The National tribune., 1895-08-15
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

| g. 4. L., Harrison, Ms.--Is il true that the
| Department. of the Interior has made a ruling z
| that no pension under the old law shall be al
| lowed on a new or additional disability unless
there should be proof as to medical treatment
for same III the service; j. G.. n hospital record
| OF it or the testimony OF Surgeon or Assist
ant Surgeon 1nsscer We are not aware that
| such ruling has in terms been made, bat 10 is
our observation that il is in effect the practice
| OF the Interior Department to IN such cases
| deny title to additional pension where the tes-
tlmony referred TO cannot be furnished or
| where medical treatment at date Of return
home cannot be furnished. We do not believe
that 1T is the policy of the Department to COM
init itself to any positive ruling on the subject,
but that it will leave each case TO be settled on
the facts presented in it. governed, however
substantially by the practice above alluded TO-
w. =. d.. Call FIG.-Please inform me il the
Secretary of the Interior has ruled that widows
of soldiers of the late war who had a prior serv-
ice In ihe Confederate army or navy are not
entitled to pension under the act Of June "a
1s9OP ARsWeT. Yes he has so ruled subieet
to the exception that il the service in the Con-
fedcrate forces can be shown. TO his satisfaction
to have been involuntary. that such involuu-
tary service will be held to not defeat title
Such service will in general be held to have
been voluntary. and we believe that in very
few. If any. cases will it be conceded By the
forces was involuntary to that degree neces-
sary to take the case out of the prohibition
laid down by See 4716 K. g. u. g.
4. Il. H., seymour, Conn.,. What was the act of
March 8 1853. as regards soldiers? 2 What was
the call of the President of Oct. II. 1868? AHSWer
i. In substance it provided that persons drafted
10 tho service for nine months, and who should
enlist for one year should have bounty of $50
1t further provided that every non-commis-
stoned officer or othar par<or who haa ar ho
shall hereafter be discharged from the army of
the United States within two years from the
date of enlistment by reason OF wounds re-
ceived in battle. shall be entitled to receive the
same bounty as is granted or may be granted
to the same class of persons who are discharged
after service OF two years. 2. For 100000
men.
Mrs. ". NJ, Lima, Ohio.--If soldier hus-
band becomes insane and is taken to the asy-
ium, and while there gets a divorce, can his
widow get pension il she marries again
AHSwer. We are not at all sure that we under
stand your question; in the first place, it
would be unusual proceeding for an insane
man 10 succeed in getting n divorce; but if
one were secured, and if valid. then be would
leave no widow unless he married again, as a
divorced woman is not the widow of the man
from whom she was divorced. If the marriage
between the soldier and his wife was dissolved
by proper judicial decree, that ended all rights
Oh pensIonaDie character.
W. G., TTarerse City, hich-Please explain
why it is that when my pension was reduced
from $40 to s6 and when similar reduc-
tions are made in other cases. that these reduc-
tiOns are classed as increases in the public press
notices? AHsWer. We do not know. Such adj
Indications should be classed, and they are so
ciassed In our reports, reissues. that being
the term applied to them by the Pension Bu-
reau. Reissues are made to increase a pension
or to re luce one, and it may be your observa-
ton that at present the majority of reissues
are to reduce instead of to increase the pens0n.
I. j. W., FleningtoR, W. Ta.-Please answer
through The NATIONAL TRIBUNE the follow
ing question: About 1873 a soldier in the en-
ploy OF a railroad company fell from q bridge
and was killed leaving three children under
the age of 10 years. Are they now entitled to
pension under any law? ATlsWsr? No.
". g., Dayton, Tenn.-If a widow pensioner
remarries and then is divorced from the person
she remarked. can she. by applying for restora-
tion of pension, get back on the pension roll 4?
AHsoer. No; not unless the last marriage is de-
creed to be void d6 initio. IL the second mar
riage was valid for any period of time, then
she cannot be restored to the pension roll.
j. G.. IT,, Crane Eater, Ga.-Where pensioner
is notified that his pension under the act of
June q, 1890, will stop on account of his hsv-
ing had service in the Confederate army, will
his pension be continued If he can prove that
he was conscrpted to the rebel army and then
escaped at the earliest opportunity and joined
the Union army? ARsWer. 1t will be continued
If he can satisfy the Pension Bureau that the |
Confederate service was not voluntary.