The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-28

1lOLi AAk lLSSO
amendments, and the matter went to a
Committee on Conference, which report
ed as follows:
The Committee of Conference on the disa-
greeting votes of the two Houses on the
amendments of the Senate to the bill Ii. K.
S092) making appropriations for the pay
ment of invalid and other pensions of the
United States for the fiscal year ending
June so, 1896, and for other purposes" hav-
ing met, after full and free conference have
agreed to recommend and do recommend to
their respective Houses as follows:
That the House recede from its disagree
ment 10 the amendment Of the Senate num-
bered 1, and agree to the same.
That the House recede from its disagree
ment to the amendment of the Senate
numbered 2, and agree to the same with an
amendment rs follows: At the end of the
matter inserted by said amendment strike
out and" and strike out all after the word
Surgeons" in line 20, down to and includ-
ing line 23, on page 9 of the bill; and the
Senate agree to the same.
That the House recede from its disagree
ment to the amendment of the Senate num-
bered 8, and agree to the same with an
amendment as follows: In lieu of the matter
proposed to he inserted by said amendment,
insert the following: "And it is further pro
vided that from and after the passage of this
act, all pensioners now on the rolls, who are
pensoned at less that So per month, for any
degree of pensi0nable disability. shall have
their pensions increased to So per month /;
and that hereafter, whenever any applicant
for pension would. under existing rates, he
entitled to less than Sc for any single disa-
bility, or several combined disabilities, such
pensioner shall be rated at not less than So
per month Pr0cided, also, That the pro-
visions hereof shall not be held to cover any
pensionable period prior to the passage of
this act, nor authorize n rerating of any
claim for any part of such period, nor pre-
vent the allowance of lower rates than Sc
per month, according TO the existing prac-
tice in the Pension Office in pending cases
covering any reasonable period prior to the
passage of this act u; and the Senate agreed
TO the same.
CALVIN s. BRICE,
A. p. GoRMAN,
Managers on The part Of The Senate.
Jos. II. O'NEII,
WILLIAM w. CIRCUIT,
Managers on the part Of the House.
This report was concurred in by the
Senate, and will, in all probability, be
accepted by the House. 1t will there
fore stand:
/. The prohibition of payments to
nonresident pensioners is repealed.
2. The rule of the Pension Bureau
against Boards of Examining Surgeons
stating the amounts of pension to which
an applicant is Justly entitled stands.
8. All pensions now given which are
at less rate than Sc month must be
raised to that sum, and in future no
pension will be granted of less amount
than Sc a month.
Much is gained for the comrades by
these amendments, but possibly not all
that the movers of them hoped for.
The new law will have to run the CANT
let of Interpretation by the Interior
Department, and the spirit in which
this will be made is known. The pro-
vision in regard to nonresident pen
sioners is safe, because the Commissioner
of Pensions urged the repeal of the pro-
hibition. The provision in regard to
Sc month will benefit 4S,4S9 pension
ers. There were on the roll, June so,
1894, the following numbers who were
receiving less than Sc month: