The evening times., 1900-01-27

vorable report on the bill introduced by
Senator Mcbride. on December 6, amend
ing the act of 1892, granting pensions to
the survivors Of the Indian wars Cf 1882
Il, inclusive. known as the b ack Hawk
! war, Greek war, Cherokee Disturbances,
and the Seminole war.
The act is amended and extended to in
clude the names of the surviving officers
/ and enlisted men who served for thirty
! days or more and were honorably dis
| charged under the United States military,
state, Territorial or provisional authori-
ties in the Florida and Georgil Seminole
Indian war of 1S171S; the Fevre River In
dian war of Illinois of 1927; the Sac and
Fox Indian war of 1881; the Sabine In
dian disturbances of 1861; the Cayuse
Indian war of lS47-4S, on the Pacific C as;
the Florida wars with the Seminole In
disns from 1Si2-5S. inclusive; the Texes
and New Mexico Indian war of 1896;
the California Indian disturbances of 1851
70: the Utah Indian disturbances of 1880
55, inclusive, aud the Oregon and Wash
iGgton Territory Indian wars from 1S51-56.
inclusive and also to include the suryiv-
ing widows of such officers and elisted
men, provided that such widows have not
remarked
MIR. Gallinger reports as an amendment
TO Mr. McBride,s bill the following: That
all contracts heretofore made between the
benefciaries under this act and pension at
toneys and claim agents are hereby de-
clared null and void"
bill similar to that reported by Mr.
Galiinger passed the Senate in both the
Fifty fourth and Fifty-ffth Congresses,
but failed TO receive consideration in the
House. The bill had been referred TO Will
liam Lochren. Commissioner of Pensions.
and he made report in which he said
that the cost Of pensions of survivors and
widows would probably be for the first
| year $130.6 and computed by t',e Ameri-
can table of mortality, the average pen
sionable period would be seven and two
thirds years.
II is said the records Of the Government
show that there remain of the Seminole
( war OF lSl1-lS but five survivors and I20
widows
OF the. La Fevre Indian war which oc-
CURED siXty-eight years ago. there re-
main but IA survivors and lO7 widows. OF
the Sabine war OF 1886 there remain but
22l survivors and 155 widows OF the Cay
use war OF lS44-iS there are IA survivors
and s. widows. OF the Texas and New
Mexico Indian wars there still survive l.
| i4S. with $40 widows. OF the California
Indian war there till survive 4T6. and 230
widows. OF the Indian wars OF the Terri
toriees Of Oregon and Washington. prior
to 1856 there still survive > 3g9 and $40
widows
In many regiments serving in these In
shows repetition caused by the same
person enlisting in different companies.
and this. il is estimated. will still further
reduce the number of beneiciaries at least
zoo leaving the total survivors of the In
dian wars at about 1000.
The committee in its report SAYS:
The last OF these wars occurred forty
years ago and the estimated age of the
survivors Is fixed at sixty-five years. while
the estimated age of the Seminole surviv-
ors is ninety four years. OF the inestima-
ble services of these pioneer men and SOL
diers We deem it unnecessary to refer. His
tory recognizes the results they have
achieved. in the South and West they en-
dured the greatest priyations. sacrifices.
and sufferings We owe TO them largely. if
not entirely, the acquisition of the vast en-
pire OF the Pacific Northwest.
1t having been the policy of the oGv-
ernment and the uniform course of the leg
islation that service pensions should be
granted at the expiration of forty years fol-
lowing the wars for which such pensions
have been granted it will be seen that
this period has been now reached as to all
the wars mentioned in the present bill
while as to some over seventy seven years
have elapsed since the war. Most of these
cid survivors are in needy circumstances.
while oil are in old age and as estimated
by the Commissioner OF Pensions, the aver
age pensiOnable period cannot extend be
yOnd about seven years hence. Many of
these aged men were omitted from the act
pensiOning survivors of Indian wars be
tween 1882 and 1912, and for this reason
the present bill is the more just. since it
includes all the survivors of the recognized
Indian wars prior to 1856.
The language of the bill has the approx
al OF the Interior Department"