The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-04-08

created under acts in 1912 and 1s13 which
quFee Two per cent upon the sales OF the prizes and
upon tue salvage of The recapues TO be appropriated
lhe purpose OF pvateer pension fund In 1914 an act
was passed granting pensions TO lnyallds and 10 the
WIDOWS anu orphans OF those slain board OF prva-
,ee,s lhsse pensions continued TO be paid with some
hltie modhealions occasionally, down 10 the year
lSaa AL that time the fund was exhausted
ine acts gTantlng these pensions required that they
should be paid out OF this fund, and from other
source That was the language OF one act. Another
ACT expressly provided that they should not be charge
upon the treasury OF The United States In 1874, how
ever y Was discovered that the fund exhausted and
at thar time senator from Maine, MIR George Evans,
whp was Then member OF this body. and chairman OF
the COMMITTEE on Finance, introduced amendment 10
an appropriation bill, by which the Senate, at dash
appropriated $751; for the payment OF these prvateer
pensions out OF the treasury OF the United States,
ua 10 the spirit and express provision OF the acts grant
ing the pensions.
Subsequently 10 1850 Congress refused to pay these
pensions out Of the treasury There however
little balance left in the hands OF the agents. and il
bGppeRs that oil the pensioners have been paid up
10 the lot OF January 1885, the agents being OF
the refusal OF Congress make further appropriations
Some OF the pensioners have been paid up the LIST OF
January, 1858, while others have We thought it
was well 70 put all on footing, and 10 make appro-
paion which would be sufficient TO pay all these pva-
eer pensions up TO the ls OF January 1852 but not 10
continue the system OF paying them out OF the treasury
II seemed, indeed to be the duty OF the Committee FL
nance, whose business it is recommend appropriations
10 carry out existing laws, not 10 recommend appropra-
ions which were not necessary TO carry out those laws,
but which were in fact contrary TO the provisions of the
existing laws
We propose, therefore, 10 make an appropriation of the
SUN mentioned III the amendment, which will equalize
the condition OF all these pTvaeer pensioners Those
who have not received pensions up 10 January, 1853,
will Tins amendment be adopted receive them and be
put upon the same footing the others. But it is not
recommended TO the Senate to continue the payment Of
these pensions out OF the treasury Ii is for the Senate
to say whether they will the intention OF Con-
gress as declared in the acts of 1914 and 1s1s and other
an Pka a oq q hs 81 eo0
enls OF my colleague aud myself interested in the
amendment before the Senate. feel it, therefore,
10 be my duty 10 say word in regard 10 it. The prnc
pie TO be decided by the Senate in the adoption reec
on OF this amendment has been correctly stated by my
colleague II is whether the pensions OF this character
shall be exclusively applied TO those in the regular
vice OF the country. or whether they ought to be applied
10 those who engaged the privaieer service du
ring the last with Great Brtan' That is the broad
question, and want il 10 be met
BY the act to which my colleague has referred, Con.
gIess did al one time recognise the pTopre OF paying
them as other pensioners, and for that purpose appropa
Ted he sum OF $4,000 beyond the fund which was de-
rived from then own captures, and which my colleague
has correctly said exhausted, and to which the OH.
ginal pension law IN regard TO them applied Now, sir,
for myself if are TO allow pensions To sailors who
fought on board OF Of war, | cannot why
those who fought on board OF private armed vessels
should not also receive PENSIONS when they entitled
to them, Tor The same gallant services, and when they
recognised By the country, the time they rendered
them, as IN the service OF The country We all know
that letters OF marque issued The pnvaeers, by
which their authority TO 20 abroad and fight the enemies
OF the couatry recognised by aw and they fought
as CALAMITY any part Of those who were engaged in
the war No man can doubt thathey did much injury
10 the enemy and rendered much service
try, the regular navy did during the Of
do not then, why they no, equally entitled to
eelye pensions The regular sailors in the OF 1912
therefore prefer the clause it stands in he bill, be-
cause It appfopriaies a larger amount
Mr.. HAMI.lN Mr.. President. can very well give
my vote on the issue which my friend from Maryland,
who last spoke Mr.. PRATT,l has raised and upon the
case, he has presented il TO the Senate, am very viii
ling to vote with him. But, If understand this matter
correctly, think my friend has not placed the issue pre-
csely on the strongest point; IN other woIds, think
both he and his distinguished colleague [Mr. PEARcE
labor under in this matter They certainly
in error, am and if am IN error, desire TO be
rected. II | understand the original law, il provided
that fund should be created from the proceeds Of the
prizes captured by the pryaieers, out OF which certain
that fund has been all consumed do mot understand
H. nsset, on the contrary, that the pensions paid at
he aeparm Mt IN no year haye equaed the interest Of
that fund
Mr. PEARCE II the senator will allo me. | will
state The authority.
Mr. HAMLlN. Certainly.
Mr. PEARCE. ! remember very well the appropTa-
ton which was made in 1874, for was then member
oil this body Certainly Il would not have been
sary to make an appropriation out OF the treasury Tor The
payment of these pensions ii there had been sufficient
amour, 10 the credit Of the priva pension fund But
here is the authority It's letter from the Commission
ef Of Pensions, 10 which, among other things, be says:
The Of Juee 8, lsii approprs'es $4,000 for the
pnvateer pension fund, their pensions from
The lime they stopped In consequence OF the eShaus
lion Of such fund
Then he says:
BY reference 10 the accounts Of The oepts aud ex-
pendures Of the United States for the fiscal year ending
the 3Oh Of June, 1874 il viii be that the privateer
pension fund then reduced to balance OF S74 OF.
This date therefore, be assumed that OF the
haustion Of the fund"
think the only oil the statement Is, that The fund
was exhausted little sooner, because we appropriated
at that very session $4,000 TO pay these pensions, and
there have been considerable amount OF aearages
10 require that sum.
While am up, will merely add, IL The senator will
allow me, that the amount is small. | think the number
OF pryateef pens al Tins time is only about nineteen,
and The amount OF pensions which they receive is very
small-pethsps something less than 81 900 SO 900
year But II Congress adopt the policy Of paying these
pensions out Of the treasury II can scarcely be doubted
that applications for pensions will be filed, and that
seems, at all events 10 be anticipated by the head OF the
bureau,
Mr HAMLIN | do not now understand the senator
from Maryland az meeting the statement which made.
Il is his-and think justified in by the facts Of
the that the disbursements will show that they
in year equal TO the interest upon the principal
OF this fund. My friend from Maryland has not shown
and think the statement which he holds in his hand
does not show and cannot show-lhe manner in which
this fund lost Was 1t loaned by The government
Has the government failed TO secure those loans Has
the fund been improperly diverted from the purposes for
which IL originally created So far as this question
is concerned, not what became OF that fund; but
If the government has not annually paid amount equal
to the interest Of III; II has lost II by loanng il il
Congress has appropriated II 10 another and different
purpose than that provided for in the original LAWN
either case Congress is bound TO make it good think
the statement which the senator from Maryland makes
fails fully to answer the position which assumed II Is
that the fund originally created by this prize money
40 he at.J uy tha