NAVY PENSIONS.

To obtain the navy pensions provided by this act applications must be made, and evidence filed, in strict accordance with the following rules and forms:

Invalids, at the time of their discharge, may make their application, and subscribe the same in the presence of the commanding or executive officer of the vessel or station to which they have been attached, who will countersign the same, and certify to the applicant's identity. The claimant will therewith forward the paymaster's certificate of discharge, indorsed on his application by the paymaster or executive offi

cer.

If the application be made at a later date, it must be before a court of record, or before some officer of such court authorized to administer oaths and having custody of its seal.

Testimony may be taken before a justice of the peace, or other officer having like authority to administer oaths, but in no case will any evidence be received that is verified before an officer who is concerned in prosecuting the claim, or has a manifest interest therein.

The subjoined forms, marked, respectively, A, B, C, D, E, and F, will guide applicants for pensions, of the navy branch, in the several classes. The forms should be exactly followed in every instance. No attorney will be regarded as having filed the necessary declaration and affidavits, as contemplated by the sixth section of the act, unless the forms, as well as the instructions given in this pamphlet, are strictly complied with.

In support of the allegations made in the claimant's declaration, testimony will be required in accordance with the following rules:

1. The claimant's identity must be proved by two witnesses, certified by a judicial officer to be respectable and credible, who are present and witness the signature of the declarant, and who state, upon oath or affirmation, their belief, either from personal acquaintance or for other reasons given, that he or she is the identical person he or she represents himself or herself to be.

2. Every applicant for an invalid pension must, if in his power, produce the certificate of some commissioned officer under whom he served, distinctly stating the time and place of thesaid applicant's having been wounded or otherwise disabled, and the nature of the disability; and that the said disability arose while he was in the service of the United States and in the line of his duty.

3. If it be impracticable to obtain such certificate, by reason of the death or removal of said officers, it must be so stated under oath by the applicant, and his averment of the fact proved by persons of known respectability, who must state particularly all the knowledge they may possess in relation to such death or removal; then secondary evidence can be received. In such case the applicant must produce the testimony of at least two credible witnesses, (who were in a condition to know the facts about which they testify,) whose good character must be vouched for by a judicial officer, or by some one known to the department. The witnesses must give a minute narrative of the facts in relation to the matter, and must show

how they obtained a knowledge of the facts to which they testify.

4. The surgeon's certificate for discharge should show the character and degree of the claimant's disability; but when that is wanting, and when the certificate of a navy surgeon or of a board of survey is not obtainable, that fact must be satisfactorily explained, and the certificate of two respectable civil surgeons will be received, in accordance with form F. These surgeons must give in their certificate a particular description of the wound, injury, or disease, and specify how and in what manner his present condition and disability are connected therewith. The degree of disability for obtaining subsistence by manual labor must also be stated.

5. The habits of the applicant, and his occupation since he left the service, must be shown by at least two credible witnesses.

If the applicant claims a pension as the widow of a deceased officer or seaman, she must prove the legality of her marriage, the death of her husband, and that she is still a widow. She must also furnish the names and ages of her children under sixteen years of age at her husband's decease, and the place of their residence. On a subsequent marriage her pension will cease, and the minor child or children of the deceased officer or soldier, if any be living, under the age of sixteen years, will be entitled to the same in her stead, from the date of such marriage.

Proof of the marriage of the parents and of the age of claimants will, in like manner, be required in all applications in behalf of minor children.

The legality of the marriage may be ascertained

by the certificate of the clergyman who joined them in wedlock, or by the testimony of respectable persons having knowledge of the fact, in default of record evidence. The ages and number of children may be ascertained by the deposition of the mother, accompanied by the testimony of respectable persons having knowledge of them, or by transcripts from the parish or town registers duly authenticated.

Similar proof will be required of the marriage of the claimant, if the mother of a deceased officer or seaman, and that she remains a widow.

If the claimant be a dependent sister, like proof will be required of the marriage of her parents, and of her relationship to the deceased.

Guardians of minor claimants must, in all cases, produce evidence of their authority as such, under the seal of the court from which their appointment is obtained.

Applicants of the last four classes above given, who have in any manner aided or abetted the rebellion against the United States government, are not entitled to the benefits of this act.

Attorneys for claimants must have proper authority from those in whose behalf they appear. Powers of attorney must be signed in the presence of two witnesses, and acknowledged before a duly qualified officer, whose official character must be certified under seal.

In all cases the post office address of the claimant must be distinctly stated.

Applications under this act will be numbered and acknowledged, to be acted on in their turn. In filing additional evidence, correspondents should always

give the number of the claim as well as the name of

the claimant.

JOSEPH H. BARRETT,

PENSION OFFICE, July 21, 1862.

Commissioner.

A.

Form of Declaration for a Navy Invalid Pension.

STATE [DISTRICT OR TERRITORY] OF

}

SS:

A. D. one thousand eight hundred

, personally appeared before me,

[here state the

official character of the person administering the oath,] within and for

the county and State aforesaid, A. B., aged

years, a resident

who, being duly sworn according

day of

in the

year

at

charged on the ; that his personal description is as follows: [here state height, complexion, color of hair, occupation, &c.;] that while in the service. aforesaid, and in the line of his duty, he received the following wound (or other disability, as the case may be): [Here give a particular and minute account of the wound or other injury, and state how, when, and where it occurred, where the applicant has resided since leaving the service, and what has been his occupation.] He makes this application in order to secure the benefits of the act granting pensions, approved July 14, 1862.

Also personally appeared

and

(Signature of claimant.)

,residents of (coun

ty, city, or town,) persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who, being by me duly sworn, say that they were present and saw sign his name (or make his mark) to the foregoing declaration; and they further swear that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of the applicant and their ac