National Republican., 1884-06-25
WHO ARE BENEFITEDs

Provisions OF the Mexican Pension Bill
witch Passed the Scnatc-Thc Sections Re.
lntlug to Union soldiers.
The following isn summary Of fthcprovislons
of the Mexican pension bnl as passed by the
Sruutc
section one directs tho secretary Of the int.
rior 90 place on the pension roll the names Of
| surviving officers und enlisted men Of the milf
| tnry and naval service who actually served
| iO0ftocu days In Mexico or were on its coasts
| of frontier, or rn route to Mexico, or were uct.
mlly ina battle OF the Mexican war and hon
| ombly discharged, aud such officers, soldiers
and sailors rs may have been personally
named In any resolution
| ut congress for specific service in that war,
/ aud such of their widows ~ have not remar.
! riud provided such officer, enlisted man, or
| widow bc or become G2 ycnrs of age, or sub.
! iurt too disability or dependency equivalent
| 10 some cause recognized by the pension laws
Of the United States us sufficient reason for the
allowance of pension. No person Is eutitled
To the benefits Of the bill who does not come
! within this rule Of age or disability or who
! incurred such disability while voluntarily
| engaged In the late rebellion,
section fixes the rate at s. per MONTH pay
able only from the passage Of the act, for aud
during the life of the beneficiary or during the
continuance Of the disability. Pensioners nl-
| tcudy receiving s. per month are, however, cut
oil, aud those receiving less than 81 simply get
the difference between S. and the amount they
have been heretofore receiving
| Section throws the burden Of proof on the
person applying for the pension, to show that
he is entitled to II. declares ihlsc oathS In Snch
proofs to be perjury, and directs to the secrc-
tnry of the interior TO stop the pension on dis
COVCry ut fraud. Loss Of certificate of dis
Churgr shall not exclude the applicant from
the benefits Of the act other record evidence
Of enlistment aud service und OF honorable
discharge may be deemed sufficient, Land
warrants granted for the war service shall be
prmu uCiC evidence of service aud honorable
| discharge but may be rCbuttcd by evidence
that the wurrant was Improperly grnted.
ny section I the pension laws already i'll
force, aud not inconsistent with this act, are
made part ofths act So far as plicable.
Section pruhbitsattorneys and agents from
charging more than $40 for services to the
claimant, and torbidS collection OF the money
till the claim Is allowed.
section rcpcals section t7lG of the revised
statutes 50 far as 1t relates to thisbll. lSeCtion
i7lG prohibits the payment Of pensions TO those
who voluntarily engaged IN rebellion.
section excludes from pension all persons
lnbormg under the political disabilities I'M
posed 10y the fourteenth amendment:
| section \ gives pension to all persons
WHO FOR three months served on the union side
! IN the war Of the rebellion, who has an hon
urbr discharge, and is or shall become disa-
hrd from any cause not the result OF his own
gross Curclcs,uC>s, disreputublc conduct, or
vicious habits, and Is dependent on his own
labor for support. The amount of this pension
is To- be prupOrtlonntc to the degree of disa-
bility and io commence from the date of filing
the application. The highest mte allowed
under this section Is S2i u month, which
amount Is made divisiblc for less degrees OF
disability No person can, however, claim the
benefit Of this pension who already receives Il
pension higher thnn S2i n month.
Applicants having claims now pending, or
who lnuy hereafter file Claims, may elect to
prosecute their claims either under TINS act OF
The general pension laws
section increases the pensions ofall widows,
, or minor children of soldiers and sailors, who
are now receiving - II month to sl2 month,
aud extends the increase 10 all such who may
, hereafter apply who under existing laws
!. would bc entitled to s. u month.
I section II provides that If an! invalid pen
sionrr whose disability was contracted In the
service and In line of duty, has died, or when
7 he shall hereafter die, leaving u widow or
minor child under l6 years of age, or both
, they shall he entitled, in the order named, To
l an original pension in their own right under
| existing laws, without being required TO prove
that the death of the husband or father was
| due tu his military or naval service
l Section II continues the pension of minol
children when they become of unsound mint
or physically helpless
Section II provides that in considering claims
Of dependent parents after proving the fact o.
l. | death and lis cause and that no widow ol
children are left II shall only he necessary Il
prove that the parent Is without other mean
r OF comfortable support than his own manna
labor ur the contributions OF Others not legally
bound to support him or her, and such de
@ pendent parents shall hereafter be entitled Il
!, Sl2 month instead OfSS,
section - makes the record of inlistmcn
aud mastering into service prind fdcic evidence
. OF SOundCSs at the time Of enlistment, subject
however to rcbutta by competent evidence.
section II provides that no person shall b
entitled TO more than one pension ut the SAM
n time under any OF an laws, unless the ac
4 under which the double pension is granite,
shall specially SO DECLARE.
The bill now goe, to the house of representa-
Z tivrs for concurrence III the senate amend
i mCllts.