The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-01-12

Will be marked as may De desired. M
Will be given to anonymous inquiries ii no re
ply is printed within three weeks. write again.
A. B., Charlottesville, Ind.-It is i'm
practicable TO furnish any further IN
formation as TO deafness ratings otne
than that given in our issue OF the ISL III
slant.
ID. H., Fall River, Mass.-What yo.
probably refer 10 is the act of March
1889, "for the relief of certain voluntee
and Regular soldiers of the late war ant
the war with Mexico, as amended by tfft
act of March 1891. and the act of March ?
1885, The act is quite lengthy, providing
;or removal of charges of deSertIon ano
issuance OF honorable discharges under d
variety OF circumstances when shown 10y
the official records or otherwise to me
satisfaction OF the War Department You
can obtain a copy of the act by address
ing "Chief of Record and Pension Once,
War Department Washington, ID. Z.
J. A. My section 47OS, Revised
Statutes, it is provided that ION the re, re
marriage of any dependent motner
having pension, such pension
shall cease"
j. NJ. s., Bloomingdale, d.-Ap-
parently you had lawful notice OF tine
proposed reduction of your pension. How
ever. that question will be authoritatiye1y
determined no doubt, by the decision on
the appeal you have taken TO the Secre-
tary of the Interior. As regards the 1ali-
ure of the Pension Bureau 10 give you the
rating recommended by the examining
board it should be remembered that sec
ton 1885,. Revised Statutes, makes the
ratings and recommendations OF EXamin.
ing Surgeons subject TO the approval OF
the Commissioner CT Pensions" AS your
appeal does not necessarily involve the
question as TO your title TO higher pres
ent rating, as you say you made it IN
your "rerating" case, you can file another
application for increase at any time. Ii
gou or your attorney can hear nothing
from your old claim under the general
law Notwithstanding that you filed adj
llitional material evidence - months ago,
perhaps your member of Congress or one
of your Senators could ascertain the
status of the case for you.
S. J. W., Mapleton, Utah.-H you were
examined in February last, and the proofs
in your case are completed, you may
advantageously stir up the Pension Blu
reau little See reply to j. NJ. s., above.
The attorney you mention appears to be
i'm good standing.
j. j. c., Fayetteville, Ark.-A decision
of the Assistant Secretary OF the Interior
dated June 80, 1896, holds "The minor
children of a deceased soldier have no
title to pension i'm their own right under
the act of June "a, 1890, while the widow
of such soldier is living and not re-
married, unless such widow has forfeited
ner Tlgni 10 DeIlSloif uiltci iiit aNt VI
Aug Z, 1882 adulterous cohabitatlon'
Or section 1905 Revised Statutes, unfit
person to have care and custody OF the
children'l notwithstanding such widow
married such soldier subsequent TO the
passage of said act (and so is distinctly
barred from title under the act of 1o90).
This decision has not been reversed by
the present Administration. If the widow
the stepmother of the minor children,
should die remarry, the children then
under is might apply for pension under
the act of 1890.
Ognim. absence of a record OF
marriage or marriage certificate, and the
death OF witnesses to the marriage, is not
necessarily an insurmountable obstacle to
proving marriage, If the parties were
actually married and lived together and
were recognized as husband and wife ana
the fact can be shown. pension claim
can be reopened, no matter how long 1t
has been rejected or lain dormant in the
Pension Bureau If the increase on pen
stoned disability was granted and no
statement made as 10 the official status OF
the claim on disability not covered by the
pension certificate, it is probable that the
latter claim was rejected at the same
time the former claim was allowed. The
person YOU mention is in the Washington
City directory as a physician, but IS
known to be doing some business as a
pension attorney. He is not known TO be
"a member DI bCdEd u JkSSANn vi iR1N
Pension Bureau.
|. NJ. S.. Detroit, Mich.-The rate of
general law pension of the widow OF a
Second Lieutenant IS SIS; Of a First
Lieutenant, S17. But these rates are de
pendent upon the soldier having incurred
the fatal disability while holding such
rank. The rate Of general law pension OF
widows Of enlisted men is So, if the
parties were, married before March 10,
1885, or before or during the soldier
service, If his service was since March -,
1886 Otherwise the widows rate would
be only IS per month; the same as that
allowed under the act of June p, 1890, for
all widows, without regard 10 rank. I"
In all cases an additional allowance OF So
per month is made for each child OF the
soldier under the age Of 16.
c. g., Denver, Colo.-Your claim for
compensation for the loss Of your private
horse while you were in the military
service during the war of the rebellion is
barred by statute of limitation which ex-
pired Aug. -, 1891. The claim should
have been presented before that date.
Such claims as are unsettled are in
charge Of the Auditor for the War Depart
ment Treasury Department.
Is. b., Plant City, Fla.-Ihere is no law
whereby a soldier of the war OF the re-
bellion "can get $3.50 instead Of 100 acres
Of land" under the soldiers homestead
law.
I. J. l., Lutts, Tenn.-The act Of March
s, 1877, as amended by the ACT OF Aug. l.
1892, provides. THAT the law prohibiting
the payment OF any money on account Of
pensions 10 any person, or TO the widow,
children, or heirs Of any deceased person,
who, in any manner, engaged in or aided
or abetted the late rebellion against the
authority Of the United States, shall not
be construed 10 apply 10 such persons as
sfterward voluntarily enlisted IN either
the Navy or Army Of the United States.
and who, while in such service, incurred
disability from wound or injury received
or disease contracted IN the line Of duty -
II viii be observed that this has reference
only TO claims for pension under the
general law. If the official Confederate
records snow that the soldier was con
scripted and deserted within A compara-
lively short time, AZ Is probable that tn c
service 10 the so-called Confederate
States would be regarded as involuntary
and the claimant entitled TO pension un
der the act OF June u, $780, on account OF
subsequent loyal service
j. M, LcetOnia, O.-There are no fixed
ratings for the several diseases you men
ton, because the degree Of dsablcmen:
thereirom varies and may be differen: in
different persons. Specific rates are fixet;
only when the disablcment is substanti-
ally the same IN every person; as hernia
loss OF an eye, loss Of fingers loss Of a
leg, etc.
>. II. T., Ninton. lowa--Even though
the allowance under "a pension certificate
aggregates only SIS % less than SIS. the
recognized attorney IS entitled 10 the full
amount OF his contract fee according to
the fee law of 1884 The Zee law is such