Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-12


bshcd rules have been brought before this House He
was not willing to entertain this appeal from tho Depart
ment OF War 10 the Committee Revolutionary PEN
sions; for it 10 the Committee and not the House. that
settles the The House knows very httlo "a
bout them. he bills 10 be sure, read in pres
enec OF the House but we learn little of what they
contain. Sir, if the rules Of the War Department
too rigid, they should be amended BY this means,
there might ba uniformity of practice. Ought body
Ike this House 10 asked to undertake TO administer JUS
dcc without some rulesl lie thought We should
establish the rule, and then let the application be made
elsewhere. Let the rule be made known 10 all, and it
win then benefit all. He had understood there bill
before Senate on tho subject Of the Revolutionary pen
sions, which would probably heref there not,
he hoped that this House hads the necessity OF ogi
mating such law He would accordingly move that these
bills be rccommtted, with instructions the committee
to report general BILL containing principles applicable TO
all these cases.
Mr.. Hubbard, Chairman of the Committee on RevoIu-
tonary Pensions, remarked that he truly astonished
at the motion of the hon gentlemen from New-York--a
motion TO recornit these several bills with q view
port general BILL embracing the provisions Of these spc
cia bills under consideration After full and fair
discussion had been had these bills Committee of the
Whole, was matter OF astonshment to him, that tho
hon. gentleman from New York should have preferred
the motion 10 rcconmit. Recommt these bills: For
what reason! Ihat the committee report general
BILL for the relief the soldiers Of the rcvouon embrace
ing the provision Of these bills: Such BILL Sir has been
reported-it before the Houscbut that circum
stance should have effect upon tho passage of these p
vate bilst would be the grosscst injustice delay these
applicants until general biz shall receive the action of
Congress They have rights which the House is bound
to respect For many years hey have been knocking
the door OF this Hall For many years they have been
asking relief at hands Repeatedly bills have boon
reported in their favor 1t would be found among tho
private bills under consideration, that many of the
applicants thereby intended TO be relieved, have for
years been pctitonng Congress: time and again they
have had bills reported containing similar provisions
by sending them away this period OF their existence
TO make out case, under the provisions OF any general act,
the House would in effect say themyour claims, can
not in all human probability receive the consideration of
inc department any uture period OF your lives. They
stand on the brink of the gravehey old men;-they
must oil necessity be infrm men. They have endured
every degree oil hardship and suHcringthcy have per-
formed every service for their country which purest
patriotism could require their handsAnd win you send
them unpaid: Is possible, that the gentleman from
New York, could wish to place these faithful friends of the
republic in such situation, prevent them from ever
again asking justice at the hands of the Government
Adopt the motion of the gentleman, and rely upon the fact
of the dead before their cases could noblv he nre5ared
for the action Of the Department. under any general law
oil Congress At great expense and with great labor.
has these prepared and presented their for the
consideration OF the House. They have right 10 be
headit is due TO them; for il the country any
obligation any class OF her citizens the soldiers
the Revolution, the by their their
virtue, laid the foundation OF this happy republic.
not only debt Of gratitude, bot Of stern justice. They
have rendered much service, and suffered much sacrifice
Ior inc country against her common enemy during The PEI
ROD OF our revoluonand for all this have paid them
hcg ana why Is ltthattey have preferred ierpetiions
10 s fouse! it's because the rigid and hndng rules of
the Department prevent successful application there Ii
must be known to every gentleman in this House. at
ne department. under the present regulations here
bshed no applicant for pension succeed no
show continuous service of nine months the army of
me revolution The committee has relaxed this regua-
ucn-hcy have concluded that service of nine months
whether under enlistmens justly entitled the
applicant the benefit of the act of March ls 1918
And for Mr. H. remarked in his opinion the act
OF March, 1918, ought not to have received rigid and So
construction. At the Department The seryics
must be IN regiments raised by the continental Congress-
Inc committee justice in that rcqusion--aud they
haVe considered that the applicant ought receive tho
beneh OF the act of March, 1913, il lac rendered his re-
quc term of service, either in continental regiments Or
IN State troops oin anyporion OF Ge ply ica force the
country then engaged in the prosecution oi the against
The common enemy At the department no one Is admitted
unless he IS either tenant OF poor house, reduced
IN his pecunary circumstances be wholly unable To-
support himself without the aid of public charity The
committee are opinion that the OF March, 1918 ought
to receive much liberal construction: In their
judgment uc man VINO has not available pecuniary
which would be sufficient with the application of his ply
steal powers 10 furnish support for himself family is
ary entitled TO its benefits They would require
these men the surrender of their donicil--tle sale
OF their hoFses--hc houses Of their They
would require that these faithful friends Of tbg
country should part with the habaton that has sheltered
them long, before they could ask the benefits of the act
OF March, 1915 should be extended 10 them 1t Is on
these grounds and for these that these petitioners
have asked relief handsand let notrcle hear
and consider their prayers. 1t is due to hem-and he
had doubt the Committee would with honest proper
feelings consider every that had been shoud be
preferred TO them, and truly report hcreon-and he hoped
and believed that this House would be disposed fairly
treat the report on The cases OF these petitioners 1t isoo
apparent that the House is impaentertremely inpG-
fentto take the queson--and he would longer tres
pass on their time He would only say in conclusion that
he appeacdto the honorto the magnanimito the JUS
cc Of this House And he trusted that he should not APP
peal IN Vanthat the motion OF The gentleman from New
York would be put down. e6ectuaiy put down, by the
vote of The House.
Mr.. Thomas, of Louisiana sad he was sorry TO sec any
attempt TO drive those old soldiers OF this House who
had put into It. There law and
yer viii be, that viii take in every Why do those
petitioners hcrehe askcd Because by the construc-
ton given TO the law their do not within it,.
The doctrine OF the gentleman who made the motion is
that we ehould adhere 10 the law He hoped the House
would reflect upon what these men had done The gem
ueman had not marched day after day through mud and
water with his knapsacs on his back. He had dono IL,
and for tho who suffered from hunger and nakedness
in defending the country We can't make law, that
hard will These don't come here at
terlaw-they want mercy, and mercy let them have.
The question, Mr. Foots motion 10 recommit the
bill, taken and losand the bills ordered TO be
engrossed and read third time.
discussion on the bill ioT the relief Of George
lnncs which arrested by motion TO adjourn, made by
Mr. Evans of Maine, which was carried.
(T66e Editor Of the GlobcJ
StRIn the sketch of my remarks General Duncan's
proposed amendment 70 Mr. Blars resolution, relative TO
the disposal the Prbc Lands, published the Globe
this morning, discover crrorof importanta cbarac
ter as 70 require correction, Your StenogaPher makes
inyegh pretty severely, and especially against that
part OF The proposition which applies onethrd part Of the
avaiis Of the Public Lands purposes oi education. nm
surprised and mortified being understood The pro-
position before thc House, for the Committee TO in
qurc the expectancy Of approphang the produce Of
tho sales oftlIc Public Lande
T. Onebird part 10 objects Of Internal Improvement
within the States in which the lands arc sold.
the Of roads canals