The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-14

Correspondents should write each question on
separate sheet OF paper. give full name aud adj
dress and mark IL Correspondents Column" No
attention will be paid to communications not ac
companied with name and address OF writer. Its
requested that stamp be inclosed for reply by
only. Replies by mail will ordinarily be made
within week. and Ii in this column within three
weeks.l
VI NJ, Albany. N. III. Please inform
me were there any amendments to the
9. When are pensions paid at tho New
York Pension Agency, and when at the Buff
falo Agency? 3. What must a peusoner do
to have his name changed from one agency to
another? A. If Congress should pass law au.
thorizing the payment Of a soldiers pension to
his wife where they were separated, would not
such law be dangerous and unconstitutional?
5. Would it be retroactive? Ansuer l. None.
2. July, October, January and April for the
New York Agency, and August. November,
February and May for Buffalo. g. Live at least
ak months in that district in which is the
agency he desires to be transferred, and then
apply to the Commissioner of Pensions for
transfer. A. The expediency of such law has
been questioned, though few will doubt the
merit Of measure that would secure to a
worthy woman and her needy children the
pension of man 1--WE cannot believe there are
many such among our c0mrades) faithless and
heartless who abandons her support aud per-
haps spends his pension in riotous living. The
constituti0ndlity of such law may we'll be
doubted, but so far the Supreme Court of the
United States has uniformly held that a PEN
sion was mere gratuity, and as such Congress
had clear right to annex to the grant any
conditions it might deem ft. If this continues
to be the ground taken by the court Of last re-
sort it appears reasonable to assume that legis-
lation of the character referred to would stand
the test of censtitutionslity. S. No.
O. M o., Bay City. Mich.-How could my
present wife prove her marriage to me- when
the Justice of the Peace by whom we were
married, in 1865, writes, in answer to my letter,
that he has no record of the marriage aud has
forgotten the fact of the marriage? We cannot
find witnesses to the ceremony, and the mar
rage certificate was destroyed by fire in 1881.
Ansrer. II no public record of your marriage
exists and none of the witnesses to the cere.
mony can be found, and if the memory of the
officiating magistrate cannot be refreshed, then
the only way that tho marriage can be shown
is indirectly and presumptively by the testi.
moDy OF old neighb0rs and friends who know
that you lived together in the marital condi-
ton and were recognized as husband and wife
in the communities in which you have resided
since 1865. In the absence of better evidence,
such absence being properly accounted for,
their testimony should suffice.
j. B. G.. Stone Mountain, NJ C-Please inform
me, through the columns of your paper,
whether having been in the rebel army before
enlistment in the Union forces is bar to pen.
sion where the soldier deserted the rebels for
the purpose Of entering the United States
army. Answer. A prior Confederate service,
followed by an honorable Union service, is no
bar to pension for disability actually con.
tracted in line of duty in the United States
service; but as to title under the act of juno
81 1890, it is held by the present Secretary of
the Interior that pension Hereunder cannot be
paid to an honorably discharged Union soldier
who had. prior to enlistment in the United
States forces, voluntarily served in the Confed-
crate army or navy. The mere fact Of desertion
from the rebel army is no direct evidence that
the service was not at first voluntary. Our OBJ
servation is that SO far very few such claim
ants have been able to satisfy the Department
OF the Interior that the prior Confederate serv-
ice was involuntary.
j. B., Kansas City, No., and others, who ask
whether, in the event of the passage Of the pro-
posed Service Pension Bill. or the graded one
reported from the House Committee (partaking
OF Service and Per Diem Bill) the pension
OF any pensioner will be reduced, are advised
that there has never been any legislation that
operated to reduce pensions air lady granted.
When new laws have been passed it has always
been optional on tho part Of everyone as to
whether he would or would not accept pension,
II entitled, under such new law. No one has
ever been forced to take pension of any ma.
ture. 1t can be definitely STATED that the
enactment Of any Of the bills referred to or
proposed will not reduce the rate Of any pen.
sion granted or to be granted under any exist.
ing law. II appears to us that our editorials on
d 49, L. L.. II - d.