CHAP. L.- An Act granting Pensions to certain Soldiers and Sailors of the War of eighteen hundred and twelve, and the Widows of deceased Soldiers.
| Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to place on the pension roll the names of the surviving officers and enlisted and drafted men, including militia and volunteers, of the military and naval service of the United States, who served sixty days in the war with Great Britain of eighteen hundred and twelve, and were honorably discharged, and to such other officers and soldiers as may have been personally named in any resolution of Congress for any specific service in said war, although their term of service may have been less than sixty days, and who at no time, during the late rebellion against the authority of the United States, adhered to the cause of the enemies of the government, giving them aid and comfort, or exercised the functions of any office whatever under any authority or pretended authority in hostility to the United States, and who shall take and subscribe an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and the surviving widows of such officers and enlisted and drafted men: Provided, That such widows shall have been married, prior to the treaty of peace which terminated said war, to an officer, or enlisted or drafted man, who served as aforesaid in said war, and shall not have remarried.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this act shall not apply to any person who is receiving a pension at the rate of eight dollars or more per month; nor to any person receiving a pension less than eight dollars per month, except for the difference between the pension now received and eight dollars per month. Pensions under this act shall be at the rate of eight dollars per month, except as herein provided when a person is receiving a penson [sic] of less than eight dollars per month, and shall be paid to the persons entitled thereto from and after the passage of this act for and during the term of their natural lives. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That before the name of any person shall be placed upon the pension roll under this act, proof shall be made, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, that the applicant is entitled to a pension under the provisions of this act; and any person who shall falsely take any oath required to be taken under the provisions of this act, shall be guilty of perjury; and the Secretary of the Interior shall cause to be stricken from the pension roll the name of any person whenever it shall appear, by proof satisfactory to him, that such name was put upon such roll through false or fraudulent representations as to the right of such person to a pension under the provisions of this act. The loss of a certificate of discharge shall not deprive the applicant of the benefits of this act, but other proof of services performed and of an honorable discharge, if satisfactory, shall be deemed sufficient. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of sections twelve and thirteen of an act entitled “An act supplementary to ‘An act to grant pensions,'” approved July four, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and of sections two, three, and four of an act entitled “An act supplementary to several acts relating to pensions,” approved June six, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, shall be applicable to the pensions granted by this act. APPROVED, February 14, 1871. |