of the States ther under; that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithfully support all laws and proclainations which have made during the existing rebellion with reference to the eman cipation of slaves: So help me God. If the applicant be an invalid pensioner, he must be examined by an army surgeon, cr by a surgeon duly appointed by this office, as to the continuance of his disability. If a widow, sh must prove, by two credible witnesses, her continued widowhood If the guardian of a minor child, newly appointed, he must fil evidence of his appointment as such. Commutation to loyal owners of slaves who enlisted in the armies of the United States. Approved July twenty-seven, eighteen hundred and sixty-six. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That so much of any money in the treasury, known as the "commutation fund,” as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated for the payment to loyal persons claiming service or labor from col ored volunteers or drafted men, the amounts heretofore or hereafter to be awarded them under the provisions of section twentyfourth of the act entitled "An act to amend an act entitled An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes," " approved February twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred aud sixty-four, for each person so claimed to be held to service or labor who has enlisted or been drafted into the military service of the United States; but such payment shall in no case be made to any person except upon satisfactory proof that the claimant has firmly and faithfully maintained his or her adherence and allegiance to the Government of the United States by defending its cause against the government of the so-called Confederate States of America in all suitable and practicable ways, and according to his or her ability and opportunity; Provided, That no money shall be paid under the foregoing provision until the inal report of the commissioners under the act aforesaid shall have been made on all the claims embraced in the twenty-fourth section of said act. [By the terms of section twenty-four, act approved February twenty-four, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, it is provided that the Secretary of War shall appoint a commission in each of the slave States represented in Congress, charged to award to each loyal person to whom a colored volunteer may owe service a just compensation, not exceeding three hurdred dollars. Claims arising under this law are to be submitted to the War Department.] Equalization Bounty Bill. Approved July twenty-eight, eighteen hundred and sixty six. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That each and every soldier who enlisted in the army of the United States after he nineteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, for period of not less than three years, and having served the term of his enlistment, has been honorably discharged, and who has received, or who is entitled to receive, from the United States, under existing laws, a bounty of one hundred dollars, and no more; and any such soldier enlisted for not less than three years, who has been honorably discharged on account of wounds received in the line of duty, and the widow, minor children, or parents in the order named, of any such soldier who died in the service of the United States, or of disease or wounds contracted while in the service, and in the line of duty, shall be paid the additional bounty of one hundred dollars hereby authorized. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That to each and every soldier who enlisted into the army of the United States after the nineteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, for a period of not less than two years, and who is not included in the foregoing section, and has been honorably discharged after serving two years, and who has received or is entitled to receive from the United States, under existing laws, a bounty of one hundred dollars, and no more, shall be paid an additional bounty of fifty dollars; and. any such soldier enlisted for not less than two years, who has been honorably discharged on account of wounds received in the line of duty, and the widow, minor chil dren, or parents in the order named, of any such soldier who died in the service of the United States, or of disease or wouuds contracted while in the service, and in the line of duty, shall be paid the additional bounty of fifty dollars hereby authorized. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any soldier who shall nave bartered, sold, assigned, transferred, loaned, exchanged, or given away his final discharge papers, or any interest in the bounty provided by this or any other act of Congress, shall not be entitled to receive any additional bounty whatever; and when application is made by any soldier for said bounty, he shall be required, under the pains and penalties of perjury, to make oath. or affirmation of his identity, and that he has not so bartered, sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged, loaned, or given away either his discharge papers or any interest in any bounty as afore aid. And no claim for such bounty shall be entertained by the Paymaster General or other accounting or disbursing officer, ex cept upon the receipt of the claimant's discharge papers, accompanied by the statement, under oath, as by this section provided. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That in the payment of the additional bounty herein provided for, it shall be the duty of the Paymaster General, under such rules and regulations as may t prescribed by the Secretary of War, to cause to be examined the accounts of each and every soldier who makes application therefor, and if found entitled thereto, shall pay said bounties. