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- wr t ' i t " '! & w I .1 x.-. . r ; A Vr hi &. u r ,i A Monthly otxrnal devoted to the interests of the Soldiers anOMilors of the late war. and dU Mehsioners of the United tSiaies. TERMS, ONE tf.OLLAR tER yEAR. I .4 GEORGE E. TiKMON & CO.. JSdilors ai, FW' .i srt 'tn If. n & co., VoL. ! NOj L WASHINGTON, ai OCTOBER, 1877, .-f , 'rW f ER ; - ul Projmators. f ' VmViiIJ, ' ' I Slnglc.Cops, 10 Cents In currency or postage stomps. . ,.' ' h11.'? according to Act'of Congrea In the year 'of our Lord, 1877, by GMR?'if tiaios & Co Jn thd Office of tlio Librarian of Congrcee.iit'Washtngton, D. 0. 1J ! - m .,....r.i.r, , .. ,-..:,..,,, , " ' ;' .'"T-'rr'rA -r ; ' ' i '.:... ', ' ,,'.. ,:;. : rr- HISTORY OF THE BOUNTY BILL. At nearly every session of Congress since the close of the war, some sort of a measure has been proposed for equalizing the "bounties paid to sol diers of the late war of the Rebellion. No nation on earth was ever more grateful for the services of its soldiers than the United States has shown ft. itself. Yet 1ho laws under which these services have been rewarded, and in which this gratitude has found tangible shape, have lacked the spirit? of equity; have foiled to extend to all the de-f serving the blessings that some have receive'd; and have not been framed so, as to give exact and equal justice to each' soldier living, and to the family of each soldier dead. Of all the numerous attempts that have been made to secure some legislation that should extend equal justice to all soldiers, none have been suc cessful. "While the great majority of the people have admitted the propriety and the necessity of such legislation, and have urged, from time to time, that Congress should take such action as would do away forever with tlie special legisla- rected under a general hill, still, something has always occurred to prevent the passage of the measure; or, when it had passed, to prevent its becoming a law. No great popular measure was ever so con tinually and persistently delayed. Ever since it was first proposed.it has seemed to be fated to misfortune. "While its opponents were few and its friends were many, it seemed to stumble along, while measures of less than half its strength have gone through without meeting an obstacle. It is the only great proposition grow ingvout of the war that has received the cordial support of both political parties. State Legisla tures have indorsed it, and petitioned Congress for its passage. The National Conventions of both of the great political parties have declared in its favor, and many State political conventions have followed their example. In lact it has seemed as if the two parties were competing with each other to see which could give the Bounty Bill the strongest support In both Houses of Congress its advocates have included nearly all the men of influence of all political complexions. Its opponents have been few, and practically insignificant, with one or two exceptions, and have been men who, both from babit and from principle, have resisted every en deavor to recognize the courage and the patriotr ism of the Union soldiers. Several times a bill to equalize bounties has passed plier House of Congress; but as it left one, the other would change it, and in a squab ble over technicalities, it has failed of becoming a law. On the evening of tho last day of the Forty-third Congress, it finally passed both Houses, and lacked only the President's signa ture; but President Grunt let it die on his hands. He had written a veto-message, but in the eon fusion of the last hours of the session.it failed .to reach either house, anqas never officially pub lished. In that mese President Grant, we regret to Say committrji la, great wrong against the soldiers who electe5&m President and for whom, in every or fjghe has always shown the greatest consideraM!' , He gave as his rea sons for refusing to sijfthe bill, that it was not vyjjuaci, wiu. wv &uiuj!wantea it; ; wnen peti tions for its passage, sifed by hundreds of thou sands of theni, were tf Am his reach. He said. again, that the bill w?firiore for the relief of claim agents than thefeldiers' ; when he knew the fees of attorneysMted by law, andthey Could get only a smaltrcentage for then serv ices. Again, he saidSwJt the revenues of the frovernment would rilfltiow the expenditure of money the bill woiu&Jjiessitate ; the fallacy of this last reason is sholn another column. It is said that the Bfeijdent was persuaded to make this veto by Sec!a&ry Bristow and others ; but, however that mfe,itwas his duty to sign it and he should hear' blame. Early in the sessionJ the Eorty-fourth Con- ex-Confederate CoHgtalthough the Demo crats had a majority of no-thirds, it was passed again, "in June, 1876, b; vote of 141 to 46. It was sent over to