The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-05-01
Questions Answered.

G. w. b., ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ent brothers and sisters of soldier are
only entitled to pension while under
sixteen years of age.
T. r., VERGENNEs.-Yo are not en-
titled to pension. The pension laws
make no provision for pensioning
mothers or other dependent relatives of
soldiers who died leaving widows, or
children under sixteen years of age, sur
viving them.
G.. S., DANvILLE.-The exit from
Office of Assistant Secretary of the In
terror Hawkins will not be lamented by
the soldiers. Hawkins has been arbi-
trary in the exercise of his duties, and
seems often to have esteemed himself
mightier than the law, but we doubt il
the suffers who claim large damages
will obtain satisfaction in the courts.
They will learn that the attorneys fees
in court are not contingent on success
and are not limited to S25.
S. W., RUTLAND. Your Boosting
that your pension appeared to be Sc
cured so easily and quickly, and that if
you had another claim to prosecute you
would not employ an attorney, but do it
Yourself, reminds us of the old lady's
remark when she came to Montpelier
for the first time by rail. When fully
convinced that she was in Montpelier,
she exclaimed: If had known that
l could have come so quickly / should
have walked" We think that in nine
cases out of ten the claimant makes a
mistake in prosecuting his own claim
or in employing an attorney who lacks
skill and experience in the pension
business.
M. B., WooDBURY.-If the treasury
department settled your deceased broth
er's account for Communication for ra-
tons while prisoner of war, and paid
the amount due you and surviving
brother, you need not fear suit by
more distant relatives against you TO
recover part of what has been paid
to you. The decision of the auditor
and comptroller of the treasury is an
adjudication of rights with which our
courts will not interfere. The treasury
officials required you to prove re-
lationship to the soldier prior to paying
the sum due him to any of his heirs.
If any mistake was made by emitting
an heir entitled to share of the money
due the soldier the heir could now APP
ply to the auditor, and by showing his
right to part of the money, receive it
direct from the treasury. The pay
ment of money to the wrong party does
not defeat the claim of the rightful
heir. In such cases the government
sometimes pays claim twice. If you
made any false representations or fur
nished false testimony in bringing
about the payment of the money to
you, the government could recover the
money paid you, and if the false state
ments were made wilfully you would be
liable to punishment. We assume and
believe, however, that every transac-
ton on your part was made in good
faith, and therefore the money you have
received is rightfully yours. Bounty
and other allowances due soldiers for
service in the army are paid to the
heirs named in the law granting such
bounty and allowances. 1t is seldom
that any such allowances are paid to
any relative of the soldier more distant
than brothers and sisters. You say
you have paid niece of the soldier
part of the money paid you and desire
to know If you can recover it from her.
If you paid it under protest and she
owns attachable property you could
probably oblige her TO pay you the
amount.