The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-19
PASSED BY THE HOUSE
MIR. OVERSTREETss BILL FOR THE
BENEFIT OF EX-sOLDIERs.
An Important Measure That COnfers
the Properties OF vested Rights
on Pensions.
snecial to the 1ndiananolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, April, 1Ss@Between times
the House this afternoon took up and
passed Representative Overstreet's bill con-
ferring the properties of a vested right upon
soldiers pensions. The bill will go at once
to the Senate where it is likely to be favor
ably considered and become a law. This is
a measure the veterans have been trying to
have passed for ten years, ever since former
President Cleveland made his sweeping Or
der cutting off 80 000pensions with one stroke
of the pen. In Indiana alone $50 pensioners
were stricken down.. The Overstreet bill
will forever protect pensioners from a repe-
tition OF that infamy The report of the
committee on invalid pensions, prepared by
Mr.. Overstreet, explains fully the salient
features of the bill, as follows
This measure seeks TO prevent any pen
sion from being withheld suspended, modi-
fed or Cancelled when once the. same shall
have been adjudicated and allowed, except
for fraud, clerical error, mistake of fact
or recovery from disability. In the event
any effort is made to seek a modification,
cancellation or suspension of any such pen
sion some responsible person must first
make declaration in writing of the causes
why such pension should be so modified,
shall he allowed an opportunity to be heard.
The procedure for the Investigation of any
such proposed modification is simple. direct
and just. The machinery of the pension
department already in force in the division
of special Examination takes charge OF and
prosecutes such investigation by directing
an officer of the department already in the
field 10 proceed to the town nearest the
nf no there nv
dispositions, reduce to writing all informa-
ton that he may find, both for and against
the proposition of such proposed modifica-
ton, cancellation or suspension of said
pension This examination is had after due
notice to the party and witnesses in inter-
est and may be pursued in any locality
where any witnesses may reside. Such evil
dence shall then be reported to the de-
partment. where it is considered and passed
upon under the direction of the commits
sioner of pensions No additional officers of
the government are provided for by the bill
No additional expense other than that al
ready provided for the expense of the spe-
cial examination division is intended, and
no pension which has heretofore been modi-
fled, suspended or Cancelled is sought to be
restored by this bill. The clear and avowed
purpose of the bill is to set at rest all fur
ther anxiety and disturbance of mind of
pensioners who may fear that they may be
called upon without proper notice and time
in which to defend the pensions which have
already been granted them. 1t guarantees
to the survivor Of the reIellion, whose av-
erage age is now about sixty years and who
holds a certificate Of the government en-
titling him &c a pension that security and
peace OF mind which should come to him in
his declining years. No effort is made to
evade the right Of the government to modi-
fy, suspend or cancel any pension where
the same has been obtained through fraud.
or where an honest mistake of fact on
which such allowance was based has been
made, nor where there shall be a recovery
from the disability; but where the pensioner
has been granted his certificate after a
| thorough investigator on the part of the
government, which has required the most
careful investigation of all evidence by diff
ferent boards. II is only just and right that
the burden of proof should shift to the
shoulders of the geFsrnment when it seeks
to modify. cancel cor suspend the finding
which its officials have already entered"