits the volun-
teer seamon who served in the navy
during the war, and have since en-
tered the merchant marine.
6. The pensioners, including the
large company of widows and or
phans, have had their claims and in
terests carefully attended to. Here
after payments are to DO made every
quarter, and the loss Of time and the
expense incurred in visiting the agent
at the time of payment have been
rendered unnecessary. The proper
vouchers are to be made out by the
agent and sent by mail to the pen
sioner, and upon their return in pro-
per form, check for the amount due
is to be sent by mail to the pension
or, payable to his or her order. Con-
gress has directed the petty sums
heretofore deducted from the PEN
sion for tho preparation Of vouchers
to be paid by the government.
I. When the general bounty act
of 1866 was passed, the time for fill
ing claims under il was limited, and
this time expired during the present
summer. 1t was found, however,
that large number of faithful sol
diers, either through ignorance of
the steps to be taken, or of the fact
that q limit for filing the claims had
been fixed, would lose their bounti es
Upon representation of facts, Con-
gress extended the limit until the
first of next December.
IL was also found that the con-
struction Of certain laws, passed sub
sequent to fixing the rate of pensions
in large class of cases, would de-
crease the former rate of pay. An
act was passed at once, providing
that no pensions which had been def
initely fixed should be diminished by
any of these general acts.
8. Heretofore it has been custo-
mary to retain the evidence of hon
orable discharge fled by officers or
soldiers in the settlement of their ac-
counts. Congress, however, know
ing the value of such papers to those
who served in the field, and tie uni
versal desire to retain them as hon
orable mementoes of the part taken
by each in the contest, directed that
they should in all cases be carefully
returned.
Scores of private acts for the relief
of soldiers have been passed, and
hundreds of deserving ones have been
added to the pension rolls.
8. Any officer, soldier or marine
can now obtain q homestead of 160
acres. And this tract for every such
person will be double the value of
other selections made under the
homestead law. By an amendment
to the Army bill it is provided that
any person who served honorably
for ninety days in either the military
service of the United States during
the rebellion, and has since remain
ed loyal, may enter quarter section
OF land along any of the lines of rail-