Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-12-31


Tie question then recurring on the mo''oh IL PV''
ponr, IT. f-h,;,
s;r GARLAND of Virginia submitted to the Iha,'
.,iether under the rule, this subject, beng Pe'o'
would not necessarily come up Oh the day 60
and she thee, therefore, there was any Necessity o "
Ing pe1emptorv rule III relation toit -, 49,,
The SPEAKER replied that the subiecl "ouu nv
necessarily come up aer the expiration OF th"! '1'
from lie commencement of the session. ,, -
Tie question was then taken on the h1st o,"ie' "
the motion Of Mr. Chnn-to postpone the iurther con-
sde.a,ion Of the subject until "Wednesday weeA--'0
was decided in the affirmative without aGivlsioh'
So the further consideration was postponea' ~.
On the second branch of the motion-to MAKE tux
subject the special order for the day men''oheu-'
question put, and decided IN snc hsSa'>' "
thirds not voting therefor)
So The subject 7ot made the specie! orcef'
n, o,;o, of I'M Mr. F F. THoMAs, the House, by
unanimous consent, resolved itself into Committee o.
the Whole on the state OF the Union, air. DC ~ u
North Carolina, in the chair,) on the following n''
"ABILL concerning Navy pensions and hai'-pay'
Bs enacted " tx Se'sfe end hoH<s 9, I no ,r al
United States d 7aeriea IN Congress as,ha,sa' a
hundred and fy thousand tiFee huhu'a ~ annro
pated BE- pad out of any money N ihe a h,fnay
chargeabir the Navy pension fund.-
The bill having been read eu
Mr. THOMAS sent TO the Clerk table the follow
ing letter from the Secretary OF the Navy winch wa
read ,,,o
uSir: have the honor state that the whole amount
of money now on hand pay Navy pensioners, Slo,
Gl7 CT ard that there will be required IN ADDITION
thereto for that purpose, for the ensuing year. leti
the sum of sl5l ,352 80; of which, the sum OF SOL
416 e will be wanted to meet claims Tor pensions De-
coming due on the lst day Of January next
.Fhe stocks u: present owned BY the Navy pension
fund srs.- 40 ar,
CnyR Cincinnati per cent. Slooooo
City ofS-stzshngton > per cent. .''.'3
Bank OF Washington l1,ooo
If,;o, n,,l -. Ceoraetown il 400
Nominal value Sl53,739
"All these stocks have greatly deprecated IN value,
and some of them now altogether unsuitable nc
stock of the city of Cincinnati, standing highest, has
been advertised 10 be sold al public auction on the loth
of this month"; December) for the purpose, IN the first
place. of reimburslng the Bank Of America the sum OF
fifty thousand dollars advanced to The fund on depo-
site of the said stock meet the payment Of pensions
which became due on the lst of July last and alter
wards 10 meet far as il may suffice, the payments
falling due on the lst Of January next
..To Quidate these and other claims becoming Cue
in the year l-i, and at the same time 10 prevent the
great sacrifice which must ensue II the stocks belonging
10 the fund be sold al this time, have the honor 10
quest that you will be pleased TO call the attention OF
Congress to the subject at the commencement Of lis ap-
preaching session, and TO recommend an immediate
appropriation Of the abovenamed Of Sl3l 30 81
in aid of the fund.- the deficiency in lis means OF salts
Of Congress of 23d April, l-00. the public faith was
pledged 10 supply having occurred.
81 have The honor 10 be- very respectfully, your obe-
dent servant, J. X. PAULDlNG.
