I`HIRTY—EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 247, 248. 1864. 389 into the United States service; and the widows or other dependents Their widows entitled to pensions by law, as prescribed by the act of July fourteen, md d°P"“d°°“’· eighteen hundred and sixty-two, of any such soldier who may have been killed, or shall have died, or shall hereafter die, by reason of any wound received or disease contracted while in said service and in the line of duty, shall be entitled to the same pension as though such soldier had been regularly mustered into the service. Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That the fees of agents and Fees of pension attorneys for making out and causing to be executed the papers necessary ;§;:°:,;“3) Q;"` to establish a claim for a pension, bounty, and other allowance before the seed, orc. pension-office, under this act, shall not exceed the following rates: For making out and causing to be duly executed a,declaration by the applicant, with the necessary ailidavits, and forwarding the same to the pension-office, with the requisite correspondence, ten dollars; which sum shall be received by such agent or attorney in full for all services in obtaining such pension, and shall not be demanded or received in whole or in part until such pension shall be obtained; and the sixth and Bepsa1of§§6, seventh sections of an act entitled “An act to grant pensions," approved °{%:°'* 186% €h· July fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, are hereby repealed. v,,l_ xH_ ,,_ 568_ Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That any agent or attorney who Penalty upon shall, directly or indirectly, demand or receive any greater compensation :§:a°;_£f{;,;'h° for his services under this act than is prescribed in the preceding section gram tags, sm, of this act, or who shall contract, or agree to prosecute, any claim for a pension, bounty, or other allowance, under this act, on the condition that he shall receive a per centum upon any portion of the amount of such claim, or who shall wrongfully withhold from a pensioner or other claimant the whole or any part of the pension or claim allowed and due to such pensioner or claimant, shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall, for every such offence, be fined not exceeding three hundred dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding two years, or both, according to the circumstances and aggravations of the offence. Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That the widows and children of Wid0W¤.&€-» colored soldiers who have been, or who may be hereafter, killed, or who g,f;l:;:gi$:ldl°" have died, or may hereafter die, of wounds received in battle, or who have pensions upon died, or may hereafter die, of disease contracted in the military service ,of 'n:l;}:jg";°* °f the United States, and in the line of duty, shall be entitled to receive the g ' pensions now provided by law, without other proof of marriage than that the parties had habitually recognized each other as man and wife, and lived together as such for a definite period next preceeding the soldier’s enlistment, not less than two years, to be shown by the aiiidavits of credible witnesses: Provided, however, That such widow and children are Marriage, when free persons: Provided, further, That if such parties resided in any state f;`}’:LP'°"°d“ in which their marriage may have been legally solemnized, the usual evidence shall be required. Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts Repeal ofininconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. °°“““°“* l""· APPROVED, July 4, 1864. cm. CCXLVIII. -.4.i Aunt as Rezufqfssam. and ones borne tm the Books of My 4.1864- Vessels wrecked or bat on the Naval Service. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the proper accounting Day when the officers of the treasury be, and they are hereby, authorized, under the ,}‘t';;:*;:§y direction of the Secretary of the Navy, in settling the accounts of seamen, shun be deemed and others, not officers, borne on the books of any vessel in the navy, ¤>h¤v¢ ¤¢<=¤¤·¤i which shall have been wrecked, or which shall have been unheard from b° d°` so long that her wreck may be presumed, or which shall have been de-
