Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-28
INTERESTING SCENE.
THE HOUSE PASSES AN INCREASED PEN
SION BILL.

THE HOUSE PASSES AN INCREASED PEN
SION BILL.
The bill to increase the pensions of disa-
bled soldiers, which it is estimated will
call for about $75, 600 in addition to the
present pension appropriation, was passed
by the House Of Delegates. One of the in
teresting incidents attending its passage
was speech in it's behalf by Delegate
Chambers, an ex-Union soldier. A letter
in the Petersburg IadeaAppeal says:
After Messrs. Bolen and Gibson had
spoken for the bill, MI. Chambers walked
out in the space nearly in front of the
Speakers chair and at once caught the at
tention of every member of the house. He
pictured the gallant Virginia soldiers as he
had met them in battle, fighting and dying
for their country, and declared that no
lruer OF better warriors ever lived. When he
thought of the liberal pension he has gotten
from the U. s. government his heart almost
bled for the poor eX-Confederates who ale
suffering, and he would be willing to vote
to them every cent in the treasury not
needed to pay the actual expenses of the
government Mr.. Chambers said he fought
for what he believed to be right. He was a
Democrat before the war, has been one ever
since, and will die Democrat.
So tender and feelingly were the words of
the speaker that many men were moved to
tears, and the old hall rang out with APP
plause. Mr.. Chambers received perfect
ovation While he was speaking, Mr.. Glib
son. a colonel in the confederate army, arose
from his seat and said: "Mr. Chambers, l
must tell you | admire you for fighting for
what you thought right, and your conduct
now is most highly appreciated" After
Judge Haskler, a one armed eX-confederate,
had spoken for the bill, it passed unani-
mously to it's engrossment. Chambers is
not man of attractive person. From
wounds and disease his thin form has been
drawn partly doubled. But he is one of
the best-natured men in the house and has
been called the orator of the body.
The following is the text of the bill as it
passed the House-it still has to go to the
Senate:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Virginia, That there shall be paid out OF the
Treasury of Virginia, upon the warrant OF the
Auditor of Public Accounts, annually, upon
or after the first day of April in each year,
to the persons hereinafter designated and de-
scribed and classified upon the proofs herein
after prescribed, the amounts hereinafter spe-
CITED, as follows 10 every person who is and
has been at the time of his application citi-
zen and resident of this State for one year, and
who lost an arm, OF leg, OF a foot, or hand,
or an eye while in the discharge of his duty
as soldier sailor or marine of Virginia in
the war between the States, the sum Of thirty
dollars per annm; to every such citizen OF
Virginia who in like manner lost two eyes, OF
two feet, OF two hands, OF a hand and a foot,
or hand and an eye, or foot and an eye, by
reason of wounds received while in the dis
charge of his duty aforesaid, the sum of sixty
dollars per annum; to every such citizen who
was disabled by reason of wound received
while in the discharge of his duty as aforesaid,
if such disability be proved to be total, thirty
dollars per annum; if such disability be par
tial, but is equivalent to that which would be
occasioned by the loss of a limb, twenty dol
lars per annum; or if such partial disability
is half equal to that which would be OCCASION
ed by the loss of limb, ten dollars per annum;
to every widow remaining unmarried OF any
soldier, sailor, OF marine OF Virginia, whose
husband lost his life while in the discharge
of his duty in the military service of Virginia
war between the States, the sum OF thirty dol
lars per annum; provided that at the time of
such application and of receiving aid under
this act such widow shall be unmarried and a
resident of Virginia; and provided further,
that she shall receive such aid only SO long as
she remains unmarried and a resident of Viz
ginia.
Total disability, in the meaning of this act,
shall be SUCH as wholly lncapacltateS tne ap
plicant for manual labor. The partial dis
ability which will entitle the applicant to re-
ceive twenty dollars per annum under this
act must be proved and ascertained to the
satisfaction Of the judge to be such as inca
pacitates the applicant for obtaining liveli-
hood by his manual labor, and to be equiva-
lent to that which would be occasioned by the
loss of limb. The partial disability which
shall entitle the applicant to receive ten dol
lars per annum under this act must be proved
toi, ,odt tot icfo Of fha ind
to be such as incapacitates the applicant in
obtaining a livelihood by his manual labor
fully half as much as would be occasioned by
the loss of limb.