Mr. VANWINKLE. Various petitions have been presented to Congress asking that particular provision might e made for those who lost one hand or one arm. This brought the subect to the consideration of the committee, an they came to the conclusion that there were disabilities which were equal to even the severest of those now mentioned in the present law as it now stands, which ought to be included. For instance, a case was related to us by a member of the commitce who sits on the opposite side of the Chamber of a soldier now in hospital at Louisville. He was shot through the throat, or somewhere in that region, and is unable to swallow anything but liquids, and is also unable to feed himself. We thought that was a case, as presented to us, certainly equal to the loss of both hands or both legs. The provisions of this section, including the amendments of the Senate committee, are offered in lieu of propositions that have been made to increase the rate of pensions generally. The committees of both Houses, and believe with the approbation of the ComrPension and the SecyInterior, have th0ught that this was the best way to do justice to all. 1 ask the attention of the Senate to this subject. They will perceive that we come to a 2nd class of disabilities who receive a lower rate of pension, and that there are included in that class those whose disability goes to a certain extent; and so of a 3rd class. By our rules I presume we are required to take a each amendment as it stands. I propose, thereforc, to lake the vote on the amendment just road, which, as the Senate will erceive, transposes the words which otherwnie need not be inserted. I will so further that the committee had a corresponence with the Pension Bureau on this subject, and a classification and gradation of pensions was made out, and I had the honor to report a bill prepared at the Pension Bureau for that purpose to the Senate; but after the House bill came to us we su posed that we could incorporate the valuablb provisions of the Senate bill in this bill, and adopt their bill generally as it stands. I think the Senate can have no doubt that there are disabilities as ross as those of the loss of both hands, or both egs, or both eyes. There are numerous such cases. There are those who are suffering from disease by which they are perfectly and entirely helpless, so that, as one of the amendments states, they need the constant personal aid and attendance of another person. Those we put with the highest class. Those who are inca pacitated for performingany manuallabor, but not so much so as to require constant personal aid and attention, are placed in the 2nd class, and those otherwise so disabled as to materially interfere with the performance of manual labor without wholly incapacitating them therefor are made a 3rd class, including those who lost one hand, and so on, while the 4th class is composed of those who receive the regular pension of privates, 8 dollars per month.