theenate, .referred to the Committee on MHtarytAfFairs, and reported back favorably by Senate! Xogan, who tried again and again to secure its consideration by the Sen ate, but failed to do so ; aid, in the confusion con sequent upon 1he counting of the Electoral Yote, it was laid aside, and f&led again of passage. The bill will be revised at the approaching session of Congress. There are already enough members of the House of Representatives pledged to its support to secure lis' passage by that body; but there will probablyfbe difficulty in securing the Senate to act upoa it. The parliamentary rules of the Senate are such that one or two members, if they are shrewd and determined, can delay a measure almost indefinitely; and that has been the system, of tactics resorted to by Senator Edmunds of "Vermont, and other oppo nents of this bill, whenever it has been brought before that body in the regular order of business. But the friends of ika measure must unite in securing it early attention at the hands of the Senate, inorder to insure! its passage. 1 ARREARS OF PENSIONS. Among the other measures of vital interest to the soldiers and the finjnklies of those who were killed or died of worls received during ike war, which has beenimeatedlv br Congress, and wilMnn1, trodueed f ought before asram at the ' i rv ..-. J opening of the comhgf session, is a bill to pro vide that all pensions i;on account of death, wounds received, or disease contracted in the service of the United Sfejes since March 4, 1861, which have been sratF cl, or which- shall here after be granted on np (Ration previous to Jan- unary 1, 1880, shall commence fr6m the date of death or discharge. , , The bill provides that all pensions which have1 been, or may hereafter be, granted in conse quence of death pecuring froni a cause which originated in the. service of the United States since the 4th day of March, 1861, or in conse quenc6 of wolmds or injuries received or disease contracted since said da'te, shall commence from the, date of the death or discharge from the United States service of the person on whose account the claim has been, of shall hereafter be granted, or from the termination of tne right of file party haying-prior title to such pension ; prc vided that applications for pensions growing out of the war of 1801 have been, or shall hereafter befiledwrih'fne Commissioner of Pensions on or before the 1st day of January, 1880. In all other cases, unless the applicaton shall be filed within five years from the accruing of the rights the pension shall commence from the date of the filing of the application ; provided further that the limitation herein prescribed shall not apply to claims.by or in behalf of "insane person trvS&Sn The second section provides that immediately upon the passage of this act the Commissioner of Pensions shall cause a copy of the same to be furnished each pension agent, whose duty it shall be to notify each pensioner upon his roll who shall be entitled to arrears of pension under this act, and it shall be the further duty of the. Com missioner of Pensions to pay, or cause to be paid, to such pensioners, or if the pensioner shall have died to the person or persons entitled to the same, all such arrears of pension, as the pen sioner may be entitled to, or if dead, would have been entitled to under the provisions of the first section gf this act had he or she survived. Section 3 repeals all acts and parts of acts in ; conflict with these provisions. This bill has passed the House of Representa tives several times, but has never been able do find its way through the Senate. v A very slight examination of the subject will convince the reader that the present law is de fective, and works palpable injustice to thous of the brave defenders of the flag, and their wjf J children, and other heirs, by depriving them of pensions and arrears justly due them. If a soldier, or his representative, is entitled to a pension at all, it is clear that it should be granted from the date of death or of the time of discharge ftgo.. service, provided the discharge is on aceomitotr wounds, or injuries received, or disease contracted in the service and in line of duty, or from the date of the development of the disease by which he is incapacitated for labor, provided the dis ease is traceable and due to the military service of the United States. This is eminently proper and right, and great injustice has been done, and is being done, to all who, from whatever reason, patriotic, or otherwise, did not apply for pensions within the time required by existing law. ffC M 3 1 i - yn JLjj. i 3U i .1, Qyi "--JSs9BBKSi,r.H A "" V-4 mm if If - Vi. 0 2 0 w S'm '-" iw. ? a f - --ift,.ntit' '- r!,""wmmwffmimmtmi j vr pf (fclMf'WWi -j MfQIIFGf"rif4Snl&9llf lM(.nil" 'K-nMimfri 3 4 -4VaM.ii-e i "S4 " ,.WWK ; MLAl