The National tribune., 1884-04-03

appeared in one of our early issues The question
raised as to whether the Senate, by negIeetiag
formally accept the report OF the committee of con-
ference jeopardzed the legality ofthe bi matter
of conjecture, and never decided: in any event
that did not prevent the President from signing
the bill That excuse was never made by him or
his friends and although Grant did not actually
deliver his veto message to Congress (slch action
being unnecessary. as under the Constitution he
could and did defeat the bill BY Withholding his
signature therefToml he cannot deny the facts that
ne had veto prepared, and To ali intents and pur-
poses the bill stands as vetoed The coasure "
that has been heaped upon President Grant for
this action must remain He committed a most
grieVo,ts error, and 1t cannot be undone BY the
Detroit Post and Tribune, or by any other paper.
J. L. ", NeaO Baltimore ~ Y. says: see by the
paper that the Government has pensiOned the
soldiers OF the Mexican war. and | also see that
the greater number OF that army was Southern
men III so, Will you please state If they draw
that pension if they bore arms against the North
any time during tiie rebellion? Answer Our cor
respondent Is lust little previous The Govern
ment has not yet pensioned the soldiers of the
Mexican war. a bill providing a service pension
OF s. per month 10 all survivors OF that war has
passed the House of Representatives but It has not
yet been acted upon by the Senate and in case of
favorable action thereon by that body il will have
to be approved by President Arthur before it can
become n law. The bill ~ passed the House pro-
vides for oil survivors, without regard 10 whether
they served in the rebel army during the late war
or not. Every rebel who served in the Mexican
war and was honorably discharged EXCEPT JEFF
Davis. viii be entitled to this pension Of s. per
month if it becomes law. Widows of Mexican
soldiers will also be entitled.
a. I. B.. Broten:on. Minn.-A soldier Is consid-
cred in line of duty - when IL shall appear that
he was engaged in the regular performance of his
duty obeying the orders OF his superior officers
soldier on furough tuRless it WAS regular sick
iurloh] IS not IN line OF duty, and claim for any
disability contracted while on such individual fur
Tough would be rejected.
b. F. B.-The questions propounded by you reIa-
tive to your pending claim can be answered only
by tie Commissioner of Pensions in whose Office
the claim Is filed. u IS impossible for US TO say
whether your claim will be allowed or how long
1t will be before you hear from it, whether the
Acknowledgement or Surgeon General viii have TO
render report. fEhey may have already done SOL
If claimants would please bear in mind that we
are not part OF the Pension Office; that the pa
pers IN their cases are not IN our hands for nspee
tion and that we do not have access to them they
could possibly comprehend that we cannot give
them the status Of their claims To reply to such
questions neeessltates personal examination of
the papers pertaining to these claims which are
on file in the Pension Office, and we are not per-
mitted to do that under the rules OF the Commits
sloner of Pensions. No two claims are alike and
there Is absolutely rule that can be applied to
question OF delay IN or the final action there
In. IL IS not ayquestlon of any desire not to obge
our readers to the extent of our good nature but
such questions involve matters above men,
toned are impossible for us Tor any other per-
SOM to answer. There are S0Hse things that even
an editor does not know, and If readers do not
want US to become preniaturely bald they viii
please be reasonable
@. Il. r., TIppecanoe CITY, Ohio.-Postmasters ap-
other office, whether salaFied no. under State,
Territorial, or municipal government. except the
offices OF justices OF the peace Of notaries public,
and OF commissioners to take the acknowledgment
OF deeds, or bail, or TO administer oaths."
ills, Bath. ~ Y-1. Your service of thirty
months in New York regiment. added to service Of
fifteen months in Massachusetts regiment makes
your total actual service forty-five months which
at SS-S3 per month, amounts to $50 Deduct from
that all the U. >. bounty you ersr receired for all
your enliztments, and If there Is remainder it viii
tH2 flrax ctrr1
bounty bill, as introduced become a law Al
service rendered between April, IS6l and May
1863, viii be merged together. and al bounty
ceIved from the T. 5 viii be consolidated In deter
mining the amount to which soldier will be
entitled under the bill mentioned If it passes in its
present shape. 2 You can aliere additional disa-
claim has nothing to do with another claim for
another disability, nor are you obliged to wait
until your pending claim has been settled before
you file a claim for the additional disability.
