The National tribune., 1878-02-01

time of attendance thereat by he commission is made it
shall be published in the manner.
SEC. 2 That Of the pension surgeons and one com
petent clerk appointed TO the Pension Office be desg
mated and detailed for the purpose by the Commissioners
of Pensions, shall constitute commission in each of said
districts 10 make medical and surgical examinations
thorzed by the pension laws and to collect the testimony
IN pension cases. under the direction Of the Commissioner
OF Pensons and III pursuance of rules and regulations
prescribed by him. The pension surgeons and clerks
shall be detailed upon any commission shall be
thorzed to administer oats to claimants their witnesses
and the pensioners who shall appear before them or either
of them and they may together separately i'm
the performance of their duties the Commissioner of
Pensions shall direct The testimony collected by the
commission in the shall be reduced to writing and
subscribed and sworn to by the witnesses presence of
the commission, or some member thereof When the
claimant shall have produced all the proofs he desires
furnish the shall be forwarded to the Commissioner
OF tensions for the settlement and adjustment of the
cia II 1t shall appear TO the Commissioner of Pensions
III any that the attendance of claimant or his wit
nesses before the commission is impossible would be
an extreme hardship the testimony may be taken or med
ca examination made in such other the Com
missioner OF Pensions shall prescribe but additional
expense to the government shall thereby be incurred
And when In bis opinion the interests of the
requires It, or justice will be better subserved thereby the
Commissioner of Pensions may require not exceeding
three Of said pension surgeons together for the
purpose OF making medical and surgical examinations of
pensioners and claimants.
SEC That the Secretary of the Interior shall appoint
10 the Penson Ohce many pension surgeons who have
had not less than five years active experience in the prac
ce OF medicine and shall be necessary carry
out the provisions Of this act not exceeding sixty in
number and when practicable and not inconsistent with
the interests OF the service surgeons who had e
penence as Army Navy surgeons shall be appointed
Such surgeons shall hold their commissions at the pleasure
OF the Secretary of the Interior when any vacancy
shall occur by removal death resignation otherwise
the same may be filled appointment The sal
airy of pension surgeon shall be - dollars per annum
SEC 4 The Commissioner of Pensions Shall cause to
ne examined by Surgen, as often in years
al lnVald pensioners whose disabilities liable to be-
come of less degree than that for which pension was
allowed and he may any invalid peusioner to be
examined by surgeon at such times and often as he
l uoon
the medical examination of any invalid pensioner it shall
appear that the disability on account of which his
was allowed less than the degree pensioned the Com
missioner shall readust and rerae the pension justice
may require In rating pensions, the disability arising
from SIMPLE anchyosis of the elbow shall be the
OF total disability, upon the basis of rank
SEC 0slf, after pension has been allowed the Com
missioner of Pensions shall suspect that has been
procured through fraud or misrepresentation for any
other reason is of opinion that it ought continue he
may cause the payment thereof to be suspended and on
suspension he shall cause the be investigated by
the members of the commission for that district or by
clerk detailed to assist hem and if he shall suspect that
fraud npon the government has been perpetated or is
oe attempted under the pension laws, he shall cause
the same to be investigated by the commission of the
proper district clerk detailed their assistance
SEC b. The surgeons and clerks employed under the
provisions OF this shall be allowed addition TO their
salaries their actual and necessary expenses upon bills
TO oe approved by the Commissioner of Pensions
SEC Z Declarations in pension claims may be made be-
fore any member of pension commission provided for by
TINS act as well as before the officers named in section
iorseVen hundred and fourteen OF the Revised Statutes
SEC = Section foTtyseven hundred and seventy-six of
the Revised Statutes hereby amended so as to read as
follows The Secretary of the interior is authorized to
appoint duly qualified surgeon medical referee who
ha perform such duties in the adjustment of pension
claims shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of Pen
sons Ills salary shall be thousand five hundred dol
lars per annun
SEC y Ii shall be unlawful for any attorney, agent or
other person TO demand receive services in PEN
sion case greater sum than twenty five dollars No fee
contract shall be filed hereafter any case In all pend
ing eases IN which fee contract has heretofore been fled
the Commissioners of Pensions shall approve the as
TO the amount OF the fee to b allowed amount speci
sixty eight fortyseven hundred and sxy-nne and forty
seven hundred and eghtysix shall apply any
or claim hereafter filed noro any pending claim in which
the claimant has not been represented by an agent or
torney prior to the passage Of this act
SEC. 10 Sections orty-seven hundred and forty-four
tortyse hundred and seventyone hundred
and seyentytwo forySeyen hundred and seyentythree
forty hundred and seventy four fortyseven hun
dred and seventyye fortyseven hundred and seventy
seven and fotyseven hundred and eighyve are hereby
repealed.
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