Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-02

House for the purpose OF considering TIC resoiu"''
Mr. CAVE JOHNSON Directing, =.
The resolutions were laid over, Under the ruies
the House. and ordered to he printed.
MIR. SAMSON MASON asked leave TO offer reso-
luton requiring the Secretary Of War to report 70 's
House the state OF our affairs III rela''oh - ~ ~
,aw Indians, &c, &c. -,
Mr. GIDDINGS moved TO suspend tue RUE OIL .hI
House for the consideration of this resolution which
moton failed and the resolution was laid on Tie table
The motion before the House. being TO RECONSIDER
III vote on tho appropri aton bill and its amendment
Mr. SHEPARD spoke at some length III support OF
the amendment rs passed, and vind,calins his con-
duct, as member of the Committee on Naval Afa'rs,
in Offering IT. ;.
The gentleman from Massachusetts had taken it on
himself TO say that there something unfair IN the
amendment he had moved, something OF trck. ne
asked the Speaker if it in ordr He did not selze
sly opportunity TO thrust it on the House-and ne mo
on this occasion behind the Speaker decision nu NV
ore ntleman thinks otherwise-he did not doubt ms sk
in parliamentary rules, nor the dgnihea manner III
which he urged them on the House "
He would briefly state some in favor OF his
amendment This was the first time Continued Mr'
s. in which we had been called on to appropriate mo-
ney for this navy pension fund 1t was new bil-not
an ordinary appropriation bill to carry into effect par
ticuar law The passage Of the act Of 1887 has de-
stroyed this fund.- therefore was strictly IN order 70
consider all the acts relative 10 that tuhd lie agreed
with the Speaker this point OF order
But If il was out of order, it was too late to make
any objections on this point If the gentleman did
make his objections day before yesterday, was poor
aryu,ne Mt now for the reconsideration OF the vote
Another objection this act was, that it was too has
IT, Who makes this objection: Why, gentleman
from Massachusetts, and another and third Dothey
wan, time TO consider this acI lfa young member had
told them he wanted time to consider il, it might DC
proper but his surprise that old members should
cu them So The subject had been before the House
previously al last session, and il was to be supposed
that they had examined it, ue had been told By dis
tinguished officer this morning, that the amendment
was proper. But what was the act Of 81: Was that
deliberate consideration of the House: ii he MIS-
took not sneaked through ut the last day of the
session He had looked foe the yeas and NAYS OH that
vote but had been able 10 find them. The gentle
from wb
the first That the first section ordered the Secretary
to pay certain Of money! and the second section
repeats the law under which the payment WAS re-
CURED
WHY does not the honorable gentleman Continued
Mr. 81 see that there were several laws requiring the
payment of this money-the law of lS00-and this mo-
ney is needed for previous laws: so the gentleman
opposition on that is obvated The gentleman
also said that had msstated the act OF "a What did
saw: That, throughout the pension laws, there was
one general PLAN That those should receive pensions
who had suffered in the cause of the country and also
that the second section referred to the time IN which
persons disabled in the navy should receive their PEN
sions He found in the National Inteigencer, this
morning report of his remarks, which stated pre-
cisely what he did say: This report of his remarks,
would show that he was right, and the honorable mem
Der wrong. 1t was common practice (he rcmarked)
10 take np false issues He hoped the day would not
be spent in this measure What the question before
US: Whether The act of 81 is right or wrong: Whc-
Their we are called TO repeal il or not: lie would
give his opinion in few words. In 1850 the Navy
| was in lis infancy.
The act Of 1900 was 10 encourage the Navy-to in
duce persons to enter into it, and it was necessary at
that time The object of Congress to hold out in
ducements to gentlemen TO enter into IT, lie showed
that it for the support Of the Navy What is The
Navy Pension Fund: The proceeds ofprizes were laid
aside to be given to seamen marines, &c, who had
been disabled in the service OF the country-Wha is
the act of 81? Subsequently to the act OF co0 many
acts passed That the pension fund should 20 to those
who had suffered in the service OF their country was
the feature of all the acts prior to 81 II any officer,
seamen or marine died, leaving widow, or children,
they should receive halfpay from the time OF their
death. This different act,-not that those who
had been disabled fought gailantly- those who
died-they might have been drunkards, or towards, -
but if they died. their children entitled 10 this
Navy pension fund. 1t not carrying out the net Of
1900. 1t was violation Of the pledged faith OF the
counry-and the Congress that passed that act acted
in violation Of their faith. This act did rank injustice
10 the gallant soldier and this is the about which
you have heard such lamentations before this House.
In six months Of the very first year Of lis passage 1t
had taken from the Navy fund upward of 1926 0O0.-
Can any wonder that the fund gone: As TO the
purchase and sale Of stocks which the gentleman
had commented with so much severity what better
could have been done asked Mr. S. We had more
money than we wanted at that tmc the stocks Of the
States were par. lf We had not purchased, there
would have been hue and cry about discreditng the
States He admitted that money had been lost,
but the Sccreinry nobody else TO blame
The effect of his bill would be 10 cast off this dIuin
from the fund.- which for the last four years. had amount
ed 10 $3.50 900 annually The true rule on this subject
was laid down the law of 1900, that those who have
suffered in the country should be remunerated for it.
The act of 1900, made distinction between the brave
and cowardy- the act of 81 had destroyed it.
4 He noted another objection. That the widows had
made their calculations receiving the funds that
on this the children had been sent TO school, &C. But
this was argument that they should continue TO re-
ceve the $4,000, which they had received annually
for four years He had now finished what he intended
to say If he mistaken, Mr.. Adams, yesterday,
used the word d;shonorabe, in connection with tins
matter He understood it applied TO the Ionse,
but friend had suggested that it vas applied to hun,
i (Mr. 81
Mr. ADAMS said he had said no such thing-that
the gentleman himself did not understand It thus, but
il was the whisper OF friend
Mr.. SHEPARD very far from wishing to do in
Justice to the gentleman. The honorable gentleman
had done him injustice-a he would say was, that he
wished the honorable gentleman would be more chart
table That no man in this House could do more
good than could Mr.. Adams; if in Of excitement
be would seize the opportunity of coming up me-
dator-as link between Washington and the present
generation
II Mr.. IHOMao WSned 10 give littie lhlormauoh
on this subject He had letter in MS hand from the
Navy Department, saying that the Cinncinat Stock had
been sold, (he inquired of, how they had sold)
The Secretary did not say whether at par or not.
I MIR. ANDERSON had been informed that they sold
for s62 per 500 of stock.
Mr.. THOMPSON, of South Carolina spoke at some
length in opposition TO the act of 81. Its aPpropra.
tons were unjust He opposed to the re-consldera.
ton of the bill.
Mr. ANDERSON inquired whether the bill the gen.
leman from Massachusetts designed TO offer, was the
bill approved by the Committee
Mr. REED answered that it was, with the exception
of the last section
Mr.. ANDERSON said that if the act of 81 was re-
pealed it would revive the of "a, and that OF
the same nature. He hoped that the House would take
the first opportunity TO look into this bill, which has
been reported by the Committee Naval Affairs.
He hoped the amendment would not be reconsdered.
Mr.. MONROE was decidedly in favor Of the repeal
of the law of 81; yet he had voted against the amend
ment of the gentleman from North Carolina, because
il was not proper nor sound legislation amend