The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-11
Chnnrcs In ,he Pension Laws.

The act to revise, consoldatcan amend
the laws relating TO pensions, approved
March 8, 1873, having made some new
provisions respecting the persons to whom
and under what terms pensions shall be
paid, has led to considerable confusion or
uncertainty in the minds Of those inter
csted. The Bureau is also in receipt OF
number OF inquiries on the subject. The
most important changes in tho law as it
stood last year may be stated as follows:
In regard to the time when pensions
shall commence, the laws provide
"That, except in cases Of permanent
sDecific disabilities, no increase Of pen
sion shall be allowed TO commence prior
10 the date Of the examining surgeons
certificate; and in this, as well as all other
cases, the certificate Of an examining sur.
geon, or Of board Of examining sur
Geons, shall be subject TO the approval Of
tho Commissioner Of Pensions"
The most important new feature Of the
law is section 0, US follows:
"That tho pensions OI widows shall be
increased from and after the twenty. nth
OF July, eighteen hundred and sixty.six,
Mt the rate OF two dollars month for
each child under the age Of sixteen years,
of the husband on account OF whose death
the claim has been, or shall 10, granted.
And In every case in which the deceased
husband has lett, or shall leave, no wild
ow, or where his widow has died or mar.
ried again, or where she has been dCprlv.
cd Of her pension under the provisions Of
the pension law, tho pension granted to
such child or children shall be increased
10 the same amount per month that would
be allowed under the foregoing provisions
to the widow il living and entitled TO
ncnsicn; provided, that tho additional pen.
sion herein granted 10 the widow on ac-
count OF the child or children OF the bus.
band by former wife, shall be paid to
her only for such period OF her widow
hood us she has been, or shal! be, charged
with the maintenance of such child or
children; for any period during which
she has been, or shall not be, so charged,
It shall be granted and paid 10 the guar
dian Of such child or children: Provided
further, That q widow or guardian TO
whom increase Of pension has been, or
shall hereafter be, granted on account OF
minor children, shall not BIO deprived
thereof by reason Of their being main.
tanned in whole or in part at the expense
of q State or tho public in any education.
al institution, or 10 any institution organ.
lied for the care OF soldiers orphans"
Under the old law, II there were but
one child, and the widow died or remar.
ried. the child was not allowed the in.
crease, The construction OF the now
provision is that child is now entitled, II
Inc widow died or Is remarked, to what
the parent is entitled to, and two dollars
additional The two dollars also applies
TO all the children. Under the old law
II but one child, and tho widow died re-
married, say the father was private, the
child would he entitled 10 eight dollars a
mouth, or tho pension received by the
widow. The amount now received un-
der such circumstance IS ten dollars, I'm
der the old law the widow Of an officer
received nothing for the children; now
all children are alike. II there DO more
than one child, each one under sixteen
wears OF NbC TGCGlfGS lWO uu1Ials III huuI
lion to the amount Of pension, which re-
mains the same for one or more. The
Secretary Of the Interior has not yet de-
clded whether the law Is retroactive The
impression ia that it is. Should it be SO
determined, the sum drawn from the
Treasury will amount TO considerable
sum. The Pension Bureau contemplated
the preparation OF d statement Of the
amount required in order to comply with
this section, but there were SO many con-
tingencics to be taken into consideration
that 1t was found impracticable to make
even fair approximation. There arc a
present 1858 army widows and dc
pendent relatives. Actual experience il
the working of tho law will alone enable
the Commissioner to determine to villa
extent this new feature in the pension Law
will affect the Treasury.
Another new provision OF the law l
that mother shall hG assumed to hav
been dependent upon her son, within tn
meaning Of this act, il, at the date o! hi
death, she had no other adequate mean
o! support than the ordinary proceeds o
her own manual labor and the contribu,
tons Of said son or Of any other person
not legally bound TO aid in support Of sale