The National tribune., 1889-12-12
PENSION LEGISLATION.
The Recommendations or the GAR. National
Pension Committee

Pension Committee.
/ The GAR. National Pension Committee baz
decided upon the following drafts of bills 20 be
urged upon Congress this session. and trans
mitted copies of the same to each Senator and
Representative, with the request that he will
/ favorably consider them:
DISABILITY PENSION BILL
/ Be Il enacted 5y the Senate and House Of Reprs-
seHtattres Of the United States Of America "a
| Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. That all persons who served tbres
| months or more in the military or naval servics
OF the United States during the late war Of the
/ rebeiiIOn, and who have been hOnorably dis
/ charged therefrOm, and who are now or nav
/ hereafter be suffering from mental or physical
disability, not the result Of their own vieious
naOits, which lneapaeitates them for the per-
IOrmance OF manual labor, shall upon making
| due proof Of the fact according 10 sUcb rpIc9
and regulations as the Secretary Of the In
/ terror may provide, be placed upon the IisE
I OF invalid pensioners Of the United Stafez
/ and be entitled to receive SD per month
/ II such disability be t0tal-that is eauivaIens
/ to anehylOsis Of wrist ioint-and such pensio,
shall commence from the date Of fling the
Application In the Pension Office, after the pas-
sage oil TINS act. upon proof that the disability
/ tnen existed, and shall continne at that rate
during the existence Of the same in the degree
iOuhd 10 then exist; should such disability
however DO found to exist in q less degree than
total, such disability shall be pensiOned at a
relative rate to total relative proportion Of
Sl2 per month: PTOrided That persons Wboars
now receiving pensions under existing Iaws a.
| whose Claims are pending in the Pension Office
may, by application to the Commissioner AZ
Pensions, in such form as he may prescribe, re-
ceive the benefits Of this act; and nothing
herein contained shall be so Construed as 10
prevent any pensioner Hereunder from, prose-
cutting his claim and receiving his pension
uhaeT any other general or special act Pro-
rided, however, That no person shall recefva
more than one pension for the same period
Aad prosided further. That rank in the seryice
shall not be considered in application fled
Hereunder.
SEC. 2. That in considering the pepqio,
claims of dependent parents, the fact Of death
and the fact that the soldier left no widow or
minor child or children, having been shown AZ
required by law, il shall DC necessary only to
show by competent and sufficient evidence that
such parent or parents are or have been with
out other means Of support than their own
manual labor or the contributions Of others uot
legally bound for their support: PrOrided, That
all pensions allowed under this section Of tina
act shall commence from date Of actual deDeDd-
ence If claim was fled prior to July ]. 1850. and
IN case OF application thereafter made. the peu-
sion shall commence from the date of the fIino
y
date OF subsequent dependence.
SEC 5. That If any officer or enlisted man
who served IN the army or navy Of tine United
States during the late war of the rebellion and
who was honOrably discharged therefronl. bas
Gled' or snail hereafter die, leaving a widow,
minor child or children, under IS years Of age,
or IN case there be no widow or minor child or
children, a dependent mother or father. such
widow, minor child, or children. mother or
father, shall be placed upon the pension royI az
the rates established By law for widows minor
Children and parents. without regard to cause
oil death OF such officer or enlisted man: Pro-
Uided. That the cause of death Of sueh officer
or enlisted man was not OF is not due toa viola
ton OF civil or military laws. or the result OF
VICIOUS habits; Ind prOUided further, That said
widow was married to the deceased officer or
enlisted man prior to the passage Of this act.
nat the increase Of pensions for minor children
shaii be az the rate of s. per month. in
stead oil - per month, as now provided by
law, and In case minor child is insane idiOtic
or otherwise helpless. the pension shall con-
tlnue during the llieOf the said Child, or during
the period of such disability.
SIC L. That any agent, attorney, or other
person instrumental In prosecuting any claim
under section or 3 Of this act who shall
directly or Indirectly, contract for demand
receive or retain for his services or instrument
tally IN presenting and prosecuting such claim.
a sum greater than SO tpayably only upon the
order of the Commissioners Of Pensions bv the
pension agent making payment of the pension
ailowedl, or " no shall wrongfally withhold from
q pensi0ner or claimant the whole or any part
OF the pension or claim allowed and due such
peHsioneF or claimant, shall be deemed guilty Of
a misdemeanOr, and upon conviction thereof
shalt, for every such offense. be fined not ex-
ceeding Soto, or imprisonment at hard labOr
not exceeding two years, or both, in the disere-
ton of the court
SEc- .. That all laws and parts of laws which
conflict with the provisions OF this act be and
the same are hereby, repealed
a BILL CHANTING PER DIEM Service PEN-
sIoNS.
Be Il enacted By the Seaate aad House Of Ee1rs-
seHtatires Of the United States o. AmericI 10
Congress aSSem5led
SECTION l. That the Secretary OF the Interior
IS hereby authorized and directed 10 place on
the pension roll of the United States the name
Of any officer or enlisted man who shall have
served 90 days IN the army, navy or Marine
Corps OF the United States, subsequent to the
ith day of March. 1861. and prior to the lss
lay OF March, 1866. and been hOnOrabIy dis
charged said pension to commence from and
after the date of the passage of this act. and to
continue during the term of life of the said
Jtfieer or enlisted man.
SEC. . That the rate of pension for such
service shall be at the rate per month Of Ons
cent tor each days service rendered in said
army, navy or Marine Corps of the United
states: IF0rided, However. that in each and
syeTy case where the service So rendered was
eSs than 500 days. the pension shall be at the
-ate herein established tor service Of 500 days.
lad prOrtded further, That all persons whose
claims are pending IN the Pension Office. or be-
ore Congress may, by application TO the COM
missioner of Pensions, in such form as be may
prescribe, receive the benefits of this act; aud
mi al affS hall h.
IS 10 prevent any penSiOner hereunder from
Prosecuting his claim and receiving his pension
Inder any other general or special act: Ind
'r0Uided further. That all pensions granted un-
Ter this bill shall be in addition 70 any pension
granted for disability under any general or
pecial act Ind pr0Vided farther, That rank in
he service shall not be considered in appliea-
ions filed Hereunder
SEC. J. That the period of service shall ba
computed from the date of enlistment in the
United States service to the date of discharge
but pension shall be granted
lnder this act to, or on account Of any person
Who deserted prior TO July 1, 1866. and who re-
NAMED absent from his command thereafter
nd received no discharge, until he shall have
obtained certificate of honorable discharge
rom the service from which he deserted.
SEC. 4. That any agent attorney, or other
erson instrumental in prosecuting any claim
nder this act who shall. directly or Indirectly.
Ontr1ct for, demand, receive or retain, for his
ervices or instrumentality in presenting and
Foseeuting such claim. greater sum than $40
payable only upon the order of Commissioner