, 1873-01-24
SOLDIERS CLAIMS.
No Necessity Of Paying an Ad-
vance Fec to Attorneys.
Let the Ex.Blue Coats Keep their Money
and Discharges in their Own
Possession.

Since the war ended inznmsrable people have
been making a living cut Of discharged soldlers'
principally in the way OF claims against the Gov
err1nent. This brood Of harpies was hatched
soon after the rebellion, and has now become, in
measure, extinct. ANY new legis1atton, how
ever, or The prospect Of any new 1egis1ation, re-
garding soldiers stimulates their greed Of gain
and sets them going again. The buainess In
itsen, is not essentially ilegitimate, IS certain
ncts Of Congress provide how those who collect {
soldiera' claims shall be reimbursed for their
trouble ind expenditure. No fee should ever be
given in advance for any legal service OF this
nature The matter herein especially re-
ferred to is soldiers claims upon the
public lands. Every ono knows that, by the
Homestead act, any man can gain legal title to q
quarter section Of land, to 80 acres OF reserved
railroad land, by living thereon for f1vo years.
4 clause Of the acr provided that person Who
had served in the army, and been regularly dis
charged, could deduct from the five years the
length Of any term of serTica not. exceeding
three years. A two years residence upon the
land was actually nocezsary in order to make the
claim good.
There is now pending in Congress bill giving
quarter section OF ordinary public land, or ~
acres OF IRseEftA IA1AottA 1naA3 " o1J t'eAA~A
who had served during the war, and been honor
ably discharged. It has passed the House,
but whether it will be equally fortunate
in the Senate is exceedingly uncertain
All acts hitherto passed relating to the claims OF
soldiers have provided for the payment OF the
attorney, to whose hands the applicant might
contile his affairs. The fee was to be deducted
from the claim, and sent directly to the attor-
ney while the balance TaB sent directly to the
applicant and not in care Of the lawyer. There
is no necessity for paying an advance toe; at
does net in the slightest degree affect the status
of the claim, or ha1p tho applicant
Certain claim agents on Canal street, IN this
CITY, taking advantage OF the pending act in re-
gard to soldiers land bounty, have advertised
both in the newspapers and by hand bills
that dishgure alf the walls and bridges
Of the city, to forward the claims
OF soldiers to portions Of the public domains
It is reported that business has thdven with
them The applicant, for the valuable interyon-
ton of these gentlemen, pays them fee OF 91o,
and resigns into their possession his dlscha.6o,
which is to them 8 very useful document, al
upon the barrett possibility that the pending act
may become q law: The fec ID simply thrown thrown
away even il the bill should succeed in getting
through tho Senate, for it will provide for the
nayment Of all legal services after they arc rem
dered. Persons Interested would, therefore, do
well to keep their paper eagles in their own pock-
cts. and their discharges in their own possesson,
until such time az they have better nse for them.
II the bill should get through, there will be
enough legal gentlemen who will be glad to un-
dertake the collection OF all claims, and the ee-
Establishment Of al soldiers titles to the public
lands, and wait to bo paid until the work is
actually done.