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That in the reception, examiation, settlement. and payment of claims for said additional Dounty due the widows or heirs of deceased soldiers, the accounting officers of the Treasury, shall be governed by the restrictions prescribed for the Paymaster General by the Secretary of War, and the payment shall be made in like manner under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. [This law creates a large number of claims, and in their examination and adjustment the accounting officer will require that the provisions of the third section of the law be strictly observed. All claims arising under this law in favor of the heirs of deceased soldiers, and all claims arising from the service of colored troops will be presented to the Second Auditor of the Treasury; all by discharged soldiers will be presented to the Paymaster General.] Rules and Regulations. The following rules and regulations for the payment of boun ties under the act to equalize bounties, approved July twenty eight, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, have been made by the War Department: 1. All applications shall be filed within a period of six months from the first day of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, and before any payments are made shall be classified by regiments, battalions, or other separate organizations; and no appli cation filed after that period shall be settled until the former shall have been paid. 2. No application shall be entertained unless accompanied by the original discharge of the soldier and the affidavit required by the fourteenth section of the act, and the further affidavit that he has not received, nor is he entitled to receive, from the United States, under any laws or regulations prior to the act of July twenty-eight, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, more than one hundred dollars bounty for any and all inilitary service rendered by him during the late rebellion, over and above the amount herein claimed. 8. All applications for the additional bounty authorized by this act from surviving soldiers shall be in the form hereinafter prescribed, and the evidence of identity shall be the same as is now required, and applications from the heirs of deceased soldiers shall be in the form now required by the Treasury Department. 4. As soon as the examination of the claims of any regiment, or other independent organization, shall have been properly acted upon, the Paymaster General shall take the necessary steps for their prompt payment. 5. A register shall be kept in the Paymaster General's Office and also in the office of the Second Auditor, of all claims prosented under the laws, in which the claimants will be classified by regiments, &c. If the claims be allowed, the amount of bounty paid to each will be noted, and if rejected, the cause of rejection will be distinctly stated. 6. In the applications for bounty, as required by the third of these rules, the affidavit shall state each and every period of service rendered by the claimant, and also that he never served otherwise than as therein stated. 7. Organizations irregularly in the service of the United States, or called out for special purposes, as State militia, home guards, &c., and not included in the general bounty laws, are not included within the meaning of the act. 8. Soldiers enlisted for "three years or during the war," who were discharged by reason of the termination of the war, shall be considered as having served out the period of their enlistment, and are entitled to bounty under this act. 9. The minority of heirs, claimants for bounty under this act, must be proven to have existed at the date of its passage. Parents shall receive jointly the bounty to which they may be entitled as heirs, unless the father has abandoned the support of his family, in which case it shall be paid to the mother. Non-residence in the United States shall not be a bar to the claims of heirs who would otherwise legally inherit. The provisions of the act exclude from its benefits the following classes: 1. Those who, after serving the full period of their enlistment were dishonorably discharged at its expiration. 2. Those discharged during enlistment by way of favor or pun ishment. 3. Those discharged on account of disability contracted in the service, but not occasioned by wounds received "in the line of duty," who shall not have previously served two or three years respectively at the time of discharge. 4. Those discharged on account of disability existing at the time of their enlistment. 5. The heirs of those who have died since their discharge of wounds or disease not contracted in the service and in the Line of duty. 6. The surviving soldiers and heirs of deceased soldiers who, under previous laws, have received or are entitled to receive a bounty of more than one hundred dollars from the United States. 7. The surviving soldiers, as well as the heirs of deceased soidiers, when such soldiers have bartered, sold, assigned, loaned transferred, exchanged, or given away their final discharge pa pers, or any interest in the bounty provided by this or any other ict of Congress. 8. The act of the twenty-eight of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-six, creates no right of inheritance beyond those vested by the law under which these heirs received or were entitled to receive the original bounty, and debars certain classes, brothers and sisters of heirs that were entitled to receive the original bounty, from any claim for the additional bounty provided by this act. FORMS IN CASES OF COLORED TROOPS. Widow's Application for Arrears of Pay and Bounty. STATE OF County of On this me, a of 88. day of 18-, personally appeared before in and for the county and State aforesaid, being duly sworn, deposes and says that she is a * who, person years; that he is the widow of in the State of deceased, late a resident of in company who was a in the service of the United States at day of 1 regiment United in the State of 186, and who died 186. That her maiden name was and that she was married to the said hat she ever afterwards lived with and deported herself as the awful and dutiful wife of the said -; that she has had by her said husband children, named and aged, respectively, as follows: since the She further makes oath that her said husband was a person at the time of entering the service of the United States, and had been day of -- 18. She makes this application to recover all arrears of pay, bounty, or other allowances due the deceased from the United States, and desires that the certificate of pay, when issued in satisfaction |