Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-07

-, $50 pbIcl the Dill IL :"
ing. horo ensned between Mcssrs.
RAMS STARKWEATHER, and the y
% the mode in which the question was again - :.
40, ,t-of which, however, the hePolel QUIZ =, Mr.
COZ ,rord II resulted in the withdrawal by MI
y near q 80 &C the motion he had submitted. ;
olarA -. arss,;on recurring OH the final passage o.
the bill :, ,h,t e IN order. he would
now move TO rccommit the bill Tor Tue PURPOSE u ,hat
no" ny ~ An section. That section provided tnat
ing n .I Pension Fund which had always Dceh
ny ,Lo direction of the Secretary OF inc t>a.S'
ibid now he transferred to the charge Of 'e ~ All
Ho rdwards. In the first place, that pension unu uu
WI. ont of the ordinary resources OF the 1ov'i"-
not eon'I :. Md becn created by the gallantry Q. '"e
M ~ tbo war of 1912, l3, and ia: ana thcy i"
IVY Locked to the Secretary OF the Navy as 'Icu
,.ns,.e IN fulfil the objects Tor whien 'he ,u'u ~
W oro,,ed If the 4h section should now D Z SUI
:. - m,s another bill coming IRON the ocn"'I
out, ,st. 49,, reference to the Naval Pension tuha
wiz" Ta;,ad states: and when this bill came up, thete
u.o,,id bc time to discuss its provisions, ana - "I ny
srch arrangements aszto the manner ~ III III,
60 shculd hereafter be managed, as iiisht Ut ui'"s".
wv !, l"o%Ia This was the only motive which ne no"
auna,r "a rcconmit the bill for the purpose Oh
.S;L;nr ont The 4,h section. 1t might give muc" US
.s,;Sr,c,;ou 10 the officers of the Navy thal tHe g''tu
;,n to whom they had alright TO LOOK sn'au " I'N"s
Som all possibility the iuna ston'a pe n nl
a,,J nm with The other funds OF the government, INV
II he accounted for, not TO Tue Seeie'1iy
brt TO the Secretary OF war. ox,I,-
Nr ZONES, of Virginia, would give prlei 49,"
=, ia - oour sUuriuit, anu "uhIu rta'pf'9S> n"siiu S
not been for the necessity which existed that The Dill
should he acted upon without delay. II was true that
a portion of this fund had bten created under the en-
actmcnt of Congress, and consisted Of prize money
taken in the war of 1872, l3, and Ia, and when was
set apart for this purpose. Another portion, calico lhe
Naval Hospital Fund, consisted OF a portion Of the
wares of officers and seuncn belonging TO the Navy.
| v,I.:, r,,,d b,r,tofnrp toI lrpn uuur. the direction OF
the Secretary of the Navy, but owing to a coInmuni-
cation from that office himself, MIR. J supposedly the
matter was taken up in another branch OF the Legisla-
ture, and this section Gfthc bill was incorporated INTO
it. MIR. J. here read an extract from the report OF me
Department, 10 show that the section had bccn INTRO
ducrd at the instance of the Secretary OF the Navy
himself The labor imposed upon ne secretary OF
the Navy was so great that he could not discharge the
duties, and the consequence was that tl'y must, OF ne
cessity, be devolvcd upon a subordinae clerk. In the
present case, the proposition was to tut the fund IN
| charge of the Commissioner OF Pensions, where there
would be a sufficient responsibility; and, although 1t
would not be direct to the Secretary OF the Navy, yet
it would be direct to an officer OF cTIa! grade with the
Secretary of the Navy. The fund would be in the
CHARGE OF a naval officer who had performed faithful
public service, and there would be more responsibility,
and a prospect of better discharge of the duty than
under existing arrangements, coupled TO the additional
prospect of a uniformity of decision through the whole
system of pension laws.
Mr.. j. tlpN moved tIc prev VNtSliphi pht WIN
drew it at the request of Mr.. Hoffman,, and on the
pledge of that gentleman to renew 1t.
