Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-15
FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
TUESDAY, February Is.


nights OF certain homestead settlers in that
sts &. Committee on Public Lands
| MI. White presented joint resolution o.
OF Maryland legislature in favor of the a hsrv
ac os, me Great Fails OF the Potomac. Com
mlttoe on Commerce. Also, the petition OF
! VIM Devines Co. and other business men
OF Baltimore asking the repeal o! the bank
Tupt law. Judiciary Committee.
The chair laid before the Senate a commu.
! nicaiion from the Secretary OF War, enclos-
! ing report OF Major Warren, OF the Engi-
. between the upper waters OF the Mississippi
ana Lake Michigan. Committee on Trans
/ pCr'a on.
| MI sherman. from the Com n1ittee on the
/ District OF Columbia. reported resolution in
stTGc1Ing the committee to inquire into the
I expectancy of paving Pennsy lvania avenue
/ from The Capitol to 18th street: the materi al
/ 10 be used, &c; and what proportion OF cost
/ Is 10 he borne by the United States and what
by the property-h holders: Adopted.
/ Mr.. Booth introduced bill for the protection
/ OF settlers on the public land in California
! Referred TO Committee on Public Lands
Mr.. Hitchcock, from Committee on Terri
/ tories, reported faNOrabiy the dill iOr the ad-
/ mission of New Mexico into the Union
! Mr.. Hitchcock introduced bill to establish
| post routes in NehFas ka. Referred TO Com
mlttee on Post Offices.
Mr.. Morrill, iMeA called I'D the pension an
! preparation blll.
The Committee on Appropriations reported
amendments making the appropriation i'm
! bulk, ana striking out the separation Of the
diff rent items Tor army iuvsliis, widows
/ minors and dependent relatives. for sJrvi-
( Niu,t for by the House.
/ Nj. Davis ohjected To The amendment lie
( thoHAht the appIopra ion should be left sep
/ ara =, as prov ideI Oy the House.
Nj. MDrriIl sad the separation Of fhe items
would Eecessi,ate the separation OF the a
counts.
Mr.. Davis said the sccoInts were kept sep
arate LOW, and were estimated FOR Sepa
fa'cly.
Mr.. Cockreu asked NJ. Morton VIVA. was
| tie objection 10 keeping the accounts sep8-
Mr.. Morriu said IL would involve an i'm
msLse amount OF additional LABOR 10 keep
separate books for all these accounts. Re
EaC "A communication read from tue Com
missioner Of Pensions, stating that II IA.
! ltemiZCd appropriations were left a. inserted
by the House, IL would add very greatly to
the labor ana expense OF paying the pen
SONS. He hal also letter read from Lhs
Commissioner q! Pensions explaining Ceraat n
apparent discrepancies IN the - imateS fyr
pensions rs compared Win the number OF
pensioners.
Mr.. Davis said the explanation dit not
satisfy him. He had several times CalleS Al
the Pension Office and Inquired 10 the
Increase in the estimates Tor Invalid pensions
wien the number o. pensioners OF tnat class
was yearly decreasing, aud the Increase fDi
tie other pensioners was grea ter tusu the
Increase u TIE number of pensioners seemed
10 Justify,
Mr.. Wallace called attention to the fact
That the expenses OF the Pension Office We're
increasing very largely. The total amount
required 10 pay the pensioners was nos so
great as several years since, and yet the
force in the Pension Office here had been
largely Increased and the expenses accord
ingly.
The amendment reported by the commit
tee was agreed 10.
Mir. Davis then moved an amendment Civ
ing the Secretary of the Interior supervising
power over the contingent expenses OF the
Pension Office. Adopted.
Mr.. Davis moved a further amen iment.
providing that hereafter the Commits Toner
of Pensions shall, in his annual report, give
statement OF the contingent expenses OF
the Pension Bureau.
MIR. Sargent, in reply 10 a statement
Of Mr.. Davis that the contingent expenses
apparently amounted To three millions, said
that al least $4,000 Of said amount he'd
gone TO the payment of pensions provided
for III the hasty legislation Of Congress.
Mr.. EdmuDds stated that the Information
concerning the contingent expenses OF the
Pension Office had been furnished.
Mr.. Wright said the law now required the
Secretary Of the Interior TO furnish a state
! Eient of the contingent expenses OF every bu-
feau IN his department.
After some further discussion Mr.. Davis
" hdrew his amendment lie said that
there ought 10 be some additional safeguards
THROWN around the Pension bureau. He had
reasons to believe that much OF the money
appropriated for pensions was improperly
expended; that many people obtained pen
sIOns that were not entitled TO them. He be-
Leved much would be saved If the Pension
agencies were abolished, and the entire work
done from the Office here ia Washington.
DTaItS could be sent from here to tie post.
| masters OF the different cities, and delivered
by Them TO the pensioners.
Mr.. Ingalls, said the Committee on Pen
slons had considered this subject, and there
Wer" already bills on the table looking TO the
correction OF evils. He believed with Mr..
Davis, that there was great abuse in this
matter, ana II was estimated that one-siXtn
part nf tie amount paid for pensions was
fraudulent. lie had a bill now before the
Senate providing for the appointment OF
fCItv special az MS to Investigate these
frauds, and he hoped the Senator aud the
Senate would assist him 10 pass that Dill.
The bin was JGeu passed, and now goes
back 10 The House for action on the amend
Mr.. Wright from Committee on the Judi
ciaTy, reported House bill 10 amend section
1911 or the Revised Statutes, with an amend
lEcnt' which was agreed TO, and the bill
passed.
Mr.. Sherman, from Committee Finance,
reported adversely on bill 10 authorize de-
posts by clerks and other officers OF courts
in banks other than designated depoSitarieS.
Placed on the calendar.
HOUSE OF REPRESENrATIVE
Joles (Ky.) offered resolution recIting that
the Coz gresS OF the United States had passed
an act. approved March 18th, 1859, entitled
AN act 10 strengthen the pu0llc credit
ana providing for the payment IN COLI OF its
eGUlSS4ent OF the Interest bearing ObIiga-
tiCns OF the United States; and whereas said
acJwas virtually violative of various acts
providing for the issue of certain bonds and
obligations of he United States, especially
those known as Ave twenties, the princi oal
OF which al the time of issue was understood
10 he payable In the lawful money Of the
United States, and was so expressed ia sub
stance by both political parties IN
National Convention assem- bled In 1865, and
whereas SAID act being no part OF tue or giual
contract IN letter or spirit, was without con-
stdc-ation and repealable at the will OF sub
stquent Congresses; and whereas IL was un-
jest, unequal, and oppressive legislation
greatly increasing the amount to be paid by
the government, and has Injured TO the benefit
OF the boDdholders and capitalists, aud has
been detrimental To the interests and labor
OF the people: Therefore, Resolved, That said
act OF March 18th, 1863, be and the same is
hereby repealed. Referred to COMMITTEES on
Banking and Currency.
On motion of Mr.. Darrall (La) the Com
miitee on Public Lands was directed to en-
quire whether the New Orleans Baton
Rouge and Nicksburg Railroad, 10 which a
grant of land was made in 1871 for the con-
struction OF a road to Shreveport, have com
piled with the terms of the grant, and whetb-
er IL would be for the interest OF the govern
meDt 10 extend the grant or whether IL /
should be transferred to another 70 Al or for
feited to the government
On motion of Mr.. Cause (Ark1 the Attor-
ney General and Secretary of the Interior Il