Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-17
Slsafrhnar q yourrat.


The Soldiers Bounty Bill.
The national House Of Representative, on
Saturday last, after full discus ion, passed
the bounty bill, so-called, by the decided vote
Of one hundred and seventy.seven to thirty
nine. The avowed design Of the bill is to
answer every complaint and fulfil the reason
able expectations Of every soldier in the
country, and do exact justice to all men who
served during the war, for whatever term
and from whatever locality. The bill pro-
vides for the payment 10 every non-commis-
stoned officer, musician, artihcer, wagner
and private soldier Including those borne
on the rolls as slaves) who served in the
army and were honorably discharged, $500
a month for the term of his service between
April 10, 1851, and May 0, 1865, with a de
duction Of all bounties heretofore paid by
the United States and by states Substitutes
or such as were prisoners of war at the time
Of enlistment are excludedi also such as
were discharged as minors or at their own
request from other cause than disability in.
Cured in the service prior TO April 10, 1865,
unless such discharge was obtained with
view 10 re-cnlstment or to accept promotion
in the military or naval service. Where the
soldier is dead the bounty is TO be paid to the
widow Of not remanied) or to the minor
/ child or children.
The author of the bill mad 'et u..
prefacing it with the reading a-k
both the Republican and demos .al.o ,4.@,
forms pledging those parties TO do justice to
the soldiers. The Republican party, nc said,
had performed all its pledges but two-the
passage OF the civil rights bill (and the
House had done its part in that and the bill
to equalize bountcs. As the government
had already paid siOO,e0O,OOO in bounty,
why should it moi pay the few millions more
which this bill required and so remove all
inequalities in the matter lie referred to
the vote Of the House on a similar bill in the
thirty.ninth Congress, when the yeas were
one hundred and thirty-nine and the nays
two, and that bill would have cost the gov
eminent one-third more than the pending
bill would cost. Satisfied OF the justice Of
the measure, 1t had been great labor with
the committee on military affairs TO find out
some way Of doing the right thing to the sol
diers, and at the same time making a, little
draught on the treasury as possible. The
committee had spent days and weeks on the
work and prepared bill which he felt did
full justice to all the soldiers and yet was 50
peculiarly framed as to require a much less
amount than any bill heretofore reported.
Mr.. Willard, of Vermont, opposed the bill
and showed that Vermont from April, 1861,
to the end Of the war had paid her soldiers,
numbering twenty-five thousand in ALL
bounty at the rate of 81 month, These
men would derive no advantage from this
bill except the difference between 81 and
1898 a month.
To this it was replied, ti..t is was a bill
for the purpose Of equalizing bountics to
soldiers, and not for the purpose of equaliz-
ing the expenses Of states.
Mr.. Small, of New Hampshire, opposed
the bill as being unjust in its provisions
New Hampshire had paid bounty of $500
to her three years men, 5000 to her two years
men, and 800 TO her one year men, besides
the bounties paid by towns, and which the
state had since reimbursed. New Hampshire
soldiers, therefore, would not get dollar
under this bill, whilo Me- Hampshire would
be called upon to help to pay the soldiers of
OIL tota Ia tai Ill II Il.
state against the passage Of the bill
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachub f. represented
that, according to the figures when had been
made by persons who had been employed in
the second auditors Office, it appeared that
this bill would take s5s752, 532 out of the
treasury, but from these figures there were
substractions made reducing the amount to
s29,000,000. 1t had been said that the pay
ment would extend over ten years, but all
ought to recolleot that the treasury must be
ready to meet the demand at cnce, so :
in point of fact, even at the &c, n
figures, the treasury would
twenty or thirty millions to the existing de
ficiency. He asked the gentlemen, however
kindly they might feel toward the soldiers,
to look to the honor and faith Of the nation,
and not to adjourn until provision was made
to meet the obligations of the government,
and not to prefer to such measure bill
that would take so large an amount out of
the treasury.
Various estimates were made Of the amount
that would be drawn from the treasury by
this bill--its friends placing the sum at
about s30,000,o0O, while the Second Comp
troller sets the sum at slo0,00O,O00.
After amending the bill so as to include
sailors and marines, and also Indians, It was
passed-one hundred and seventyseven to
thirty-nine.