The National tribune., 1900-06-28
DEPARTMENT AND
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.

FEDERATEs-PENsIoN TITLE
On June / the Senate passed the bill Is
e5O0) to repeal section 4Tl6, Revised Stat
utes, which is as follows: No money or
account of pension shall be paid to any
person, or to the widow, children, or heirs
81 any deceased person, who in any man
ner voluntarily engaged in, or aided OF
abetted, the late rebellion against the au
thority of the United States"
The proposed law is as follows:
"Be it enacted, etc, That the provisions
Of section 4716, Revised Statutes, be, and
the same are hereby, repealed: Provided
however, That no name OF any penslonei
which may have been dropped from the
rolls under the provisions of such section
shall be restored thereto, nor that Of any
person whose application for pension has
been rejected, or who may hereafter ap'
ply for pension, shall be placed thereon
prior to the date of filing an application
after the passage Of this act."
At the next session of Congress prob
ably some legislation Of this character will
be agreed upon and enacted into law.
TRAVEL PAY.-The following is the act
Of June Z, 1900:
"Be it enacted, etc, That when the Sec
retary Of War, in the exercise of his dis
eretion, has directed the discharge OF any
enlisted men Of the regular or volunteer
fcrces of the Army, and the orders or In.
structions directing such discharge stated
that such enlisted men were entitled to
travel pay, such order or instruction shall
be sufficient authority for the payment t.
the soldiers Of the travelling allowances
provided for by section 1890 of the Re
visea Statutes. AND officers Of the Pay
Department of the Army siissR have credit
In the settlement Of their accounts for ali
payments made in obedience to SAID orders
or instructions of the Secretary OF NnT
N IL 10,
such orders or Instructions, which stated
that such soldiers were entitled to trayel
Day. and who were absent by authority
On the date of the muster out Of their reg
lments or of discharge, are entitled to and
will be paid travelling allowances from
plars Of muster out of their regiments o:
The places designated in the final state
nents as the place Of discharge to the
place Of enlistment or enrolment: Pro
vided further, That the provisions Of this
act shall apply only to cases that have
arisen or shall arise under orders or in
structions for discharge with travel pay
Issued between April q, 1893, and tho
date Of the passage of this act: Proyidef
further, That it shall be held as applyins
to any case in which the order directing
the discharge did not set forth that thu
soldier was entitled TO travel pay"
1t will be noted that this Legislation
concerns only those who have served il
the Army since April 81, 1888, and prio
to the date Of the act.
ATTORNEYS FEES - CLAIMS BEFoR;
AUDITORS FOR WAR AND NAVY DEPART
MENTs.-The Sundry Civil Appropriation
act of June g. 1900, contains the followin;
provision: provided, That in the settle
ment of claims of officers, soldiers, sailors
and marines, or their representatives, an,
all other claims for pay and allowance
within the jurisdiction of the Auditor 70
the War Department or the Auditor 10
the Navy Department, presented and file,
hereafter, in which 1t Is the present prac
dce TO make deductions of attorneys fee
from the amount found due, no deduc
tions OF fees for attorneys or agents shal
hereafter be made, but the draft, check
or warrant for the full amount found du
shall be delivered to the payee in persol
Or sent to his bona-fde post-ofI1ce sddres
residence or place Of business)."
1t is understood that this departur
from settled practice of many years wa
urged by the Auditor for the War Depart
ment, who has indefinitely postponed al
war of rebellion claims before his ofic
In order that he may make a record il
rapid disposition of the fresher claim
arising from the Spanish War.
The experience of the Interior Depart
nent In respect to pension claims has bee
that the best interests of the claimant re
quire that the matter of attorneys fee
should be very closely regulated by tn
Government, even to the extent of permit
ting payment of fee only through of
Acial channels. The practice of the Treas
ary Department now overturned was tn
results Of 35 years experience, durin
which various other methods were tried
ATToRNEYs-PART-P PENSION CLAIMS
It appears that Notwithstanding the de
cision Of the Secretary of the Interio
that with respect to the claims of desert