PENSION SYSTEM. 



167 



after ; War of 1812, fifty-nine years after, and Mexican 

 war, thirty-nine years after. 



I. Jffsf uri'cal. Within the past quarter of a century 

 the pension system of the United States has developed 

 from an inconsiderable establishment to a great bureau 

 whose operations reach out into nearly every hamlet 

 and township in the Union. Its clientage and dis- 

 bursements surpass the most extravagant dreams of 

 its founders. It may properly be said to commence 

 with the resolution of Congress dated Aug. 26, 1776, 

 by which the Continental Congress undertook to pro- 

 vide for disabled soldiers of the Revolution. From 

 June 7, 1785, to Sept. 29, 1789, the several States as- 

 sumed the payment of pensions by a recommendation 

 of Congress on account of its inability to raise money 

 by taxation. After the adoption of the new Consti- 

 tution Congress resumed their payment by annual en- 

 actments, making them payable during the life of the 

 beneficiaries, under the acts of March 23, 1792, and 

 Feb. 28, 1793. By the act of April 10, 1806, pensions 

 to be allowed thereafter were confined to those who had 

 received "known wounds," and extended to the militia 

 and State troops serving against the common enemy. 

 The rate for total disability for an officer was one-half 

 of his monthly pay, not, however, to exceed the pay 

 of a lieutenant-colonel, and for an enlisted man, $5 per 

 month. Service pensions for the Revolution were 

 allowed under act of March 18, 1818, to indigent sur- 

 vivors at $20 per month for officers, and $8 for privates. 

 These benefits were further extended by the acts of 

 May 15, 1828, June 7, 1832, July 4, 1836, and Feb. 3, 

 Pensions were not provided for the children of 

 Revolutionary soldiers. The first act providing pen- 

 sions for disabled officers and soldiers of the regular 

 army was passed April 3. 1790, and its provisions were 

 renewed and amended from time to time until they 

 were embodied in the act of March 16, 1802, which is 

 now the fundamental law for pensions on account of 

 disability incurred prior to March 4, 1861. This act 

 provided pensions for widows and children of officert 

 dying in the service of wounds received in actual bat- 

 tle, the rate being one-half monthly pay at date of 

 death. From the date of the passage of this act to 

 March 4, 1861, invalid pension acts in the interests of 

 those serving in the Mexican war and various Indian 

 disturbances and wars, and of the regular army in time 

 of peace, referred directly or indirectly to this act, as 

 containing the principles guiding in their adjudication. 

 Surviving veterans and widows of deceased soldiers of 

 the war of 1812, who served sixty days it being re- 

 quiivd of the widows that marriage should have taken 

 place before the close of that war were allowed ser- 

 vice pensions of $8 per month from Feb. 14, 1871, the 

 date of the passage of the act, upon proof of loyalty 

 during the Rebellion. Soldiers and widows of soldiers 

 of that war arc allowed service pensions at $8 per 

 month without condition as to the date of marriage or 

 loyalty, in case of a service of fourteen days, or in' 

 battle, under act of March 9, 1878. Widows' pensions 

 under both these acts have been increased by the act 

 of March 19, 1886, to $12 per month. The act of 

 Jan. 29, 1887, granted, from the date of the passage 

 of the act, pensions to survivors of the Mexican war, 

 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 m rmite thereto, in 

 the war with that nation, or were actually encaged in a 

 battle in said war, and were honorably discharged, or 

 who have been personally named in any resolution of 

 Congress for any specific service in said war, and to the 

 surviving widows of such officers and enlisted men : 

 Provided, that such survivors and widows have at- 

 tained the age of 62 years, or are disabled or dependent 

 owing to some cause recognized by the pension laws as 

 sufficient reason for the allowance of a pension. Pen- 

 lions under this act are at the same rates as under the 

 preceding acts. 



