The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-19

for favor the applicant has not been singled our 10
received pension, and afterwards his pension was re-
duced half by the Navy Department, no, MS
disability had decreased. but because ne h 'se po
noted The committee report that OF the instances
of officers who had received such pensions ana VINO
had been subsequently promoted ms was he only one
in which the pension was redueed consequences Vi inc
Mr. DICKINSON inquired whether the reduction was
under the exercise Of discretion on the part OF the Navy
Department, or whether was under q rule.
Mr. BADGER. 1t is very obvious that it is not the
rule for this is the only in which the pension of an
0 Mr. DICKINSON Dc understand the facts as The sem
ator does. What wish TO inquire is. whether the Off
Of the department had the right at his discretion TO
reduce the pension of and allow the others to remain
under similar circumstances nnreduced. wish to know
whether it is left their discretion. whether there is
rule requiring the reduction of the pension II seems
that if there is such rule, has been enforced since
30 many pensions have been allowed to remain without
being reduced.
MI. BADGER. 1t is my understanding of the case.
that there is such rule requiring them 10 reduce the
pension where the disability IS not reduced Here The
disability not reduced and the single reason for re-
This Is the only instance of such reduction. Ii is,
therefore, reduction which was caprcious IN its elect
and l say this without intending any imputation upon
the motives of those who reduced IT, unless there
some other reason of which am unapprzed.
Mr.. NILES inquired with regard TO the general prac-
s Of S Saas 70 s.y Hs
know whether the practice still obtained OF granting TO
officers of the navy. pensions for disability while they
MIR. BADGER TIL. question of the senator has no
relation TO the before This bill is not TO pay
him pension now, because, uni Ter the operation OF
rule adopted after the passage OF act OF Congress to
that effect in 1874 the pensions OF all the officers crcum
staiced ceased This bill is pay him distracted
from his payments during the time when according
the of the practice OF the department and the law
OF the land, he would have been entitled TO the full
amount 1t is to remedy past Inconvenience.
Mr.. NILES remarked, that if the effect of the bill had
been he supposed, ought not TO pass; but it seemed
Mt BRIGHT / am no, satisfied. If this reduction
takes place under the order of the Secretary of the Navy
there undoubtedly law for it then in existence. II
that law was applicable in this case was applicable
also other The general rule would apply all
Why them did they single out this officer and reduce his
pension only
distincty-that this was the only officer whose pension
reduced under such circumstances. The object OF
The bill is not to give him particular privilege but to
and upon nobody else Ii the senator is not satisfied
will call for the reading of that part of the report stating
The portion of the report alluded to was accordingly
read.
Mr. BADGER. The bill, then. is to put him upon the
The bill was then reported to the Senate without
amendment. ordered to third reading, and sub
sequeny read third time, by unanimous consent and
passed.
STEPHEN cHAMpIIN.
The Senate as in committee of the whole, proceeded
to the consideration of the bill for the relief of Stephen
ported to the Senate, ordered TO third reading and
subsequently read third time and passed.
SANGER.
The Senate as in committee of the whole proceeded
the consider alton CT the bill for the relief of G. f. de
la Roche and w. p. S. Sanger; and no amendment
having been offered, it reported to the Senate.
dered to Undertaking and was subsequently read
third time and passed.
JOSEPH BRYAN
The Senate as in committee of the whole proceeded
TO the consideration Of the bill for the relief of Joseph
md dmo havi hoap Harod uuu
reported to the Senate, ordered to third reading, and
was subsequently read third time, by unanimous
sent, and passed
JOHN pERcIvAL.
The Senate as in committee of the whole, proceeded
TO the consideration of the bill for The relief of John Per
civaI, captain in the navy Of the United States.
MIR. ALLEN remarked that the bill involved most
extraordinary princip!e-one which had never been
recognised. and which he hoped would not nov be
recognised BY the Senate Nobody1no even the Presi-
him board United States vessel
The present case might be very hard one. Captain
vidua but was certain that the government was not
bound for the money sought to be obtained of by this
BILL otherwise officers might be created by the voon
of any man who had little authority
Mr. MILLER said he did not any principle involved
in this except that of doing justice to Captain Perc
val 1t was not the question whether this officer, put
board the Ship was regularly appointed or not, but
whether Captain Percival should be made to pay the
salary of this on board the ship Il was no part of
thority by law 10 appoint this The facts SIM
ply these: By order Of the President this gentleman
put board the ship After the return of the vessel in
the settlement of its accounts the expenses of this
uralist were found charged; bat finding any officer
by that upon the roll, the accounting officers in
order get out of the difficulty charged the account to
Capt Percva making him pay for the expenses of this
man. They might well have charged it to any one
else.
Mr. ALLEN. 1t was not only case of appointing
officer, but Of smuggling him in and calling that ot
something else, and then paying him officer.
Mr.. MILLER If the gentleman wishes to find fault
with the appointment by the President there is remedy
for that There is propriey, at all events, in doing
injustice to Captain Percva There is something due,
however te the direction of the President of the United
States
Mr. BRIGHT The abuses, sir in this branch Of the
service have been such that Congress from time to time
ing the power of the Secretary of the Navy iand captains
Of vessels in certain cases Among other enactments,
j provided that only such officers named shall
be allowed on board OF government vessel while the
vessel was at sea- Now, the effect of such bill this
will be nothing less than saying to the Secreta
ny of the Navy. to the captains and officers, that they
may violate the law with mpunity Here an individual
am not now speaking Of this particular case) who de-
ses to travel II very pleasant to pass the tmepar
about to other parts of the world He bring himself
within the provision OF the law He does belong to
the navy, but ships himself, if you pleaseas this ind
vldual has done-as naturalist, for the purpose of
gong in the pursuit of bugs and fossils; not for
the benebt OF the government but for his own--to
travel at the public expense Now, say that is an
abuse and one that ought to be corrected and eecualy
prevented The passage OF this and the like bills is vr-
uay licensing this kind of conduct on the part OF those
In 81, T. sL-l