The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-10
OFFICIAL.


OFFTCIAE..
r Avs or THE UNITED STATES PASSED
Lat THE THIRD SESSION OF THE
FoRTY-SEC0ND CONGRESS. i4J sil
GENERAL NATURE-No. 62.1
AN ACT to revise, consolidate, and amend
Fs.4 the laws relating to pensions.
tConcludedl. IN as aiio
SEC. 90. That the failure of any PEN
sioner to claim his or her pension for three
years after the same shall have become due
shall be deemed presumptive evidence that
such pension has legally Terminated by rea-
son Of the pensioners death, remarriage,
recovery from tie disability, or otherwise,
and the pensioners name shall be stricken
from the list of pensioners, subject to the
right Of restoration to the same on new
application by the pensioner, or, if the PEN
sioner is dead, by the widow or minor chill
dren entitled to receive the accrued pen
sion, accompanied by evidence satisfactorily
accounting for the failure to claim such
pension, and by medical evidence in cases
Of inyalids who were not exempt from
biennial examinations as to the continuance
OF the disability. 5.,
Sec. 81. That when the rate, commence
ment, and duration OF pension allowed By
special act are fixed by such act, they shall
not be subject to be varied by the provi-
sions and limitations of the general pension
laws, but when not thus fixed the rate and
continuance of. the pension shall be subject
to variation in accordance with the general
laws, and its commencement shall date
ing such special act, suspend payment
thereupon until the propriety of repeating
the same can be considered by Congress.
SEC. %. That the term of limitation
prescribed by sections sixteen and twenty
three of this act shall, in pending claims of
Indians, be extended to two years from
and after the passage of this act; that all
proof which has heretofore been taken be-
fore an Indian agent, or before an officer
of any tribe. competent according to the
rules OF the said tribe to administer oaths,
shall be held and regarded by the PEN
sion.O Office, in the examining and deter
mining of claims of Indians now on file,l
as of the same validity as il taken before
an officer recognized by the law at the
time as competent to administer oaths J;
that all proof wanting in said claims here
after, as well as in those filed after the
=
passage of this act, shall be taken before
the agent of the tribe to which the claim
ants respectively belong that in regard
to dates all applications Of Indians now
on file be treated as though they were
made before competent officer at their
respective dates, andHif found to De "a all
other respects conclusive, they shall be
allowed; and that Indians shall be 'ex-
exempted from the obligation to take the
oath to support the constitution oil the
United States, required by the act Of
February fourteenth, eighteen hundred
and seventy-one, providing for pensions
to certain soldiers and sailors OF the war
of eighteen hundred and twelve, and to
WIDOWS OF deceased soldiers. 3ai q 4l.ili
SEC, 20. That the President shah ap-
point in the Department OF the interior,
by and with the advice and consent OF the
Senate, competent person.. who shall be
called the Deputy commissioner OF FEN
q sions,e with an annual salary OF twenty
i've hundred dollars, who shall De charged
with such duties IN the PENSION bureau as
the interior or may be required oy law !;
and IN case OF the death, resignation, absence
or sickness OF the Commissioner, his duties
stVAA WY f'"S"t,S '''e .e'PS, 49, $50
commissioner OF Pensions shall, upon sat
isfactory evidence that fraud was perpetra-
ted in OBTAIN shall devolve upon the Depu-
pity Commissioner until q successor Shall be y,
appointed or such absence or sickness Shall
cease. t.i,3 9.ais,..
SEC. 80. That the Commissioner OF Pen.
sions is hereby authorized and empowered
to detail, from time to time, clerks IN his
4 office to- investigate suspected attempts at
fraud on the government OF the United
States, through and by virtue OF the pro-
visions OF this or any other act OF Congress
providing for pensions, and to and IN prose-
cutting any person 50 offending, with such
additional compensation as is customary IN
cases OF special service and that any per-
son SO detailed snail nave tne power TO al
d minister oaths and take alildaVits IN the
course Of any such investigation. ss.e5
Y Sec 81. That no agent or attorney or
other person instrumental IN prosecuting
any claim for pension or bounty-iand shall
. demand or receive any other compensation
. for ms services IN prosecuting a claim Tor
pension or pounty,iand than snch as the
Z Commissioner OF PENSIONS snail direct TO
DC PAID to him, not exceeding twenty-five
dollars and any agent or attorney or any