The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-01-28
WASHINGTON.
Pensions-The Centennial Bill-The Texas
Pacific Railway Project-Our Relations
with Spain; War Improbable.


with Spain; War Improbable.
From Our Own Correspondent.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1876.
AS compared with last week, the pres
ent has been one of quiet and peace and
serenity at this metropolis. Everything
has been lovely. There was, indeed,
slight drawing of "bad blood in the
early part of the week, when the Amnesty
bill was again up, but the skirlnish did
not last long, and aid very little good or
harm to either side. Meantime the
House has got down to serious work,
and the Senate is ever ready to move on
in its slow and dignitied gait.
PENSIONS.
The only important bill of general
nature yet passed by the House is the
Pension Appropriation bill. This APP
propriates about twenty-nine millions,
being only slightly changed from the
estimates made by the Government. and
reduces the amount required for last
year by no very considerable sum.
There was substantial unanimity i'll the
passage of the bill. The Senate will
make few changes.
There has lately been great deal of
discussion here upon the general sub
ject of our pension list. 1t is said that
many abuses exist that large numbers
of men who are as stout and hearty as
Hercules regularly draw pensions
for wounds or disabilities re-
ceived in the service that many
are borne on the lists who never smelt
gunpowder or saw squadron in the
field, some of these fraudulently repre-
senting persons who have been dead and
buried these many years. Not a few of
Just such cases as these have been I'M
earthed. On the other hand, there are
large numbers of persons who are in
justice entitled to pensions who do not
receive any, either through their own
neglect, or the delays, technicalities
and circumlocutionary antics of officials
of the kind caricatured by Dickens
in the lite Barnacle family.
Abuses of this kind are doubtless
incident to a pension list so great as
ours, but they are now receiving I'M
usual consideration on the part of emf
nent men of all parties, so that we may
confidently expect that some of the evils
complained of will be cured during this
very Centennial year.
THE CENTENNIAL BILL.
The debate in the House on the bill
appropriating 81, 500, 900 to complete the
construction of the Centennial build
ings at Philadelphia has been more pro-
tracted and acrimonious than was ex-
pected. The report of the COM
mittee for the appropriation was
unanimous, ana II was then
supposed by almost every one that the
bill would go through swimmingly on
the tidal wave of good feeling. The de-
bate on the bill, which at this writing is
still progressing, shows that the measure
is by no means as popular as the pro-
posed exposition. Constitutional objec-
tons have been made to the bill, and it
has received unfavorable criticism as
mere scheme to bear Centennial stock
also, so that it cannot go through with a
hurrah, even if it shall succeed at all,
which is now regarded as not little
doubtful.
1t is noteworthy that party politics has
had nothing to do with this bill or the
debate upon it. Mr.. Reagan, of Texas,
ex Confederate Postmaster General, and
Gen. Waddell, of North Carolina, have
advocated the bill no less earnestly than
Judge Kelley himself, or Mr.. Frye, of
Maine. Perhaps the ablest speech
against the bill was one by Mr.. Tucker,
of Virginia, while one of the best, If not
the very best in it's behalf was by Mr..
Harrison, of Chicago. Both of these
gentlemen are Democrats. Whatever
may be the fate of the bill, the Centen-
NAL will go on. That great national
show will not be postponed on
any account. The original pro-
gramme will be carried out about
as announced. Whatever of good there
is in it will be got out of it, with the aid
of Congress if possible, without If SO
Congress shall will. No earthly power
can prevent the American people from
having what the boys used to call ga
high old time" at Philadelphia in this
year of jubilee.
THE TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD.
In the absence of any important legls-
lstive results in Congress further than
above noted, let me refer to a matter
which is now receiving much con-
sideration here-the proposed bill to AID
in the completion of the Texas Pacific
Railway by Government guaranty OF
its bonds to the amount OF S4O,0OO
mile. Col. Thomas A. Scott, President
of the Company, also of the Pennsylva-
mia Railroad Company, and well-known
as one of our big "railroad kings, is III
the city doing all he can for thus project.
He made an argument before the Com