". r B., DahIgrer, IR.-The last pension claim.
fled June 30. 1850, and therefore, entitled to ar
rears, was 4G6,7 29. Ali claims over that number
VIII draw only from date application was filed IN
Pension Office.
Nv, Yankee HaH, CaI-There were no reei-
ments from the New England States in the Mexican
war.
Cavalry, Hinooski, Yf.-The act of July &c. 1866,
provided pay in case of officers commissioned but
not mustered by reason of being killed captured
&c. The bill introduced by Mr. Steele Is an i'm
proVement, because it provides pay for officers
from date OF commission, or entry upon duty
thereunder. prior TO Une 20. 1858, without regard
to the strength of the command or company or
since said date If there was a vacancy There we're
restrictions under the act of July 25 1866, which
are not contained IN the pending bill. regulation
or rule of a Department cannot override a Joint
resolution or act of Congress.
Claimant, Detroit, Mich.-The Requirements for
testimony IN a claim Git having been previously
reJeeedl Is an indication that it has been reopened
and, II the examining surgeons find a disability
existing from the alleged wounds and the testi-
mony called for 10 or has been furnished we should
say TIE chances are favorable You failed 20 state
why the claim rejected but we infer from your
letter that 1t was on the ground of disability
a. G.. Il. CIeretand Ohio, ask: s. In case of the
death of an invalid pensioner If caused from the
disability the pension was granted for will his
widow draw the same amount Of pension during
her widowhood ~ Answer. She may or may not
draw the same amount 1t depends how much
he was drawing. The widow In all cases draws
total pension for the rank held by her husband
tgithout regard 70 the amount he was receiving
thus. If her husband was an enlisted she can
draw more nor less for herself than S. although
he may have been drawing from 81 TO So The
rates for widows are fixed by law at certain
amounts depending upon the rank held by the
soldier when his disability originated.
A. s. J., ConscGy, Ioara says: Please decide the
following bets that there bat forty DAYS in
Lent between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday
. bets there are not Who wiasP" Answer
There are but forty days in Lent in any year. as
Sundays are NOT counted they being feast DAYS
Lent this year commenced February ~ and will
end April u; deduct the five Sundays that occur
in that period and you viii find but forty DAYS
which observed as the lenten period. Lent is
fast OF forty days. wins.
j. IT.. r, Holeard Dakota, asks: 81 If man
takes q homestead and after holding it six months
pays for it, has he forfeited both homestead and
presumption rights? =. II either IS left to him
which one? s. If a takes 9 prescription and
lets his time expire without making dnai proof
has he forfeited his presumption right" Answer
i. Yes. 2. Neither. 8. Yes.
J. K, and T. B. s., Covert, Kan-Decoration and
Memorial Day one and the same, and occurs
ON the Both OF May, each year.
Inquirer, Grand Csatre Ran says: VIII You
please give, through your columns, she name and
publisher of school history of the United States
that gives fair and correct account of the late re-
right and the South was wrong. My reason for
asking is, that ali the school histories that have
seen are silent as to the right and wrong of the
matter. We want one IN school that Is biased
enough 10 tell the truth" So say we ali of US COM
rade. Ii any of our readers can help our CORE
spondent out, We request that they do so by send
ing us the information.
IT. n. c.. aurora Ho.-In all pension claims fled
since June 20, 1873 the attorney is entitled his
fee without regard to whether the claim will be al
lowed not. Said fee is due the attorney W hen
ever he shall demand it. The result of the claim
has nothing to do with the payment of the fee as
the latter is for the services OF the attorney and not
for his success.
ID. B., Pleasant Unity Pa, writes us on a postal
card to state :" What were the occupations of the
present members of Congress" He does not even
seveDty-six Senators and 325 Representatives and
we think ID. B. Is not at all modest in his question
Sometime when have leisure we will try and
compile some statistics on this question. just at