The last two surviving revolutionary soldiers who 



were allowed pensions under the general laws were 

 William Hutchings, of Hancock co., Me., who died 

 May 3, 1866, aged 102 yea; a, and Samuel Downing, of 

 Saratoga co., N. Y., who died Feb. 18, 1867, aged 101 

 years. The following revolutionary soldiers were 

 granted pensions by special act, dated Feb. 22, 1857 : 

 John Gray, Noble co., Ohio, who died March 28, 1809, 

 aged 105 years, and Daniel F. Bakeman, of Cataraugus 

 co., N. Y., who died April 5, 1869, aged 109 years. 

 On June 30, 1888, there were 37 persons drawing pen- 

 sions as the widows of soldiers of the Revolutionary 

 war. Within the past year the names of Nancy Bun- 

 tin, widow of William Buntin, of Tennessee, and aged 

 84 years ; Mary Casey, widow of John Casey, of Ohio, 

 aged 88 years ; and Freelove Barnes, widow of Jona- 

 than Seelev, of Michigan, aged 92 years, have been 

 added to this roll. 



The number of pensions granted under all laws to 

 soldiers of the Revolution and their widows is 62,069 ; 

 war of 1812, 60,670, amounting to $36,310,256.04; 

 Mexican war, 21,724. By the act of March 2, 1833, 

 the administration of the pension system was raised to 

 the dignity of an independent bureau, under the man- 

 agement of a Commissioner of Pensions. Prior to this 

 time the pension laws had been administered under the 

 direction of the Secretary of War, except those which 

 related to naval pensions, which were under the ad- 

 ministration of the Secretary of the Navy, and the 

 laws granting bounty lands, which were administered 

 under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. 

 Both these branches were subsequently transferred to 

 the pension office, the former, March 4, 1840, and the 

 latter, Jan. 20, 1843. On March 3, 1849, the pension 

 office became a bureau of the newly created Department 

 of the Interior. As at present organized its affairs are 

 administered by a commissioner, under whose charge 

 come all matters relating to pensions, and who is ap- 

 pointed by the President, by and with the advice and 

 consent of the Senate, two deputy commissioners, a 

 chief clerk, an assistant chief clerk, a law or appeal 

 clerk, a board of legal reviewers, a board of medical re- 

 viewers, special examiners, examiners' clerks, copyists, 

 messengers, laborers, and watchmen, in all a force of 

 1554 persons, directly engaged in the settlement of 

 claims for pensions. In addition to these there are at 

 various points throughout the country 251 5 surgeons, 

 whose duty it is to examine all applicants for invalid 

 pension who may be ordered before them, and report 

 to the Commissioner of Pensions as to the degree of 

 the applicant's physical disability. This makes over 

 4000 persons under the management and direction of 

 the Commissioner of Pensions. In addition to this 

 there are 18 Pension Agents for the payment of pen- 

 sions, conveniently located throughout the country, 

 under his direction, and who are also appointed by the 

 President by and with the advice and consent of the 

 Senate. The salaries and expenses of this large force 

 amounted in the aggregate to $3,262,524.67 for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30. 1888. 



II. Statistics. The following statement^ shows the 

 remarkable growth of the U. S. pension system 

 from its humble beginning: The total amount ex- 

 pend d by the Bureau of Pensions for all purposes 

 durins the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was 

 $82,038,386.59, being 21J per cent, of thetotal (esti- 

 mated) gross income $380,000,000 ; and 31 per cent, 

 of the entire expenditures $267,924,801.13 of 

 the U. S. government for the same period ; about 

 65 per cent, of the cost of the entire military estab- 

 lishment of France, 80 per cent, of that of hngland, 

 90 per cent of Germany's, and $30,730,784.59 more 

 than that of Austria-Hungary. During the same fiscal 

 year $1 ,439,530. 1 were paid as fees to attorneys alone. 

 From 1861 to 1888 inclusive, 1,166,926 claims for pen- 

 sion have been filed, 737,200 have been allowed, and 

 $963,086,444.73 have been disbursed on account of 



At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, 



