The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-04
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety Of Interesting
Subjects.

arate sheet of paper, give full name and address,
| and mark 1t Correspondents Column" No atten-
ton VIII be paid to communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
| Our readers requested to inclose stamp for
reply to their inquiries.
A. d. N, Oxford Mich-1. The total debt of the
United States, less cash in the Treasury, Nov. l,
1884 81 Az 159 $50 s. The interest the pub
lie debt was, that date, IS 676 9l3.S7 2. There
| Is no saloon under the White House, nor are
| liquors sold about the premises. restaurant I'M
der the Senate and one under the House of Repre-
sentaIves in the L. ,. Capitol. enables our weary
Legislators and the discreet pulic to refresh them
selves with cold tea.' 3. All u ). bonds are ex-
| empt from taxation. National banks are taxed
one per cent on their circulation. D. National cur
rency will not pay duties, because the law stipu-
| laes that such duties shall be paid in gold. s. A
soldier returning from ordinary furlough would
| not be in line of duty.
4. p. D., Forest HiH, Ind. An original invalid
| claim for pension filed under act of July 8,
1870; feeagreements fled for $2j; claim has been
rejected Can another attorney call it up and stop
| the fee from the other attorney? 2. dependent
father files claim for loss of his son, who was his
support-the mother of the soldier being dead; left
| one own brother and no more Who does this
accrued pension legally belong to? 3. Who is
| the present Commissioner of Pensions? 4. Can
! arrears of pension be increased for liabilities,
! which has not been filed IS say for gunshot
wound, other part of pension for chronic diaTrhea?
Anstcer. l. The contracts filed in claim hold only
so long rs the attorney in whose favor they were
executed remains the legally recognized attorney.
Ii, after filing the contracts the claim is rejected,
ana another attorney 10 recognized by the Penslon
Office in the claim, the former attorney has fur
| Their rights in the case and the contracts have
force. In pending claim where the attorney has not
neglected it, he cannot be supplanted by another
attorney calling up the claim. 2 The father is the
| only person entitled. Should he die while claim
is pending. the accrued pension would revert to
the Government except much may be neces-
sary to pay claim for reimbursement. 8. Hon.
| Otis F. q. Clarke. 4. We do not quite grasp the
| question. If claim for gunshOt wound has never
been filed it cannot draw arrears, because it was
not filed prior to July 1880. If this is not what
| You mean, state your question clearly.
Con,rdde, Exeter, n. H., asks who would be Presi-
dent in case of the death of the President-elect
| prior to March a. 1885? Anscer. That Is nice
| question: not put as clearly it might be. Mr..
Cleveland is not President-eect until the electoral
votes are counted and he is so declared by Congress
/ In case of his death prior to that time cleo
ton would have to be held; although il is held by
| some that new election would not be necessary,
| but in our opinion it would be. If he should die
! after having been announced by Congress as the
President-elect, Mr.. Hendricks would succeed to
| the Office.
! NJ. p. E. Harreyri!e Kan-1. We cannot state
| how long period eapses after Special Examiner
| notifies the claimant before he acts on the case.
The Special Examiners so far behind with their
work that there appears to be no standard of time
! by which their action can be gagged. About all
! you can do is to await the royal pleasure of the
| Special Examiner Under the administration of
Commissioner Clarke We expect that order will
take the place of chaos. 2. John g. Fremont was
the first Republican candidate for President in 1856.
He was defeated by Buchanan by 60 electoral votes.
A. r. c., North Fair Hdren, " Y.-F person
wishes to erect memorial monument over the
grave of a soldier who was killed in the war, does
not the Government allow something towards it?
For instance, an amount equivalent to the head
stones now furnished; and if so, what is the allow
| ance? IfSacer. The Government does not allow
anything for such purpose. 1t will furnish the
standard headstone for a soldiers grave, but moth
ing else.
| j. G. H., ColeUiUe, Pa.-Does the General Land
| Office, or any other Department. publish papers,
books or circulars showing where Government
| land can be had? Where can get such informal
ton? AnS'Cer. Write to the Hon. Commissioner of
| the General Land Office, Washington, d. c.. for
copy of circular of March l. 1884 and on page 102
/ will ind a isl of = anGf tn of
which You can write for information regarding the
| public lands available for settlement. All other
information you desire be found i'll the circular
mentioned.
