The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-31
TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS,
FIRST SESSION.
SATURDAY, January 81, 1916.

The Senate did not sit to-day.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The Journal Of yesterday was read in part, and
(tho further reading having been dispensed with
was approved.
THE PENSION LAWS.
The SPEAKER, by leave, laid before the House
the following communication:
A letter from the Secretary Of War, transmitting,
in obedience 10 the resolution of the House OF the
3Ist utmo AN abstract Of the several pension laws
now in force, together with the constructions whleh
have been placed upon such avs, by the said de
partment Attorney General, with forms Tor the
use of Applications for pensions.
Mr.. BhODiEAD said, this was very valuable
document IL contained an appendix or computation
of all the pension laws now in force-oi the forms
necessary 10 be adopted in aPPlicationsf
and the opinion OF the Attorney General OF the
United States upon these laws He desired that
some extra copies should be printed for the use oil
the House, and few for the use Of the commits
sioner of pensions. He (Mr. B. believed that every
member Of the House had frequent calls upon
him in relation to these laws and that printed COM
pilation Of them would be found very useful. He
moved therefore, that FIVE thousand extra copies OF
the document be printed for the use Of the mem
bers and FIVE hundred for the Of the Commission
of Pensions.
resolution
The SPEAKER said the question was in the
mere form Of u motion, not OF a resolution.
Me- BRoDHEAD called for the reading Of the
resolution, under which this document had been
sent in.
And it was read.
A message was received from the Senate by A.
DICKENS, esq, secretary, informing the House OF
the passage Of a bill for the relief Of Charles u
Page. .... .,......,
MI MCCONNELL could not see the proprieiy OF
printing this additional number Of documents he
was wiling lie WAC understood TO say, to 60 as far
a, any man in giving to those who had fought the
battles of their country the just reward of Their mer-
its. But let gentlemen look to the pension laws,
and to the claims that were made under them, and
they would find more persons claiming pensions
than had fought the battles of l776, and lsl2-l3 If
il was in order he would introduce an amendment
abrogating the pension laws, and thus doing away
with that indiscriminate and vouptuous Poor-house
system. ....s. ....- 1 80. .,.-. ......
am satisfied (concldued Mr.. McC.)
Mr.. SEVERANCE rose, and proceeded 10 re-
mark that this was document that was much want
ed ........ . s. ...-r. .......
The SPEAKER interposed, and said that the
motion to print an extra number could only be en-
ter,ained by general consent. And he suggested
that the question should first be taken on the ordina
ry motion to lay on the table and print the docu-
ment. ........... -..... e..
The suggestion was acceded to,
Aud the question having been taken, 1t was Or
dsred that the report be laid the table and print
And objection having been made to the consider
alton at this time Of the motion to print $500 extra
Mr., BRoDHEAD moved a suspension of the
rules, ... =. ,.
And the House having decided that motion in the
affirmative, and the motion to print an extra number
being thus before the House, .,.
MIR. G. w. JONES thought that less number
than that which had been proposed would answer
the purpose. There were but few persons, he was
understood to say, in each congressional district, by
whom the document would DC wanted; and he mo-
we'd TO amend the motion by striking out "5, 500, y
and inserting 80 500 for the of the House, and
500 for the of the commissioner" 49,,
Mr.. HOPKINS said he differed both from the
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr. BRopHEApl and
the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr.. JONES j as to
the number Of copies that shout d be printed He
thought that the largest number designated was toe
small. The document was of great interest TO tina
portion of their constituents, who, in his opinion
had been too much neglected in this very particular
What did the House do by the dissemination o.
this small pamphlet II would send to every
part Of the country the means by which the
soldiers Of the revolution, and Of the last war
would be protected against the very few in
divduals who familiar with the Legislation
OF Congress on the subect-legisIation intend
ed Tor the benefit Of the soldiers themselves, bu
which, by reason of this very want Of correct in
formation, too often resulted to the benefit Of specu
lators, and to the injury of that very class of thei
constituents for whom they legslated II was, h
repeated, small document. And what did 1t pro
pose to DOE To send out 10 the country, In the mos
authentic form, the evidence OF what had been don
here for the people. To give TO those interested
copy Of the law itself, and thus put them on thei
guard against those impostions and speculation
which he agreed were a dsgrace to the age in whic
we lived. And there had been means by whic
these impositiona had been more successfully car
ried on than by the want Of the very norma
lion which il was now proposed to furnish.
was known that every member OF the House
had constituents constantly writing for intor
nation in relation to these pension laws, II
doubted whether there were have dozen member
who could respond to one of these inquiries 4
person who wds interested in getting Information
as to the claim Of particular individual, woul
write to a member Of Congress 20 know what IN
law was. The letter was referred 70 the Conmis
sioner of Pensions, and the beat reply that he cou
make was to give copy Of the laws. The Progo
sition of the gentleman from Pennsylvania MI
BRoBHElp1 was to allow 500 copies only to tn
commissioner Of pensions. How long would the.
remain in his officel Members would call for then
and procure them, and in three weeks there wou
be none left. The expense would be inconsistent
bic; and he should like 10 see tbs number doubled
At all events, he should like TO sec one thousan
copies ordered for the Office Of the Commissioner Q
Pensions, and he suggested to the gentleman from
Pennsylvana to modify his motion.
Mr. BRODHEAD said he had asked the Com
missioner Of Pensions whether the number desig
mated in the original motion would be sufficient
lie replied that ne tnought " would. lnefe wa
not single copy Of the pension laws for dstributio
now in the department.
Mr.. HOPKINS hoped, he said, that the larg.'
number proposed would be printed. He woul
even vote foe 10, 900 copies.
MIR. WEN TWoRTH thereupon moved to prir
10000 copies (renining the additional 500.)
Mr.. G, w. JONES' not very well heard, was an
derstood to suggest that copy OF these pensio
laws would not be Of any use 10 those who were a
ready drawing their pay from the government
THAI eould therefore only benefit those who ha