Evening star., 1895-03-07
PENSION LEGISLATION
What Was Accomplished and What Was Pro-
posed During the Fifty Third Congress.
A Statement Prepared by the Chair
man of the House Committee on
Invalid Pensions.

Chairman Martin Of the House committee
on invalid pensions has prepared state
ment showing what was done in the way
of pension legislation during the Fifty
third Congress, as well as proposed legis-
lation which failed 1t is as follows:
Number of general House bills apd reso-
lutions referred to the committee, 96; num-
Der of general bills from the Senate, 2;
resolutions reported by the committee, 4;
general bills reported by the committee,
II, as follows:
1. To supplement the act of June q, 1890,
so as to give pensionable status to the
widows of soldiers who died in the service,
but not in the line of duty. This bill pass
ed the House. but not the Senate.
2. To repeal the law prohibiting the pay
ment of pensions to non-residentS. This
provision was enacted into law as an
amendment to the pension appropriation
bill.
8. To give the same weight to testimony
Of private soldiers as to that of officers.
This bill passed the House, but not the
Senate.
for the payment of accrued pensions This
was enacted into law March 2, 1895.
6. To punish officers for postdating vouch-
ere. This did not pass the House.
Z. To pension members of state militia
and others not regularly mustered for
wounds or injuries received in battle. This
did not pass the House.
s. To restore pensions to soldiers widows
whose pensions had ceased because Of re-
marriage, but who had again become
widows. This did not pass the House.
.. To permit fourth-class postmasters to
execute vouchers for pensioners. This was
enacted into law.
10. To amend the act of June q, 1S0O as
to insane, idiotic or otherwise helpless chill
dren. This passed the House. but not the
Senate.
II. To restore the status of members of
the Missouri state militia under the act of
June q. 1880. This was enacted into law.
Private Pension Rills.
There were referred to the committee .23S3 23S3
private pension bills introduced in the
House and II bills which had passed the
Senate. and of these private bills the conf
mittee reported LIB favorably and % ad-
versely. The ], ,233 House bills referred to
this committee may be classified as fol-
lows:
To pension quarterma sters' employees and
others not regularly mustered into the
service of the United States, or the widows
of such, 2O2; bills containing no sufficient
data to classify, 122; bills improperly re-
ferred to this committee, and hence re-
turned for reference to other committees,
81; to pension permanently helpless chill
dren of soldiers, u: to restore pensions to
again become widows, 73; to pension per-
sons whose claims are still pending in the
pension bureau, 81; bills to pension those
already pensioned, the passage of which
would be Of no benefit, 20; to pension SOL
diers or widows Of soldiers who served less
than ninety days, SO; to pension army
nurses, "a; to pension soldiers not disabled
in a ratable degree, IS: to allow arrears OF
pensions, %; exact duplicates of other bills,
II; to pension deserters or their widows,
10; to pension widows Of soldiers who died
in the service, but not in the line of duty,
such widows not being pensionable under
kI,~ - %hn sol
dier was not discharged, IS; to pension
mothers of soldiers whose death was not
due TO the service, %; to pension mothers
Of soldiers who left widow or children
having prior title, Il; to pension stepmoth-
ers or fostermothers of soldiers, II; to pen
sion fathers of soldiers, 8.
Some Other Classes.
To pension stepfathers or foster fathers,
4; to pensions, sisters of soldiers, II; to
pension stepsister of soldier, l; to pension
women not legally married to soldiers, IL;
to pension supposed widows, where soldiers
death is not positively proved, but pre-
sumed, '25; to pension adult daughter Of
soldier, l; to pension minors of soldier who
left widow by second marriage; l: to
pension widow married since June q, 1890,
1; to pension brother Of soldier for person.
ating him In the regiment for some weeks,
l; to pension soldier whose disability re-
suited from vicious habits, 2; to pension
soldier who had served for time in rebel
army, who also served in the Union army,
s; to pay pension accrued to relatives OF
soldiers, 10; to pension widow who is not
dependent, under act Of June u. 1880, 1;
to restore pensions stopped Illegally or al
loved, 3; to repeal former private. acts
procured by fraud. 8; bill identical with ore
eracted into law in Fifty-second Con-
gress, l.
Increase-To increase soldiers pensions,
900; to increase widows pensions 81; to
increase mothers pensions, 3; to increase
daughters pension, 1; to increase brothers
pension, l. Total, 1,233.