United States Statutes at Large/Volume 5/28th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 53
Chap. LIII.—An Act for the relief of the widows and orphans of the officers, seamen and marines of the United States schooner Grampus, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,For fixing time of pensions, &c. That for the purpose of fixing the time at which shall commence the pensions, under the existing laws, of the widows of the officers, seamen, and marines, who were lost in the United States schooner Grampus, as well as the time to which the said officers, seamen, and marines, shall be allowed, the twentieth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three,March 20, 1843, to be considered the day the Grampus foundered; and May 1, 1839, as the day on which the Sea Gull was lost. shall be deemed and taken to be the day on which the said schooner Grampus foundered at sea; and that, for the like purposes, the first day of May, one thousnad eight hundred and thirty-nine, shall be deemed and taken to be the day on which the United States schooner Sea Gull was lost in like manner.
If there is no widow, but children under 16, they are to have the pension.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any of the said officers, seamen, or marines, shall have left no widow, or having left a widow she shall have died before the passage of this act, and there shall be living at the date of the passage of this act, a child or children of said officers, seamen, or marines, under sixteen years of age, such child or children shall be entitled to the same pension to which the widow, had there been one as aforesaid, would have been entitled, for the like period of five years;In case of death or intermarriage of widow, pension to go to children.
Proviso. but in case of the death or intermarriage of the widow before the expiration of the said term of five years, the said pension for the remainder of the said term, shall go to the child or children of the said deceased officer, seamen, or marine: Provided, That such pension shall cease upon the death of such child or children.
J.S. Thacher’s accounts to be settled, &c.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the proper accounting officers of the Treasury Department be, and hereby are, authorized and directed to settle the accounts of James S. Thacher, late purser in the navy, who was lost in said schooner Grampus, with all his accounts, and vouchers for expenditures and payments made by him, and with all the money, stores and supplies procured for the use of said vessel, and to allow him a credit for whatever sum appears to be due from him on the books of the department.
Approved, June 15, 1844.