Mt. HOFFMAN said that the yery difficulty winch
he had apprehcnded from want OF tine had now pre-
scented itself. 1t was important that tins bill should
be passed to-day; and neither the patience nor the time
of the House would admit of 4 satisfactory lnvcstiga-
ton now. 1t was for this reason thtt lc had submit
ted his motion in such general terms. II The House
should hereafter think that this 4h section was right,
they could, after having come to a deliberate Judgment,
$3.50 NJ D.. L-.l jill .hnn
it should come up, in the course oil two or three weeks.
IT, however, the House should now pass the section
| without understanding its effect, or listening to the ar
rumcnts which might be urged against It, 1t would be
too late, when the Naval Pension Fund Bill should
come up, TO make the desirable alteration. lie did not,
therefore, mean to offer any substitute at present; he
merely wished the House TO strike out the section so
as to give time for consideration.
This proposition contemplated a very important
change, so far as it regarded the interests of the Navy;
and yet the change might be right or might be wrong.
1t was Il most important changc-prcgnant with good
as with evil 10 that body. The amendment had never
passed through the Committee on Naval Affairs, which
was the appropriate committee 10 have passed Iudg-
ncnt upon it. and TO have presented II 10 the Housc.-
Now. If The House >Gtin 49, = IN -. 'h" sa"-
ton, they would be in The same position as though IL
had never been introduced. II might be adopted pre-
ciscly as it stood or it might be rejected hereafter, when
the Naval Pension Fund Bill should be under conside-
ration. But il seemed unfair and unkInd that a mea-
.,,re of so much Importance to the Navy should be dis
oulN va ~ hNS
posed of in this summary way, without even time Tor
inquiry, or without having passed through that channel
10 which they had a right 10 look for the guardianship
o: their interests.
prc yious question, in redemption of his pledge TO MIR.
Jones,
Mr.. MONROE urgently appealed to Mr.. II. to with
hold the dcmand-which Mr.. II. said he could not do,
being pledged TO renew it.
Aud the previous question being then again demand
cd
The SPEAKER said the main question would be on
the passage OF the bill.
Mi. HOFFMAN moved to strike out the 4th section.
The SPEAKER said il could not only now be done
by nanTnou consent.
Mr.. HOFFMAN said if universal consent could not
be obtained, he must move 10 recommit the bill.
MIR. MCKAY rose and objected.
Mi. LAWRENCE hoped the objection would he
withdrawn. 1t was very important that this nhi
should be passcd today, because the commission OF
,h,a Commissioner of Pensions would expire. The
House had not had any opportunity OF examining inc
tth section. That section seemed to HIM to carry with
t very important powers, and he confessed ne was
| not, at this time, ready To vote upon 1t. IL might DC
rirht or wronr-hc did not say. But, at Inc same uiic'
he desired that ii might be stricken out now, and IN,
troduccd into some other bill II 1t he rght. At al
events time should be allowed for INQUIRY.
Mr.. MCKAY declining 10 Withdraw his Objection
Mr.. HOFFMAN moved a re-commitment.
Mr.. TURNKEY inquired if, after the previous CUES
tlOU LIT UtGU EulitN IL IONI' "
der
The SPEAKER answered in the negative.
Some conversation followed, between AesSrs. CLlf-
FORD, JONES, BRIGGS, and BANKS, on the point
Of order, ;,
When, the question being put, the demand lot 'he
previous question was seconded.
And The main question was ordered to be now taken.
And The main question, being on the passage OF the
bill, was decided by yeas and nays, as follows: cas-
l57, nays7.
Mr.. WADDY THOMPSON Immediately moved a
reconsideration Of the vote Just taken, and went INTO a
very animated remoIstrance on the injustice which
would thus be perpetrated by the House in relation to
a fund which was not It's own, and toward which II
stood only III the relation Of a trustee.
Mr.. MONROE followed on the same side, enforcing
his views with great carncstneSs, insisting that te
fourth section Of the bill ought to be stricken out.
Mr.. HUBBARD Of Alabama moved the previous
question; which was seconded, put, and carried.
And the main question, being on the reconsideration,
was decided by yeas and nays, as follows: Yeas o''
nays S3.
So the House refused to reconsider.
The title of the bill was then agreed to; and the SUD