Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-13
THURSDAY, MARCH Is, 1873
THE ARREARS OF PENSIONS
BILL.

to the full scope of the Arrearages
of Pensions bill, passed at the
recent session of Congress, We will
endeavor to explain it as We under
stand it.
L 1t applies only to those who
died or were disabled in the war of
the rebellion. Soldiers of the Mex
lean and other wars receive no
benefit from it. The angry discussion
which sprang up on one of the last
days of the session Of Congress
grew out of an amendment offered
to an appropriation bill by Gen.
Shields, of Missouri, extending the
provisions of the Arrearages of
Pensions act to veterans of the
Mexican war and their heirs, which
would have included Jefferson
Davis. Senator Hoar, Of Massa-
chusetts, offered an amendment ex-
Guiding him from the benefits of the
act, which was carried, and after
wards the original bill was defeated,
leaving the matter as above stated,
applicable only to those who were
disabled or the heirs of those who
died in the war of the rebellion.
II. The bill provides that all
pensions shall begin from the date
of the death or the discharge of
the soldier. Where a pension has been
already granted to a soldier or to
tie heirs of a deceased soldier, if it
was paid from the time Of his dis
charge or death, he or they derive
no further benefit from this bill.
But, if they were not so paid, the
living soldier or the heirs of the
dead, are entitled to arrearages
from the time of discharge or
death, up to the date they actually
commenced receiving pensions IN
der the old law.
III. The Commissioner Of Pen
sions intends to make it possible for
every person who is entitled to ar
rears of pensions under this act to
prosecute his or her claim, without
the assistance of a claim agent,
and to do this, suggested form
of application, which We
published in the CHRONICLE
of February 4th, and which We re-
produce below. 1t is not necessary
for those who have certificates to
send them to the Commissioner of
Pensions, but they will exhibit them
to the Magistrate who signs their
application. The form of applica-
ton suggested is as follows:
"To the Commissioner Of Pensions :.
al p-nsIUneT under
the pension certificate No -, hereby
amply for the arrears due me, under
the act granting arrears CT pension,
approved January %, 1879. My post
Office address il - Here insert the
name of the pOstOft1ce, and If the
claimant resides in II city, the name
and number of the street and resi-
dence must also he given.
TtCO witnesses.
Name Of the claimant.
STATE OF -, COUNTY OF -, S.:
"-Igned in my presence, by ---,
who is known TO me TO be the person
he describes himself to be, and at the
same time he exhibited to me his pen,
sion Certificate, which is mum oeIeo
Magistrates Signature"
Write out your application,
sign it, have it signed by two wits
nesses, as above indicated, and by a
Magistrate, some Justice of the
Peace, Clerk Of a court or a Notary
Public, enclose it in an envelope
addressed 81. A. Bentley, Commits
sioner of Pensions, Washington, D.
c." We have endeavored to state
the points succinctly and clearly,
and we think, after reading this,
no one need be at loss to know
whether he or she is entitled to the
benefits of this bill, and any one
who can write can make the appli
cation without trouble. Those who
are not yet on the pension rolls an@
drawing a pension, will have t.
make proof of death or disability al
before, and when their certificate