The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-12-27

The last week the third OF the present session
Congress-. Although both houses adjourned 0 Thursday
TO take tho Christmas holidays they did no
small share Of usness during the three days that
they were N session let Us present readers with
recaPuhon Of the dolngs Of our national legislators,
passing the highly ludcrons tlbleau presented by
two members Of the House Messrs English and Mongo.
merry, ON the avenue pleasant morning, the pick
ng himself mp out of the gutter which hc had been
knocked by bis colleague and shy bricks after his
saant while the latter quick retreat M one of the
side s'reets-we say will that feature IN our
sketch as being perhaps legislative and not partcu
lary credabe TO the pair OF Kansas compromisers com
promised by il, to the body of which they are mem
bers
SOLDIERS PENSION BILL
Alter about "A week discussion OF the bll commit
tee its friends thought high time stop debate and
bring the House to vote upon But while in commit
tee IL had been loaded down with a number OF
amendments altogether beyond It's strength to car.
ry. In this emergency that parliamentary manouvrc
which invented for the Kansas Nebraska bill
was had resort to. motion made by one or
the managers OF the measure to strike out the
enactng clause of the bn motion was carried in
committee. The enactng clause struck out thus get
ting rid of all the amendments and the rose
and reported its action the House Then the House re
fused to in the recommendation of the committee
substitute that had been agreed upon the pre-
vous evening offered by Mr. Savage and this
,ute, without being printed forced upon the House
under the gag law of the previous question. was con
tended by the opponents OF the that rules
require all proceedings touching appropriations OF
money 10 be first discussed in committee of the whole
this substitute should 20 before the and be
there discussed but the Speaker decided-rather
cordance with former decisions than with spirit and
ie IN hirn
this offered substitute had been discussed
mittec IL not necessary that the matter should go
again before the committee, though II had
mcndod the rejection OF the bill By this manouvre the
House brought TO upon the substitute, and
adopted il by vote Of l22 10 IL.
We published in Saturdays HERALD the text Of the bill
thus passed by the House yeas nays upon
its passage. by reference the people Will SEQ
what members have given their support to this grand
pension agency haul the Treasury The bill as passed
is considerably modified from that originally reported
declares each OF the surviving officers commission
ed officers, musicians and privslcs who shall have
in the regular army, State troops, volunteers militia
and officers, non commissioned officers and marncs, for
term OF sixty days more who have been engaged
actual battle with the enemy the declared BY the
United states against Great britain on the 18th day OF
June, 1872, against the Indians during or preceding
that war, authorized TO receive a pension from the
United States TO from rst day Of tho pre-
sent Congress and continue during his natural Hfc the
pension TO be graduated iollows twelve months
service ~ more, nnCysix dollars; FOR six ser
vice but less than twcve months, seventy fve dollars
Cor sixty days but less than months nfsy dol,
lars provided that the survivor surviving widow OF
officer, commissioned officer musician or private
who participated actual battle said war shall be en-
titled to the maximum pension.
II the bill should become Law ia this shane let as see
wh be thc uf fpvn
taking the estimate that has made that three cgh,hs
s,ili survive a. correct
The whole number OF militia enrolled in service
during the war Of 1912 900
:. .,. ffimafe1 70 ohich
No. that fcrved more than ais,aisr thy could
'",,, ,sS but les than SIX o,o 40 '~e.,g .sa
Do. do. SIX, but sss
than twelve ss2ss g,ss, ,sssa@
isiimated number ofpcnsioners q an
Aggregate amoun, II pensions a, oae m
Thus this bin, II u became law, would enal on the
government an additional annuai expenditure oG over
eight millions of dollars. This viii be secn, = some
three millions less than estimated for the bill m u
originally s,oo the deficit being due the graduation Of
pensions according TO service and - the limit
Of 500 year instead Of the pay y which the pcnsioncr
would have been entitled according 10 hrs rank In the
service. In the present condition Of the public purse
however, eight millions year trlIng addition 10 the
expenditures Of the government n represents a capital
Of leo 100000 THUS the people representatives
At Washington have actually vo,cd away the enormous
sum q sCooooooo at this session. without there being
the slightest fs H. because the bcnaGares under
this act are, as general thing better circumstances
than the " the people from whom The money sto be
drawn
rACIric ESrLEOAp.
The senate has been chiefly occupied during m. rast
and the indications that will pass that body in some
shape thin week after the resumption Of business on
the aih Of January next The debate aud amendments
offered look rather o. the of the read than 10 tho
principle involved IN the itself Tho pending
BILL as reported from The sctct committee that sub.
jcC proposes that the eastern Of the road shall
commence on the Missouri river, between the mouths
Of the Big sioux and the Kansas rivers" senator Polk
of Missouri, offered amendment which was oonsiicra
ny debated, to strike ou that provision the eastern
terminus and to insert in lieu or II the following
Between O pont IN the boundary of Minnesota on the
forty ninth parallel ~ north latitude and the southern
boundary of the United States.
Tbs amendmcnl was rejected BY vote Of yeas II,
nays %
Senator Ward, u Texas has ivou ice Of an amend
meut al The same pom 81 The bn so as 70 make il
read
From point between the forty Hh degree OF north
latitude and the southern boundary line OF the United
states TO the nearest eligible the Pacific coast in
the state Of California reference being feasibility
shortncss and economy
And be also proposes 70 reduce the maximum advance
Of money by the government SIS 10000 $1,000
COO, while Senator wi@on, of Massachusetts,, has given
not leo q an amendment to insert the words
ON the shortest practicable between the parallels
Of latitude "a and -.
An amendment has been adopted by . yeas q nays
providing that all the necessary construct the rail
road and that may compose the track Of the same shall
be q American manufacture
senator seward prefers 70 the road built by thc 90
vcrumcnt alone without reference 70 contractors reserv
lnc ,hc public lands ~ source from which would be