Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-13
The Pension Bureau.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER
HIS Recommendations.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER
HIS RECOMMENDATIONS.
The report ofthe Commissioner of Pensions
for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1882, con-
tains many features Of interest both to pen
sioners and to the general public. The
recommendations embodied in it are especial
ly noticeable. In regard to the Bounty Land
laws, Commissioner Dudley says: They
should be generally remodeled and simplifrd
The mistakes made in the codifcaton of the
laws, as found in the Revised Statutes. should
be corrected, and changes should be made to
equalze the benefits to all the classes Of per-
sons to whom title is already given under the
law. Sections 24ls and 2 4l9
should be amended as to separate the pro-
visions relating to the Mexican war, (under
act of Feb. IL. l847, and its amendment of
May 81. lS4S,) from the provisions of the
EqualiziDg act of Sept 90, 1850. Almost the
only change this would make would be to
give a warrant for 100 acres to a few fathers,
mothers, brothers. and sisters Con a service
Of IA days, or battle service) who are now
entitled to warrants of varying amounts,
from 40 acres to 100, according AS the service
of the soldier was one month, six months, or
twelve months. Section :, 429 should be so
modified as to give the succession to the
minors upon the re marriage, as well as upon
the death, OF the widow, in case there are
minors; provided that where there are no
minor children the widows title may return
to her on her again becoming a widow.
Section ,693 of the Revised Statutes, which
pertains to irregular enlistments, mon
enlisted persons and which grants pensions
to certain classes, should be amended so as to
extend the benefits conferred by it to wounds
and injuries received or disease contracted by
m hyy irtu
of the authority of any general officer, and to
certain classes of employees of this Quarter
master-Generars Department, who were
subjected to unusual hardships and dangers,
and would also recommend the repeal Of
the last clause of said third paragraph, "a it
imposes, in my opinion. an unjust Limitation
upon a frequently worthy class of applicants.
Section 4, 695, which fixes the various grades
of pension, might well be amended so as to
provide more equitable distribution and to
comport with the actual disabilities of pen
siOners; in fact, the time has come, in my
opinion, whom Congress should give thought
full consideration to the entire regarding of
pensions, making disability, rather than rank,
the measure of the pension. There can exist
no good reason in pensioning a volunteer
force. when for the same disability a Lieu
tenant-C Colonel shall receive $50 per month,
and a private soldier but So, both having
drawn from and returned to the same walks
of civil life
Commissioner Dudley then calls attention
to the fact that there are now III different
grades of pensioners, and says that this state
of affairs would be remedied by the amend
ment above suggested. He also proposes
another amendment to give an officer the
benefit of his actual rank. notw outstanding
the fact that there was no technical vacancy
at the time. This amendment, he thinks, is
demanded by simple justice. lie also recon-
mends that the section relating to widows
and minors pensions be amended as to
entitle minor children to pension from the
date OF the soldiers death, where the widow
has remarked prior to July /, 1880, without
having received any pension on account of
such soldiers death. Great injustice, he
says, has been done worthy class of pen
siOners by the narrow construction necessa-
rily placed upon the statute governing the
issue of pensions to dependent relatives. and
there is necessity for an amendment of the
section. In order to carry out the full and
evident intention of Congress rs exhibited by
the whole course of pension legislation, and
especially by the more recent acts and to
place old claims more nearly upon the
same footing those of the late war, the
limitation contained in section t,7l3 should
be removed so that cases barred by the three
mencement at the time of filling the applica-
ton rather than at that of the filing of the
last piece of evidence. This amendments the
Commissioner says, will affect large class
of cases, but the present law is SO manifestly
unjust that he does not hesitate to suggest tile
change.
The commissioner calls attention to the
abuses of section 4,145, relating to the
pledge, mortgage, sale. ETC., of a pension
certificate, and recommends that the section
be so amended as to read
"And any person who shall retain the certificate
of n psnsioner and refuses TO surrender the same
upon the demand Of the Commissioner of Pensions,
or United States Pension Agent, or any other
person authorized by the Commissioner OF Pensions
the pensioner TO receive the same shall be guilty
Of misdemeanor, and upon the conviction thereof
may be fined in a not exceeding 500 and the
costs of the prosecution
He then makes the following recommends.
atoms Sanction of law should be given
to the practice of Withholding unaccrued
pensions in cases of overpayment until the
overpayment shall have been covered. The
benefits of the act which removes the disabil
tiles of those, who having participated in the
rebellion, have since its termination enlisted
in the Army of the United States, and have
become disabled, should be extended to those
who served in the Navy. Widows and
invalid soldiers of the regular Army
and Navy, whose rights have accrued since
June 30th, 1880, should be allowed a
reasonable time, say two to five years. in
which to file their applications. and pension
should date from the commencement of the
accruing of the right, instead of as now from
the date of the filling of the application. In
the provisions of the Act of June Is, 1880, an
unjust discrimination has been made. and
such legislation should be made as will admit
those who are utterly helpless to the benefits
of the provisions Of this act, to date from
the time when they became utterly helpless,
aud its benefits should also extend
to those who are entitled by rea-
SON of their helplessness to the
rate Of $50. or ct date later than the pas.
sage Of the act, or who for some other cause
we're not actually upon the rolls at that grade
ON that exact day, but long afterwerd showed