Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-15
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

In THE SENATE, yesterday, after We went
to press, Mr.. Clay continued bis speech against
the pending revolutionary claims bill, urging
that its provisions and the questions it raised
were novel and original in their character
To the bill itself he was opposed in its whole
and In its parts, in its conception and in it's
design, in its spirit and in its letter Our
pension laws already formed heterogeneous
and intigested mass, but the present bill had
In his estm ton, less to commend it end more
to condemn it than any that Congress had
ever enacted Mr.. Clay then proceeded to
disSect the bill to show in detail the inequality
with which it makes provision for the men CT
our revolutionary ora 1t embraced, besides
an entirely new class of pensioners, "sur-
geons' mates, whose duties (rapging some.
where between those Of an assistant surgeon
and hospital steward) involved nought of
labor or danger that should entitIe them to a
place among the benefcisries of the Govern
lnent. He also presented a statement of tho
large sums which would accrue to the several
pensioners provided for in tho bill before the
Senate, and did not doubt that the estimates
of the committees Of both Houses of Congress
fell greatly below the grand total which would
be required to satisfy the exactions of the bill
The estimates presented by the Secretary Of
the Interior were shown to be based on mis-
taken and suggestions information, in confr.
nation OF which fact letter was read from
the present Commissioner Of Pensions, Mr.
Whiting, by whom these estimates had been
prepared in the Department of the Interior
Mr.. Clay pronounced the bill most ubiquitous
In its determinations. It provided bost for
those who had done the least and had already
received the most from the Government, and,
instead Of being based on considerations of
merit, seemed to be nothing better than a
premium on longevity, making provision, as
1t does, not according to services render but
tho number of years during which its beneti-
Charles have survived since the Revolution
And these benefciaries have already been
thrice paid by the Government: firstly, by
the communication bill in lieu of half pay for
life; secondly, by the pension act of 1918,
granting them half pay for life not exceed
Ing the half-pay Of q captain of infantry :;
and, thirdly. by the act of 1925 allowing them
full pay for life, to date from the year 1926
The Senator then reviewed the speech de.
livered on the subject by Mr.. Seward, whose
historical Rotations he thought did not touch
the real merits of the bill, except in so far as
certain of them seemed explicitly to contra.
dict the arguments relied upon by its advo
Gates. He would not hold the committees of
either House of Congress to q strict response.
billty for the bill in question. They were only
its foster parents; its real fathers were med
dlesome claim agents and lobby members,
who had grown into a sort of fourth estate in
the legislation of Congress
And then, after a speech from Mr. Bell of
n. H., in favor of the bill, Mr. Foster obtained
the floor, and they adjourned
In THE House, they went into Committee
tMr. II. Marshall in the Chair and taking up
the pending tariff bill and amendments there.
to, Mr.. Akers delivered a speech in favor of
Know NothiDgism.
The debate was then continued upon the
subject Iegitimately before the committee by
Messrs. Durfee, Letcher, Campbell Of Ohio,
Houston and Millson.
Mr.. Boyco next obtaining tho floor, the
committee roso; and shortly afterwards the
House adjourned.