The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-13
OUR CORREsP PONDENTS.

only Replies by malt will ordinarily be made
| within y week. aud II ia this column within thTes
! wecks-l
D. r.. Burlington Junction, Mo-1 Who Il the
| General commanding the Army 2 Was there
ever officer in the Aruiy higher in rank than q
| Lieutenant General? g. IL there a. the present
tine n rank higher than Bri zatiey- General IN
s,ser. !. Gen. John VI. ScJofeid. 2. Yes, Grant,
| Sherman, aud Sheridan held tho rank of General
| Of the Army. This rank lapscf with the death OF
| sheridan. August 5, lsss. 3. Yes; that Of M'jor-
| General
4 IT,. Jackson. GA soldier dies and leaves a
| widow who rrInnrrics and her second hrsbl nj
| Gies: she come la for a pension on account OF
| her first husband: Ansrer- II never Pensionei on
account OF the dealt! Of the nTs. husband, she can
| reiBaTrtsge TO The second husband, providing size
can satisfy to the Pension Bureau that the death OF
the hrs, husband was directly due to causs oEigi-
| mating in line Of duty ia the service.
H. j.. Eransvii'e. Ind.-Ftea-e inform me - 10
what per cent. o claims inat arc appealed are re-
ircied upon appeal aud now far behind is the Sec
| re,sry's oiIic, in the consideration of appeals?
ARslCsr. The last report OF the Assistant Secretary
OF the Interior twhn has charge ofSPpcas in pension
claim-D just out, shows that during the past year
the adverse action OF the Pccsion Buresu (from
| which ;be appeal was takepl sustained in n
triHc over 90 Eer cent. Of appeals disposed Of and
| lbHt ln about I'D per cent. the appeals were sue
ccssfil. fl agpesrs from the report referred to
that The Board OF App ,,Is of the Secre;ary's Office
| IL now practically up To date instead Gf being .
year so in arrears las been the FOR !Oug
time, and we understand that from this dac on mp
pe-is In pension Claims ~ be promptly disposed
! f. r.. indianapolis bid-Plcase print the ruling
hearing upon ihe right Of insane children To n
continuance OF pension, and state whether they
must have been under the age of l5 years the
27th OF June, 1890, to be entitled. AnsCer. We
have not space for theni, there being several long
decisions on tie sub tJect but. ia bIlcf 10 be
stated that insane. i,liotic otherwise perna-
neutIy helpless child continuance Of pen
sion, must be or must have been, must become. n
pcusioncr u,ssier either the old the law. aud
tile condition of insanity, I6Iocy permanent
les-uess must be shown - exist to- have existed
| unintertupiediy at date Of and from the time Of
attaining the age OF 10 years; " once on the PEN
sion-rolI. even if over the age OF % years the
2Ith of June. 1880 eOntiHusnce of pension may be
had under present ruling providing the said con-
dition Ofiusauity, idocy permanent lple-snsss
can be shown to have continuously existed ever
since child reached he age of l5 years. these con-
| G,ti"ns. any of them. do not develop until
after attaining the age of I6 years, continuance
| of pension cannot he had.
! ". ~ O.. AieHsUjie. PA soldier rnqrries in
,S65. anu drew pension under he old law tiii death.
in loJ4; Is widow entitled pension gn'.cr
Tie od ia from date of his death II siio prove
That his Gea.h was direct result Of disability
originating ia line OF duty in the service and
having married i.:;n prior 20 March 10 lS6. - she
not euitIed 10 tie rnte? Ansteer. Yes. 10 Doth
! ". n, Spokane. WdSh-Pieuse explain through
yoHr c,luiuns what II meant by " soldiers addi-
tiouHl homestead certificate" referred to i'm the
/ I0.ioWiHg article: instructions Containing the
follow n2 ertrHct OF Congress, aud explanatory re-
/ marks were received at the local Lsni Office to-
day. Il - seize explanatory: That all soldiers
additional homestead cr,iticates heretofore issued
! uuder the rules and regulations Of te General
Land Ofticc under section 2306 of the Revised Stat
nte7 of The United States. o. IN pursuance Of the
decisions and instructions OF the secretary OF the
| Interior Of date OF March TO- 1877, any suh5o-
queu decisions instructions Of the Secretary Of
| the Interior or the Commissioner OF the General
Land Office, shall be aud hereby declared TO be
SAld, not yithstanding any sale transfer there
! OF; and where sncn certificates have been may
hereafter sold OF transferred such sale o. a.sfer
shnlI no; he regarded iivadaling the Eight, but
/ tiie shall be good and valid IN the hands OF
oou,- fife purchasers for value; and all entries
| hcTe oOre hereafter m.do with such certificates
| by such purchasers shall b. approved aud patent
| shall iSsus 10 the name OF the assignees" An
s,Der. Tnis article refers 30 soldiers additional
eertlucae$, or scrip formerly Issued 10 soldiers 80
! bad home teaded less than lS0 seres Of land. Ia
such eases, upon Hppl icgliIon TO the General Land
Office tHe soldier furnished with certificate
| showing tina: there n.isy aEe the
soldier (enOu@h 10 make the full iGGl, ard thou.
| sands of these certificates were transferred and
sold; the instructions, etc., To give effscs TO
these transfers, and to make them valid. Such ad
ditioual ccrtiiicates 40 longer issued.