"To the PErsIDESr of the United States"
And the Clerk, al the suggestion of MIR. THOMAS,
also read the eth and 9TH sections OF the act OF le0o
Mr. T. then briefly urged the passage Of the bill lie
explained that BY the act Of c00 pensions were grant
ed TO seamen officers, and marines in the naval service
who had been disabled and that by the nh section,
peculiar mode Of paying those pensions was PROVIDED;
the fund was 10 be derived from the general reve
nue. of the Government, but from the sale .. that por-
on OF the prizes to which the United States might be-
come entitled lie explained also that, By the nh sec
ton the faith Of the United States was pledged, IN the
event oftle exhaustion of the fund.- 10 make good the
deficit The Secretary OF the Navy stated that this sPe-
ctc fund had been far exhausted 10 be reduced to
verv small amount in stocks, most OF which were now
unsaleable, and he applied 10 Congress TO make this
appropriation for the purpose OF saving those stocks
from sacnhcc
Mr.. T. then proceeded 10 reply 10 an objection
which, he said lie antic pated would ne made By the
gentleman from Massachusetts, (Alr. Adams) There
was cnn,rariety Of opinion in the Committee on Ma
val Affairs and might be, Mr.. I. supposed, in this
House as 10 the construction of the law Of Sd March,
l-37 under which this pension fund of 800 had been
exhausted 1t would be seen that Congress, BY the act
Of 1900 had give pensions officers seamen and ma
rlnes disabled and he had said By the 9Th section.
the faith Of the Government was pledged to make good
AM deficiency the fund fit should become exhausted
Bv the las Of -;1, ard BY other laws which IT was not
necessary 70. him refer IT, another class persons had
cen authorized apply for these pensions other than
i-trd BY the original act: tiiat - ."
lt and children OF persons dying IN the service
orhc cony and those persons entitled to pen
SION frou the date Of the passage Of the Law But
lie SECRETARY Of the Navy had construed II as to
make t!n pension commence from the time Of the
death Under this construction Mr.. /. explained that
arrearauss had been allowed OF twenty thirty
h mir afadt hat iip
sachusets Mr. Adams would assume the ground that
the Secretary had erred in giving that construction TO
the law If 1887. He anticipated the gentleman would
say that Congress gave pledge TO make good any de-
iciency the fund in the event Of that fund being
applied SHELLY 10 pensioners contemplated under the
law ofld0, TO wit, to officers, seanen and marines
actually mploved in the public service Now, It SEEM
ed TO hin (Mr. t. that whatever might be the con-
structongyen to the act. the bill before the commit
tee oughtto become law even if the Secretary Of the
Navy hadcommiited II the fund was exhaust
cd, the Government stood bound to reimburse L. The
Commute. on Naval Affairs intended, before the close
ofthe session. bring in bill to repeal the act OF 81,
and INTENDED 10 incorporate IN It certain provisions dni-
nshng tie number Of persons entitled to make these
claims uJan the Government. The SIMPLE question
now was whcther the Government, in virtue Of It's
plinhted filth, would make good deficiency IN
The pc nsoa fund of 800; that fund having been
hausted uder what some gentlemen might suppose 10
be n mscs1structlon of the act Of lc3I.
Mr. ADAMS rose and addressed the committee at
great Length several important subjects connected
with the financial policy Of the present and late Adj
mnisratns; making no opposition, however, to the
passage OF the BILL but s'rennously urging the main
ienance OF the public faith nyolate. report Of the
speech vii be given hereafter.
No amendment having been offered, the Committee
rose and reported the bill to the House
And theGnestion being on ordering the bill TO
third reading
Mr. REID spoke briefly Of the absolute necessity of
making this appropriation, which, he said due regard
10 the fai,i and honor of the Government required,
notwithstanding that the appropriate fund had been
exhausted " an nprovdent law of this House lie
took occasion also, call attention TO three most i'm
portan bills on which he had heretofore s,rved in VAN
10 get the adon of the House, and which were, first
bill 10 pea in part the Pension Law, (Which law, he
said trench,d on the interests Of the nation BY giving
both pay AM pension to officers who, in his opinion,
ought not receive them) secondly, bill in relation
10 navy PENSIONS and thirdly bill in relation to pur-
sers Mr.. said he earnestly hoped that the House,
at some early day. would give short space Of time to
the consideration Of these bills
fOur Reporter cannot prepare the further debate on
this subject for this paper il will be given hereafter