G. W., Nashville, Mich-There are many cases
where pension is claimed on certain disabilities,
and 1t is found upon medical examination that the
physical condition of claimant is due rather to other
disabilities not alleged in the claim consequently,
! the rating given often appears inadequate to the
ability of the claimant to perform manual labor,
and yet 1t may be fair rating upon the claim as
made. The Examining Surgeon often finds claim
ant completely broken down with a complication
of ailments, only of which may be alleged in
the claim; several disabilities may be alleged and
| only one proven, and iii such case he endeavors
to separate the particular disability for which PEN
sion is to be given from the other disabilities and
rate 1t as certain percentage of the whole 1t is
quite probable that diagnosis of your phys
ical condition will show that the diseases alleged
! in your claim of minor i'm portance, compared
with other diseases not alleged and of the existence
of which you may be lgnorant; or they may not
! have been caused by your army service. These
are medical questions that claimants do not
|
you await the result OF application Tor restora-
ton, which will probably show the facts.
| ". j. s., Btoon.ingdate, N. we do not agree
| with you Ia the mentioned the Post did a
| very praiseworihy act and one that is clearly
within the scope of their duty and their oath as
comrades of the G lar A two-thrds vote of the
Post legally donate available funds for chari-
table purposes outside the Order, if need be- but
in this case the soldier was, to all inents and pur-
poses comrade. Your Chaplain is quite rig Int in
his Interpretation of the duties of the comrades.
| L. ID. f., OS,cdyo, Pd-The law in regard to
| trusses provides the manner i'll which they shall
be supplied. 1t is unfortunate that you cannot
avail yourself of the privileges of the law, but
see remedy. State the fully to the Surgeon
General. He may have some discretionary power
| that will admit of a different mode Of procedure
| i'll your
d. f. d., laurence Mass. wants to know If claims
for bounty under the act of July %, 1866, be
| collected AnSper. No. No claim for such bounty
can be considered unless filed prior to July l, 1880.
| S. C., Sheridan, Iid-None but soldiers discharg-
ed for grounds prior to the expiration of their
ice were certified TO the full bounty. If you were
discharged for disease, You were only entitled to the
instruments of bounty due at the date of your dis
| charge. There has been no legislation the SUBJ
| ject since the act was passed.
| ". g.. Poiatiae, W. Vo.-What are the legal attor-
ney's fees in the following classes OF soldiers
claims: Back pay and bounty; pay for and risk
of n horse in cavalry other service; pay for q
of desertion under act of Congress, July s. 1854 !;
procuring discharge certificate for soldier who has
| lost his original paper; communication for rations?
| AHsiCer. The legal fee for collecting the first two
classes of claims mentioned is 10 per cent the
first 500 or less amount, and iveper cent additional
the of 500 The fees in the other classes
of claims mentioned are not regulated by law, and
are matters TO be agreed upon between the claim
ants and their attorneys.
H. ~. H., Dela,odre, o.. If soldier is ordered
at distance before an Examining Board and his
disabilities such it is impossible for him to
ply, how shall he proceed? p Ifan increase is al
lowed, but not commensurate with his disabilities,
| and application reconsideration IS granted
can he introduce evidence. s. Is il necessary
! to make out new declaration in order to submit
more testimony? ARstOer. l. Notify the Commits
soner of Pensions of the facts returning the order
! sent, and request an order more convenient. z
! Yes 8. No
| j. 8. s., Fdrmiagton, I'll. Can mother draw
pension for death of son i'll the service if she has
! married since his death. even if her second hus-
! band has deserted her? 2. Can children draw PEN
sion for death of father for the time they were
under l6 years of age, although they are now
| grown up and some of them married? ARSlUer. /.
! no. 9. Yes, under certain circumstances
j. f. e., Recrer Fails Pa, says that he is informed
| that there is pamphlet published stating that
] every soldier that went secret expedition, or
| who risked his life at sea i'll n Storm who
countered any great extraordinary peril during
the is entitled to $500, and asks for informal
| ton. AnSiper. There is nothing of the kind in
existence, nor is was there any such, provision
| of law. Somebody has evidently been amusing
| himself at your expense by unwinding yarn"
| j. b., Fort Ftttermdn, Wy0minJ Teri How
| many inmates there i'll the Soldiers Home in
the District of Columbia? 2 Is that the only Home
in the United States for disabled soldiers of the
| Regular Army? AnSIUer. l. There We're 10 per-
! sons receiving the benefits Of the Home Oct. 81,
1854 OF this number 527 are resident inmates and
! 1872 living with their families elsewhere and
are receiving an allowance in money in lieu of the
/ -. al M,