Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-01
BUSINESS N THE SENATE.

BUSINESS ~ TIE SENATE.
In the Senate, Monday on the motion Of
Mr. Edmunds, chairman of the Committee
on Pensions, the bill increasing pensions was
taken up and passed The bill increases all
pensions twenty per cent. for five years from
March +, 1871 Its text is as follows That
the invalid pensions of all officers, soldiers,
marines and sailors of the land and naval
forces, and of the widows, children, and de-
pendent relations Of any Of the same granted
OF hereafter to he granted under the provis
ions of the general law, and also the same
| pensions granted by special law not in excess
of the vote provided by the general law for
similar cases. lie and the same are hereby
/ increased by the sum Of twenty per centum
/ thereof, to commence March 4, ISL. Pro
vied that said increase shall cease and ter
inmate at the expiration of five years from
/ said last mentioned date. Il is estimated
that this increase of pensions Will call for
an appropriation OF about =, 000, 900 more
than is required by the laws as they now are.
There : some doubt whether the hill will
pass the House.
Tuesday Mr.. Morton'- bill to refund the
interest and discount on the war loan of the
States was reported adversely 10y the Finance
COMMITTEES. ana Mr. sherman at the same
time gave notice of a substitute providing
for the refunding of the interest only At an
even rate of six per cent, in which shape
tie bill may possibly pass the Senate but
it viii hardly become law this session. rs
far as Vermont and probably other eastern
States arc concerned the bill if 1t become a
law will only take money out of one pocket
TO put it into the other and is therefore
Of little consequence.
On Wednesday zen. Blair was sworn in as
Senator. lie took the test oath without OBJ
lection and took his scat ON the Democratic
side OF the House lie viii make con
spicuous Senator and viii undoubtedly add
to the livcliness Of that body
On Thursday the Senate passed the bill
abolishins the income tax by vote of TWEEN
ty-slx to twenty-five. Mr. Morrill, of Yer
mont voted against the bill, and dr Ed
munds, who was absent and opposed to the
bill, was paired.
the civil service bill, Senator Schurz making
an able speech in favor of civil service re
form. The same subject has been debated
nearly every day during the week, and dur
ing the debate Senator Patterson of New
Hampshire exposed the corruptions of the
New York Custom House. which he charged
to the present vicious system of appointing
men to Office reward for political ser
vices or TO secure political influence. The
bill might as we'll be put aside, for no meas
ure really amounting to any reform in the
civil service will be passed this session of
Congress, if indeed it ever is.
THE UNWILLING THE STATUE OF LINCOLN.
The great event of the past week was the
unwilling of Mis- Reams statue of Abraham
Lincoln On Wednesday evening the members
OF Congress, their families and invited guests,
4 formed two professions, one in each wing of
the Capitol, and marched in a compact line,
wide the doors would allow, toward the
ROtunda. 1t had been announced that seats
would be reserved until seven and one-half
O'Clock for members and their families, after
which time the doors were to be thrown open
and the public admitted. But before the
main doors were opened the Rotunda was
completely packed, every seat was occupied,
and scores who supposed they we're to have
the most desirable positions were obliged to
stand in the outer row where little could be
seen and less heard. A person once in the
crowd resigned all control over his move
ments and suffered himself to be moved in
whichever direction he was pushed the hard
est. In brief it was jam, and one which
probably will not be surpassed till another
Inauguration Day shall bring the people
swarming to the Capitol.
A platform had been raised before the