National Republican., 1876-02-24
EQRIY.E0uRIH CONGRESS.
(Coniinusd from First PaqeJ

WIDOWS of such officers and enlisted and dragtt d
men: Provided. That such widows shall have
been married prior TO the year 1850 to sucn oi,er
or man.
10 any person who Is receiving pension at the
rate of eg BIT dollars per monIh nor TO any perso1
receiving pension OF Iess than eight dnilars per
month, except for the difference OF the pension
now received and c:gh. dollars per month: Pen
siOns are Fixed at eight dollars per month RON
and after the passage of the act. but the pensions
oil WIDOWS shall cease ii they remsrry.
SeetIcn three provides for the manner OF pre-
sentng proof of honorable cischsrge.
Section four provides tnac ali applications for
pensions under the act which this amends .snalt
be considered and decided as thoush h made under
this act, and all laws now in force IN relation
10 the
MANNER OF PAVING PENSIONS
and the punishment OF frauds are mads aDplca-
Bile to claims under this act.
Section hve authorizes the restoration to the
rolls Of all pensioners Of 1917 who were stricken
lrcm the rolls for oslOyalsy By act OF February 1,
1902.
Section six provides that the surviving widow
Of aBy pInsi0ner Of 1872, where the name was
stricken from the rolls 10 pursuance OF said act OF
1sth. spd where said pensioners shall have died
without his anne being restored TO the rolls. such
widow shall be entitled to the arfearsgeS due
said pei soner at the time OF decease, and if there
be TO widow such arTearaEes shall go 70 the
minor children of tho pen nsoner.
The bill as reported above was then taken up
10 be conSidereu BY sections for amendment.
On motion of Nr. H0SKINS, of N. Y, an
amendment was adopted limiting the time Of SER
wee TO nve days instead OF ten days.
On motion OF sIr. HARRIS, OF Va, an amend
mer.t was offered including the widows of Revo-
luionsry soldiers in the list ofpersOns 20 DO oene
fted by the oct.
When the section was reached to restore 20 tue
rolls pensioners who had been dropped for dtsioJ-
atty, MIR. CAswELL, Of Wis moved 70 auaend by
O prOviso that there Should be no arroara2e5
paid them curing the time that they were under
disability. He ta!d II was reported that the sum
required for these arrearages would reach any
where from five million dollars to six million dol.
lars.
Mr. VANCE, o.. y. C., in the course OF soma
rem1rks,aIpesiedt to the House TO give this money
in n spiTiE Cf lIoeralty. He hoped that gentle
men on tho other side would withdraw ali opp
sition ard be liberal TO these old men.
Mr.. HALE, OF Me-, safi the House had heard
great Ceal about a
sPIRIT cP LIBgHAEyTY
WheuGvcr the other side has q proposition to send
money 10 their section, GDd Yet thei prop $50 TO
cot down large number of thenesessary doprI.
pTtStiODs because they say that the needs OF the
Government are tueh that It must ne done. They
propose also to reduce tie Ioree IN the Depart
nel:s, and will necessarily turn cut q large num
her Of wounded and crippled soldiers waO served
on the FEDERAL side IN tho late war. While doing
this, you propose to take from the Troasury
largo sum Of money for what's really back pay.
In order 10 ma he up this sum vast deal OF pairing
down will be required. Il has besn intimlLed 10
several quarters that any bsaef: by the pairing
down process would he moro than met by claims
Of various kinds from the SOuth that would eitup
all the savings. lilo wanted Gentlcuel toremem-
Der that If this bill passed. It would be In part by
the vOles OF gentleu en- on the Republican side.
And yet all Of these arrears Of pay go TO the
south, and to men who were a. least uader the
Mr.. HuNiON, of Va, said that the Demo:
cratic side had neither by word or &C: SHOWN any
illtberslity when the annual pension bill was
under consideration. Al voted for IL, although
all that money went to soldiers ofthe North.
Mr.. HALE said he would have been surprised
to hear any objection TO that bIll. He was sur.
priced now that any sllusIon sh1uit be made
M
ILLInERALITY TO NORTHERN SOLDIERS,
but Mr. HALE and sone OF his friends were dis .
posed to be illibersl TO the old and infirm men
wh" wh" we're 70 be benefited BY this ssetIoa oil .s.
M. BANKS, OF Mass, said there was unq les les
ttODably necessity for rstrenchment Of the eS-
penses Of the Government, and the Ouly fear was
that this rctreDchu ent might bs carried too far,
and that some Departments might be crtppl5I.
But tt o gentleman from Maine cannot make an
argument about retrerchmeut an offset to this
force in some OF the Departments. This might
cause suffering to some, but no actual wrong
would be committed. But the payment to these
old pensioners is in the nature OF debt. 1. Is an
Cblig ation which the Government is bound to
meet. The pensioners have a legal claim upol
the GoverDnen The acT th9: was passed in
1SG2 dropping them from the rolls, was right AMI
proper at the TIME. They may haEe been suS-
pended for real or fancied misconduct, bIt the
occasion Of the suspension having passed, Con
actual time of susDensiOn.
Mr.. TOWNSEND, OF n. Y, said he was
man OF very strong and decided preIldices, Du; as
o member OF the committee that reported this
bill be had carefully considered this section. l.
was an act Of justice, and though It Involved lu
expenditure OF i've millions of back pay he
should vote for II. lie did not believe thece was
so much distress in this country as was repre-
sented. He did not bslleye that the passage Of
his bill would edd to the distress, bus the dis
tress is made to appear by reason OF too much
bowling on the sub iect OF economy.
Pending further consideration the committee
rose, and the House, at p H., adjourned.