The National tribune., 1896-12-17

in accordance with the practice OF the State or
Territory in which said witness resides.
Sec. S. That in the standardization OF the
pcnsioal laws the oath Of person who has
served as a nor. commissioned officer or private
shall not have any less weight than II such
person had served as commissioned omcer
Prouided That no claim shall be rejected be-
cause Of claimants inability to furnish, as 70
any material fact in the case, the testimony OF
more than one credible witness having knowi-
edge Of such fact.
Sec. 6. That in the Administrations Of the
pension laws an affiant shall be required only
to make oath that said affiant has read or
heard read tho subscribed affidavit. that the
came was prepared in his or her presence AZ
his or her dictation, is in atlantis own ian-
guage, and that the matters and things therein
stated are true.
Sec. Z. That all notifications from the Bureau
of Pensions as to the status Of any case shail
set forth each and every fact upon which fur
tber evidence is required to complete the same
Sec. 9. That all papers, memoranda. VIII
ings, letters, or exhibits received Dy the 0u-
reau Of Pensions relating TO any pension OF
claim shall be preserved and fled with tue
papers in said case, and every pensioner or PEN
sion claimant shall have the right, IN person
or by attorney, to examine and inspect each
and every such paper, memorandum. writing,
letter, or exhibit which has any reference to OF
bearing upon his or her pension or claim.
Sec. 8. That in ell claims for pension or IN
crease Of pension the records OF the war OF
Navy Department showing disabilities to have
been incurred or contracted in line OF duty
shall be conclusive of that fact.
Sec. 10. That the common-law presumption
of death. after the lapse Of seven years without
news or tidings of the missing person. shall OBJ
tain and be Of force in tho administration OF
tho pension laws: Provided, That il such per-
son shall afterwards be proved to be alive. any
pension that may have been granted on &C
count of his death shall thereupon cease.
Sec. II. That hereafter in the administration
Of tho pension laws the fact Of marriage may
be prims facie proved by satisfactory evidence
that the parties were Joined in marriage by
some ceremony deemed by them obligatory, or
habitually recognized each other as husband and
wife, and were SO recognized by their neigh
bors, and lived together as such up to the date
of the death of either of them, or If the soldier,
sailor, or marine died in the service. up to the
date of enlistment; and the children born OF
any marriage SO proved shall be deemed and
held. for pensionable purposes, to be legitimate.
Sec. H. That in the administration OF the
pension laws the war of the rebellion shall be
deemed and held to have ended and closed on
July l. 1865.
Sec. 13. That the provisions Of the act entitled
IAN act to grant pensions to soldiers aud sailors
who are incapacitated for the performance Of
widows. minor children, and dependent psf-
ents," approved juno "a. 1890, are hereby ex-
tended to all persons who served 80 days or
more in the military or naval service OF the
United States during the late war Of the rebel-
lon and who have been honorably discharged
thereform. notwithstanding prior service from
which the person on whose service the claim
depends was not honorably discharged: Pro
Uided, That the disabilities for which pension
is claimed were not contracted or incurred
while in the service from which the claimant
was dishonorably discharged, and the service
as shown by the discharge certificate shall be
conclusive as determining enlistment and dis
charge: Prorided further, That the death OF q
soldier, sailor or marine while in the service OF
the United States, and not for or in violation OF
any law or regulation thereof, shall be con-
strued and held as equivalent to an honorable
discharge in determining title to pension under
said act.
Sec. IA. That an application under said act OF
juno 81, $780, shall be sufficient as to allegation
of disability IL the applicant alleges therein the
existence of disability, not the result Of his
own vicious habits, which renders him unable
to earn support; and every disability found
to exist at the time of fling which is recognized
as pensonabe under the general pension laws
under said act of June 81, 1890. shall be taken
into consideration in determining the degree
of disability Of such applicant, and to all dis
abilities pensionable under the general laws
the same rate of pension shall be allowed as
under the general laws, not to exceed in the
aggregate $l2 per month: Prorided. That no
pension shall be granted under said act OF June
q, 1890. unless the pensionable disabilities
amount in the aggregate to at least Sc.
Sec 15. That upon the rejection Of . claim
for pension under said act Of June "a. 1880. on
the ground of no pensionable degree of dis
ability, the applicant shalt not be required to
file now or supplement- tary declaration, but
on fling in bis case the sworn statement OF .
reputable physician that pensionable degree
of disability does in fact exist an order for the
applicants examination. before another Board
of Surgeons il desired, shall issue and in case
the existence of pensionable disability at the
time of filing, the pension. when allowed, shall
commence from the date of fling the appIica-
tion as aforesaid; or, if otherwise. from the
date subsequent to said filing at which the
disability began to exist, as shown BY the evil
denee.
Sec 16. That the term without other means
of support than her daily labor" in Sec. 3 OF
said act of June 81, 1890, shall be construed and
held, to all intents and purposes, to be equiva-
lent to and mean without net income OF
$500 per annum."
Sec II. That in the administration of the
pension laws said act Of June "a, 1890, shall be
construed and held to include the classes Of per-
sons mentioned and described in paragraphs
second, fourth, and fifth Of Sec. 1893 of the Re-
viscd Statutes of the United States Provided,
al,cays, That said persons otherwise bring them.
selves within the provisions Of said act.