The Portland daily press., 1896-04-25

person or persons shall have the right
to cross examine and q tGir and full op.
| portunity to rebuff or substantlate any
facts alleged or disputed: Provided,
That when fraud is alleged the alIega-
| tions shall be reduced to writing and
under oath and the person or persons
| affected thereby shall ba furnished With
d certified copy of the charges mRae to-
gether with the names of the persons
making the same at least thirty days
prior to such Investigation, and shall be
furnished with the names of the Witness
es by whom said charges are to be proved
at least five days prior to their eXamina-
tion, such Investigation to be conducted
at the county seat of the county in which
the person affected resides, and the depo-
sitions Of witnesses residing outside of
said county shall be taken as near as may
be in accordance with the practice Of the
State Or Territory in which said witness
resides.
Sec 5. That in the administration of
the pension laws the oath of person
who has served as a noncommissioned
officer or private shall not have any less
weight than if such person had served
as commissioned officer: Provided,
That no claim shall be rejected because
of claimants inability to furnish, us to
any material fact in the case, tho testi-
mony Of more than one credible witness
having knowledge Of such fact.
Sec. 6. That in the administration OF
the pension laws an aff1ant shall be re-
quired only to make oath that said atfiant
has read or heard read the subscribed affi-
daYit, that the same was prepared in his
or her presence at his or her dictation, is
in atlantis own language, 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 shall set forth each and every
fact upon which further evidence is re-
quired to complete the same.
Sec. s. That all papers, memoranda,
writings, letters, or exhibits received by
the Bureau of Pensions relating TO any
pension Cr claim shall be preserved and
filed with the papers in said case and
every pensioner or pension claimant shall
have the right, in person or by attorney,
to examine and inspect each and every
such papsr, memorandum, writing, let
ter or exhibit which has any refereuco
to Or bearing upon his or her pension or
claim.
Sec. Q. That i'll all claims for pension
or increase of pension the records of the
War Or Navy Department showing disa-
bilities to have been incurred or contract
ed in line of duty shall be conclusive of
that fact.
Sec 10. That the common law pre-
sumption of death, after the lapse of
seven years without news or tidings of
the missing person. shall obtain and be
of force in the administration of the pen-
sion laws: Provided, That If such per-
son shall afterwards be proved to be alive.
any pension that may have been granted
on account of his death shall thereupon
cease.
Sec. H. That hereafter In the admin
istration of the pension laws the fat OF
marriage may be prima facie proved by
1at5 ofo axyi1 hot fha rti
were joined in marriage By some oere-
mony deemed by them obligatory, or
habitually recognized each other as hus-
band and wife, and were so recognized
by their neighbors, and lived together as
such up to the date OF the death of either
of them, or, if the soldier, sailor, OF
marine died in the service, up to the date
of enlistment; and tie children born of
any marriage so proved shall be deemed
and held, for pensionable purposes. to be
legitimate.
Sec 10. That in the administration of
the pension laws tba war of the rebellion
shall be deemed and held to have ended
and closed on July first, eighteen hun
dred and siXty-fve.
q Sec. 13. That the provisions of the
Act entitled can Act to grant pensions
t, soldiers and sailors who are incapacitat-
ed for the performance OF manual labor,
and providing for pensions to widows,
minor children, and dependent parents"
approved juno twenty seventh, eighteen
hundred and ninety, are hereby extended
to all persons who served ninety days or
more in the military OF naval service of
the United States during the late war of
the rebellion, and who have been honor
ably discharged therefrom. notwithstand-
ing prior service from which the person
on whose service the claim depends WAS
not honorably discharged: Provided,