Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-03-10
Remuttatit Nurtflmest.
THE slxTY.sURGEON BILL.
Speech or Hon. ID. W. voorhees,.

Whole, resumed the consideration Of the
bill III. Il. No. 6532l making appropria-
tions for the payment Of invalid and other
pensions of the United States for the
fiscal year ending June 20, 1882, the
pending question being whether the
amendment offered by Mr. Withers was
in order under Rule 80 of the standing
rules Of the Senate.
Mr.. VOORHEES,. Mr.. President,
thanking the Senator from Ohio and
the Senator from Illinois for the op-
portunity of addressing the Senate at
this time, | shall proceed to do so.
The Commissioner of Pensions asks
for additional legislation for the pur-
pose of preventing and detecting fraud ;
and bill (No. 496) has been intro
duced at his suggestion and is now
offered as an amendment to the pen
sion appropriation bill. This bill pro
vides for the appointment of lawyer
and a surgeon in each congressional
district in the United States. There
are two hundred and ninety eight con
gressional districts, and the bill asks
to create five hundred and eighty four
Federal officers
1t provides that in each district the
lawyer and the surgeon shall disagree
in politics. In other words, that if a
Republican lawyer shall be appointed
Democratic surgeon shall be appoint
ed to watch him, and if a Democratic
lawyer is appointed Republican sur
geon shall stand guard. These ex-
aminers and surgeons are to take de-
clarations and testimony of applicants
for pensions and witnesses. They
must visit each county or city in their
respective districts at least three times
year. In addition to this they must
visit such places as the Commissioner
of Pensions may direct. In case a
pensloner or witness is sick, the exam
liner and surgeon must visit him. The
third section oe the bill provides the
Commissioner may dispense with the
services of these lawyers and surgeons
whenever he may desire.
The mex; section provides for board
Of surgeons, and the following section
provides that the declaration for pen
slons or bounty land may be made
precisely as it now Is. The seventh
section makes the Commissioner su-
preme, and the eighth provides for the
appointment of kind of surgeon
general for the Pension Bureau with a
salary of $4,000 per annum. The
presumption is that this surgeon gener-
al is to have the final say upon the
question of disability in each case.
You must not forget that this addi-
tional legislation is asked on the
ground that there is not sufficient law
at present to make it possible for the
Commissioner of Pensions to prevent
fraud. | will call your attention to
the law as it now stands. and you can
then determine whether any more
legislation is absolutely necessary for
the discovery of fraud.
Section 474l Revised Statutes is as
follows
The Commissioner of Pensions is
authorized to detail, from time to time,
clerks in his office to investigate sus-
pected attempts at fraud on the Govern
ment' through and by virtue of the
provisions of the pension laws, and to
aid in nprosecuting any person so offend
ing, with such additional compensation
as is customary in cases of special
service; and any person so detailed
shall have the power to administer
oaths and take affidavits in the course
Of any such investigation.
1t will be seen that this section
Authorizes the Commissioner of Pen
sions to send, if necessary, all the clerks
in his Office anywhere in the country to
investigate any suspected claim, and
report to him.
Section 447l is as follows:
In all cases of application for the
payment of pensions to invalid pen
sioners to the 4th day of September Of
an odd year. the certificate of an ex-
amining surgeon duly appointed by
the Commissioner of Pensions or of a
surgeon of the Army or Navy. stating
the continuance Of the disability for
which the pension was originally
granted, describing It, and the degree
Of such disability at the time ofmaking
the certificate, shall be required to ac-
company the vouchers, and duplicate
thereof shall be filed in the Office Of the
Commissioner of Pensions; and if in
a case of continued disability it shall
be stated at a degree below that for
which the pension was originally
granted or was last paid, the pensioner
shall only be paid for the quarter then
due at the rate stated in the certificate
But where the pension was originally
granted for disability in consequence
Of the loss of limb or other essential
portion of the body, or for other causes
which cannot either in whole or III
part be removed, OF when disability
is certified by competent examining
surgeons to the satisfaction of the
Commissioner of Pensions to have be-
come permanent in degree equal to
The whole rate of pension, the above
certificate shall not be necessary to
entitle the pensloner to payment
The next section, No. 4772, author