CHAP. 70.- An act granting pensions to the soldiers and sailors of the Mexican war, and for other purposes.
| 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 men, including marines, militia, and volunteers, of the military and naval services of the United States, who being duly enlisted, actually served sixty days with the Army or Navy of the United States in Mexico, or on the coasts or frontier thereof, or en route thereto, in the war with that nation, or were actually engaged in a battle in said war, and were honorably discharged, and to such other officers and soldiers and sailors as may have been personally named in any resolution of Congress for any specific service in said war, and the surviving widow of such officers and enlisted men: Provided, That such widows have not remarried: Provided, That every such officer, enlisted man, or widow who is or may become sixty-two years of age, or who is or may become subject to any disability or dependency equivalent to some cause prescribed or recognized by the pension laws of the United States as a sufficient reason for the allowance of a pension, shall be entitled to the benefits of this act; but it shall not be held to include any person not within the rule of age or disability or dependence herein defined, or who incurred such disability while in any manner voluntarily engaged in or aiding or abetting the late rebellion against the authority of the United States.
SEC. 2. That pensions under section one of this act shall be at the rate of eight dollars per month, and payable only from and after the passage of this act, for and daring the natural lives of the persons entitled thereto, or during the continuance of the disability for which the same shall be granted: Provided, That section one of this act shall not apply to any person who is receiving a pension at the rate of eight dollars per month or more, nor to any person receiving a pension of less than eight dollars per month, except for the difference between the pension now received (if less than eight dollars per month) and eight dollars per month. SEC. 3. That before the name of any person shall be placed on the pension-roll under this act, proof shall be made, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, of the right of the applicant to a pension; and any person who shall falsely and corruptly take any oath required under this act shall be deemed 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 be made to appear by proof satisfactory to him that such name was put upon such roll through false and fraudulent representations, and that such person is not entitled to a pension under this act. The loss of the certificate of discharge shall not deprive any person of the benefits of this act, but other record evidence of enlistment and service and of an honorable discharge may be deemed sufficient: Provided, That when any person has been granted a land-warrant, under any act of Congress, for and on account of service in the said war with Mexico, such grant shall be prima facie evidence of his service and honorable discharge; but such, evidence shall not be conclusive, and may be rebutted by evidence that such land warrant was improperly granted. SEC. 4. That the pension laws now in force which are not inconsistent or in conflict with this act are hereby made a part of this act, so far as they may be applicable thereto. SEC. 5. That section forty-seven hundred and sixteen of the Revised Statutes is hereby repealed so far as the same relates to this act or to pensioners under this act. SEC. 6. That the provisions of this act shall not apply to any person while under the political disabilities imposed by the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States. Approved, January 29, 1887. |