Il. n. UcSt HGwiey Pd.-Please inform me in the
Cerre, tittient- COidI.in when the Senators chosen
IL, November take their seats. ATsrer. Senators
are uot chosen By The people Ia November, but 9y
tire Legislatures OF the several States, and those
lhat ulhy be chosen this Winter to take ths place
OF those whose tesuIs expire March 4 1895. viii
take tisis when Ilie 5itt Congress couveHes
which VIII he in December. 1885, unless the Pres-
dent should cali an extra session. The members
Of the House who elected ia November will
also take their stats in December 1895.
d. e., StOuchsburg, Pd.-Picase answer through
your Correspondents Column the following:
widow pcnsiCuer dies in "A Justices Office ian medi-
ately after executing her pension voucher.
check received In due time from tine United
STATES Pension Agent. Now, who is the proper
person To iudorse the check. must adrniuis-
TRAITOR be appointed? AHS,cer. An administrator
executor would have no standing in such case.
If the widow lefi surviving minor Child Zone
under tie age OF 10 years. then the legal guardian
of such child cnu make AIN application for accrued
pension and upon furnishing coAlpe,eHt testimony
tie Secretary OF the Treasury viii, upon the
quest of the Commissioner OF Pensions, iHdOrse
upon the check ia question authorization Tor
tine guardian To collect the checss. In no other
way can II be culleeiett and II there be no minor
child children, then it reyeIts to the Govern
mcnt.
L. A. H. Randall Kdn.-Piease inform me ia re-
gard tie pension of Jr'i=e Long. Does he still
draw az month? AnStcer. No He was re-
Cuced q $50 a month. aId his petition IN the
hero for IL mandamus To compel the Secretary Uf
tile Interior ni.d the Commissioner of Pensions TO
pay him the SI2 rate is awaiting decision, having
been argued Oct. 26 1894 it is presumed That
eventusiiy the case viii get to the Supreme Court
OF lhe United States.
a. j. L., Charleston. W. TG.-A soldier died in
time of the aud left II widow and some minor
children, and the widow remarked about two
years after his death, and neither she nor the chill
dren ever drew peEs0n. Can The children now be
pensoncd from t.s date OF the mBther'5 remarriSgo
To- date of attaining the age of l6 years? Insurer.
No. not under present rulings. unless they applied
for pension prior to July l. lSs0. The matter in-
VOWED ia this question is now before the Secretary
appeal, and !, decision may be rendered very
soon under which IL may be held that such chI-
dren would I've entitled.
C. +. g., Gr,cad NcGdot0, Linn-Are any foreign
officers allowed to hold commands and act COM
nIInders in the war now IN progress between China
and Japan? Or in other words, hre any English,
French. German, American officers allowed to
take active part the lighting and field operations
of either army rs cOnIbaiHniS? AHSCeT An officer |
OF the American. German. French. English /
army, while holding commission ~ such, could |
not he active participant without violation of
ueutrality aud such officers, ii any, may 10 /
detailed there strictly non -comltan,s-s,rctly |
neutral-and there simply to note the operations |
rs disIn:erested observers.
X d. d., Homo Ciiita Mss.-Please answer the /
following questions: ]. Can - soldier OF the ate |
war gel n homestead anywhere lie can find public /
land? 2. Are my special privileges allowed to
soldiers of the late uader the homestead laws?
3. ii soldier take IA homestead. he prove it up
and get patent iIf three months after entry? 4.
What would be the probable cost? s. Do you
think that the prisoner of ball will go through
the next Congress? 4ns1ger. l. II he has Not ex-
austed his homestead right. and is not the owner
of than lG0 acres of land In any state Ter
ritury Of the United States, he enter on Gov |
erulent land that may be subject to homestead |
entry ?. Yes; they can file noi euter) by agent
but must then, In six months, enter and settle
and cultivate the land the required period Of time;
further in putting the period OF five years Of set
tenicnt and cultivation ordinarily necessary, the
soldier is given the benefit of the term Of is enlist
neni, not TO exceed four years aud thus may prove
up earlier than could civilian. and j. He
cannot acquire title under the homestead laws in
threo months; when completing title to Govern
nieut Iand under the homestead laws hs will have
% pay the price. II any. fixed by the Government
for Ihe land and the usual fees. 5. We hope SO.
" ID. s., Medina, MiIin.-I WAS drawing $40 under
The old law, atsd made application under the act
OF Juns q, 1850 and got ST.: can now apply for
nn increase under the old Law ? AnSiCer. You can
apply for ~ renewal aud increase uuder the old
law, and if found to- be entitled you will receive