New-York tribune., 1875-03-09
WASHINGTON.

THE BLUNDER OVER THE boONlt DILL"
NIsApPREHENsIoN IN REGARD TO THE ViCE-PHhsl-
DENTs ACTION IN SIGNING THE BiLh-Ihh
pIUNpER MADE IN THE HOUSE IF ANYWHERE
THE CASTING VOTE IN KEEPING WITH TIE VICE.
PRESIDENTS RECORD
lFpeN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIT TRIDUNE.I
WASHINGTON, March There has been much
pjsapprchension in regard to the action of Vice
President Wilson in signing the Bounty bill Mr.
Mcpherson Clerk of the House, in n note ON the
yulfect saws: THE Conference Committee unanl-
uously agreed to recommend to their respective
houses that tho House recede from its vote, non
toncurring in The amendments of the Senate, and
agree 10 the same. This is the text of their entire
recommendation. The House agreed to the report
OF the Committee. and accordingly Informed the
Senate that the House had receded from Its dis
agreement to the amendments. As this action passed
thclili it was enrolled and signed by the Speaker
end taken by to The Senate for the signature OF
its President
Mr. Barclay Journal Clerk of the House, in note
says: i have the honor TO state that did advise
the Speaker, and yet believe that the receding of
the House from its disagreement to the amendments
OF the Senate and agreeing to the same placed the
two Houses in perfect accord on the subject, and
that the bin WAS thereby passed"
twill. therefore. he seen by these statements of
Nr. Mcpherson and Mr.. Barclay that the Speaker
sustained 10y NJ. Barclays opinion-yery high au-
thority Oh such pJnts-regarded the bill as passed.
and il was not returned to the Senate, as Is Gus
tomary and necessary when a conference report Is
submitted for adoption, bat was enrolled and
signed by HIM. Mr. Logan submitted to the
Senate report from the Conference Committee
Mt being in po session Of the bill the point of order
was raised that be had no right to make the report
without the Eil from the House, and his report,
which was not then in order, was laid upon the
table, but this action did not affect the BILL as that
not then before the Senate, and could not in its
ub-cnce be laid upon the table Mr. Mcdonald,
Chief Clerk of the Senate in note says that after
the report was laid upon the table, "a message
received from the House in the following words
Eesolrc3 That tho House recede from its disagree
mcut 10 the amendments Of the Senate TO the bill 10
cqlazc the bountIas Of soldiers who served in the
ia,e war for tine Umon'D MI Mcdonald further
states that soon after followed "a message from the
House announcing that the Speaker hal signed,
among other enrolled bills, the Bounty bill, which,
With others received the signature OF the Vice
] idcn and was put into tie hands of the Com
Hi,tee on Enrolled Bills, whose duty it was to lay
them before the Presideut'
10 ItgsQui-ed no influence to induce the Vice-Presi-
Lcut TO IN the BILL for il was his duty to do
g. lie had no right to withhold his signature. as
ihc bill came according to the usages before him.
II any mistake had been made, il had been made in
fhc House That body had retained the bill, con-
t.dUCd it passed, and notified 10 the Senate that
Il Lad rcced,d FROM its non-concuuence in the
amendments. The action of the Senate in laying
IT. Log1u'5 report on the table did not carry the
Ill with il nor affect it in any degree, for the bill
was not In the Senate, the point of order raised
g. the report clearly showed Expecting however,
iAat point Of order would be raised and to give
fine for tne arrival IF Mr. Edmunds, who had been
informed ty pare THAI the VicePIesident was in
Cli.iIe fox him. tle Ycc-PresldeA5 laid aside this
In until he had signed aud made secure two appro-
Irstion bills, lie then signed The Bounty bill in
t3 presence OF the Senate, without one word OF OBJ
j elton from any one. In doing this he simply did
what day cnplIliyoly required. To have acted
otherwise would have been an unwarrantable and
iudcfcusi5le assumption Of power.
In giving bis casting vote for the bill. the Vice
President ct-d, bis friends claim in harmony with
lis pul,c ,ccord. In March, 1866 he introduced
b- fling tIe bounty Of soldiers at So 33}
pr month, and il May of that year, he
made a report from the Military Committee in sup
I5., Of tine bill, and made every effort 10 secure its
J4ssage. Failing 30 get this BILL or the House bill,
which had been taken substantially fromit through
the Senate. he prepared an amendment, giving
tot!crs who had soIyed three years, not what they
cl.inel $40, but Sl0j He presented that amend
menJ to tie Confer nee Committee, by whom it was
accented, after being modified so as to give $50 to
soldiers Who had served two years. and it became
Law il Jdy, 16,j The time for the reception
Of thc claims under the bill expired in Janu-
ary last, and during the eight and half
years since its passage about SGO,OG0OOO,
little more than half the estimate, have been
paid out Dir. Wilson has always held that veteran
soldiers who enlisted for three years early in the
war, bore its heat and burden, and to receive
bounty Of 500, which was gold when promised,
ard worth less than half the amount when paid,
should be put upon an equality with the soldiers
who received toward the close Of the war a bounty
Of SO %, per month. Though not unmindful of the
drain IF this measure upon the finances Of the Gov
ernmeut be did moi believe the credit of the nation,
as it wOnld take seven or eight years to execute,
would be imp3iredby this fiscal measure of equality,
which would be evidence of the gratitude of the
American people TO the nations defenders.
A SOLDIERS INDIGNANT PROTEST
PATPIOTIC SERVICE IN JHE RANKS NOT TO RE