St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-28


a success in this enterprise it win be the first
success it has ever achieved.
Dr.. WILLIAM PERRY, the eldest living
graduate OF Harvard, was seen kicking a
football with some students OF Exeter, n.
d. on the day Of election. He is ninety
seven years old, and his activity is wonder
full. We notice the deaths OF more aged peo-
pie now than We did many years ago, and
the tables Of. mortality show 4 marked in
crease OF longevity.
ExrRAPAY TO MEXICAN VETERANS
Three Months F~u Pay aud AlIoseancs
CtaiE.d Under Old Lasr.
The veterans of the Mexican war, says q
Washington telegram to the New York Her
aid, haN raised very important point in
connection with the recent decision OF the
supreme court in the case Of Gen. Emory
namely that they are entitled not only TO
three months pay proper, but TO three
months pay and allowances, which makes a
considerable difference, the pay proper Of an
officer prior to July, 1870, when allowances
were abolished, being generally less than
one-haf and in many cases not much more
than one-third Of his compensation. II the
veterans Interpretation OF the law be correct
all officers who have received three months
pay proper for their services in Mexico have
been underpaid, and the whole matter will
have 10 be reopened and probably relegated
10 the courts.
To properly understand the question in
volved brief statement Of the law and the
facts Is necessary.
In July ls4s, congress passed an act pro-
viding that officers and enlisted men OF the
army who were IN actual service during the
war with Mexico, and who served out the
term Of that engagement, or were killed or
honorably discharged, should be entitled TO
three months extra pay. At that time and
for more than twenty years afterward, the
remuneration ofAn officer consisted of pay
proper aud allowances Of various kinds. A
captain Of cavalry, for example, received $50
per month pay proper, SPA for rations, SIC
for forage, and $3.50 for servants paw,
clothing and rations, making his total mon
thly compensation S1O6.50. He was also
enntled 10 an additional ration CSC per
month"; for every i've years service as an
officer. The 'extra pay" granted by the
act Of IS4S was construed 10 mean pay prop
er only and payments were made accor-
dinghy.
In an accordance with an opinion given
by Atty. Gen. Reverdy johnson soon after
the passage Of tue act Of 1s4s, the secretary
Of war ruled that dtficers OF the regular army
who continued in Nservice after the close Of
the war were not entitled TO extra pay, and
that ruling was adopted BY the accounting
officers. About SIX hundred officers were
flrrar a I'D Of h.
congress-.
In February, 1879, the law Of 1s4s was re-
viyed with the following pFoviso: ''Provid-
ed that the provisions Of tnis act shall in
clude also the officers, petty officers, seamen
and marines Of the United States navy, the
revenue marine service, aud the officers and
soldiers Of the United States army employed
in the prosecution Of said war" On the
strength Of this additional legislation large
number Of Officers Of the regular army
whose claims had been barred BY the ruling
OF the authorities in ls48 made application
for three. months extra pay, but their de-
mands were not acceded to. Gen. Emory,
one OF the claimants, took his case to the
court OF claims, and recovered judgment in
March last. The government appealed to
the supreme court, which has affirmed the
judgment OF the court below.
This, IL was supposed. was definite and
permanent settlement Of the whole matter,
and the accounting officers were preparing
TO adjust all the claims which have been he ID
up pending the decision OF the court, but the
old veterans have sprung a mine under the
astonished treasury officials, and boldly
claim three months full pay and allowances.
The acts Of Is4S aud 1879, they say, do not
contain the words ''pay proper and the
word pay" as used In said acts means the
salary, compensation, or recompense that
the government paid to its military officers
for theft services. In other words, 1t is paw,
rations and allowances.
II the veterans are successful in this their
latest claim at least three thousand officers,
including volunteers and militia, who have
already been paid. viii be entitled to the diff
ference between pay proper and pay and al
lowances, which viii amount TO about S400,
0O0- Those who have not been paid about
six hundred oficrrs and between four and
Eve thousand enlisted men-win receive up
ward Of 100000, making total cost OF
500, 600. II they fail, then only the IN
PAID officers and enlisted men viii be bcne-
fted, and the drafts On the treasury will not
exceed S200, 900.
The roll Of living ofiicersaFho are now en-
titled TO the gratuity provided by the act of
1879 contains many notable names: Gems.
Bragg, Don, Carlos Buell., Joseph z. Johnston,
Mcdowell, aud Fucker were captains; Gems.
Grant, Sherman, Lonestreet Beauregard,
Fitz John Porter, Getty, Ingalls,, HI. Hunt
Doubleday, and Truman SEYMOUR we're first
lieutenants, and Gems. Hancock. Franklin,
Mcclellan. Pope, Augur, GibbOn, Pitcher,
Charles P Stone, Gustavus W. Smith. Plea
sonton, Sturgis, stoueman, and others, we're
only second heutenants. The octogenarian
Harvey vas a. colonel OF dragons, aud
Philip St George Cooke was = major in the
same regiment Fremont the 'psth6uder, >
was lieutenant colonel Of the mounted rifles,
and Gen. Emory, who has had the trouble
and expense OF lighting the government in
two courts was first lieutenant in the topo-
graphical engineers, and Lieutenant colonel
OF Hughes reE3nent of Maryland and dis
trict OF Columbia volunteers
As the claims OF those Mexican veteran 5
who 'went south" are Just as valid as though
their loyalty had never been In question,
there Is : probability that JEFF Davis will be-
come entitled to S279. that being the differ
ence between his pay proper for three months
IS colonel of the Mississippi rifles and his full
pay aud allowances Tor the same rifles.
The extra pay does not belong 10 the
estates OF the veterans, congress having d.
rected that II shall be paid 10 the following
representatives only, in the order named:
First. widows, second, children; third, pa
rents, and fourth, brothers aud period.
Bueklens Arnlca saive.
The best saive intne world for Cuts, Bruises,
Sores. Ulcers. Salt Rheum, Fever Sores. letter.