Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-26
| MEXICAN WAR VETERANS
Commissioner Evans Reports Against the
Bill Increasing Their Pensions
More Than Half the Survivors of That
War Now Receive the MAXI.
mum Amount.

| Senate bill 25O1. which has for its object
an increase to $40 per month in the PEN
sions of the survivors of the Mexican war,
; has been reported upon by the commits
sioner of pensions, who says:
1.-The act of January % 1887, provides a
pension of s. per month to the surviving
officers and enlisted men who served sixty
days in the war with Mexico, or on the
coasts or frontier thereof or en- route
thereto. or were actually engaged in bat
tie in said war. provided that such officer
or enlisted man is siXty-two years of age,
or is subject to any disability equivalent to
some cause prescribed or recognized by the
pension laws of the United States as a suf-
ficient reason for the allowance of pen
sion. unless said disability was incurred
while in any manner voluntarily engaged
in or aiding or abetting the late rebellion
THE beneticiaries under the act are re-
lieved from the operations of section 4I16
Revised Statutes, rela ting to disloyalty. 1t
will be noted that the survivors of said
war have all passed the age of sixtytwo
years, and the pension has. therefore, be
come service pension, regardless of dis
ability, for all who served sixty days or
were engaged In battle in said war. On
the Both day of June. 1899. there were 5.02I
survivors of the Mexican war in receipt of
a pension of IS per month under the above
act.
he act OF january -, 1876, Increased lLe
rate of pension of every pcnsioner then on
the rolls at s. rer month on account of SER
vices in the said war, and Who is wholly
disabled for manual labor, and is in such
destitute circumstances that S. per month
are insufficient to provide him the necessa-
ries of life. to s12 per month. Under this
act 4.121 survivors Of that war are receiv-
ns 4 pension of 81 per month.
Il desire to invite your attention to the
fact that acts of February II, 1871, and
March !? 1STS granting service pension tc
the survivors &C the war Of 1872, provided
for rate of S. I..H month only, and these
rates We're not subject to increase on ac
count of age or disability. The last sur
wing pensionrd soldier Of said war died
iur.nS, the pat Year. at the age of ninety
nne years. ana he was receiving pension
IF only IS at the time of death. a service
pension IS also provided by the act of July
u. 1882. 10 the,suryivors of the various In
dan wars of 1872 to 1872. at the rate of S.
per month. 1t will be rememb ered that all
these survivors We're also granted bounty
land warrants of 1fi acres
The act of June -, 1892 granting pen
Ion to the SURVIVORS of the war of the re-
beliiOn requires service of ninety days
during 50 d war. and provides pension only
for disab lily which incapacitatas the claim
ant from earning support by manual la
h1r. at rates ranging from SIS to $12 per
month There is no provision in this act
for penSioning on account of age alone but
II the administration of the law a pension
Of ST. is granted 10 those who have attained
the age OF SlXty-hNe years, unless the evil
dence d;ScloseS an unusual vigor and ability
for the performance of manual labor in one
of that age. If claimant has reached the
age of sevcnty-fiFe years he is granted the
maximum rate of ST. per month for senility
alone
After careful comparison of the differ
ent acts providing fer service pensions, |
am OF the opinion that there is not at this
tine any justification for legislation ex-
tending the provision" of the act of jan
uary .. 1893 in favor of the survivors of the
war with Mexico. l., will be seen that
nearly one-half of the survivors of that
war are already in receipt of So per month,
and the benefits of the act of January D.
1888. now reach all those who are wholly
disabled and dependent upon their pension
for support"