The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-16
FORTY-F0URTH CONGRESS.
WAsR1NGroN, February Is.
SENATE.

I
US out of the stagnatlon Of business, and
in the time Of distress and misery, may
the moral character of this people shine
forth as the Sun"
Mr.. Hitchcock, from the Committee on
Territories, reported favorably on Sem
ate bill to enable the people of New
Mexico to form Constitution and State
government, and for the admission Of the
State into the Union, with written re-
port, which was ordered printed and the
bill was placed on the calendar.
The Pension Bill.
Mr. Morrill, from the Committee on
Appropriations called up the house bill
making appropriations for the payment
of invalid and other pensions for the
year ending June 30th 1876. The bill as
passed by the House of Representatives,
made appropriations in part as follows;
Pensions for army invallds, Sl2, 800, 600;
widows S5O00,O00 minors and depend
ent relations, sl4,000,00O, survivors and
widows OF the War of 1872 $4,000 600.
The Committee on Appropriations re-
ported amendments striking out amend
ments inserted after each class as above
and inserting the sum total OF S2S, 10000.
Mr.. Davis said he did not agree with
the committee in regard to these amend
ments. He thought the appropriation
should be kept separate, and the Com
mittee on Appropriations had thought
proper TO consolidate the amounts for
convenience in bookkeeping in the Pen
sion Bureau.
Mr.. Morrill, of Name, said that the bill,
as now before the Senate, appropriated
the same amount as when it passed the
House The amount appropriated was
somewhat smaller than that approprla.
ton last year. Heretofore the amounts
had been consolidated and not mentioned
in separate items and the committee
thought it best to adhere to the usual
practice, to classify the appropriations
under separate heads and it would cause
many distinct and separate accounts te
be kept in the Pension Bureau and by
pension agents throughout the country.
The bill did not change the amount sp-
proprlated by the House IN the slightest
degree.
Mr.. Davis said that the accounts IN the
pension bureau were kept under separate
heads now, and the whole number of
pensioners now on the rolls was 234, ,S2l.
The amount paiG for pensions in 1875 was
| S26, ,2S9, ,5l9, and the amount expended
was S29, 800 600, more than S3,OOO,OOO in
excess of the sum. This three million
was expended in some way but did not
90 TO pensioners. 1t did not 90 to pay
the expenses of pension offices here as
that was provided for by the Legislative
appropriation bill. He Davis
called at the pension office and
| had an interview with the
Commissioner, though not entirely salts
factory to himself. 1t was true that six
or seven hundred thousand dollars OF the
three millions was applied TO the pay.
mentof SO pension agents throughout the
country, still there remains more than
two million dollars not accounted for.
1t had been said much OF this money
went to pay the increase of pensions
during the year. He thought
! the decrease resulting from death,
remarriage and minors becoming Of age
should counterbalance the increase and
proved that the pension roll for the past
wear showed decrease Of between one
and two thousand persons.
Mr.. Morrill, sent to the clerks desk
and had aead a letter from the commis.
sloner of pensions explaining how the
100000 spoken of by the Senator from
West Virginis had been expended. The
| commissioner states at length the
amounts paid to pension agents, fees for
vouchers, postage, printing, increase and
arrears of pensions, amounting IN the ag-
gregate to S3,393,597.
Mr.. Davis said there was nothing said
about the decrease on account of remar-
riages, death and minors becoming Of
age. The pension roll reached It's maxi
nun three years ago and had been de
creaslng since. lie thought the decrease
should be greater than the increase and
the only means to discover It would be
the requirement that the accounts be
kept distinctly.
Mr. Wallace said it required 81 10000
now to have the $4,000, 900 appropriated
to the pensioners paid in 1861. When
the pension roll called for S25,-
! OOOO 600, only about $500
was REQUIRED to have the amount dis
| bursed. Then there were but one hum
dred and seventy five pereons employed
in the pension department: now three
hundred and eighty-fve persons were
/ employed there He thought these mat
tiers were worthy the attention of Con-
/ grcss. a. retrencnment could be properly
made The amendment proposed by the
Committee on Appropriations, TO con-
| -ider the amounts, wss agreed 10, a. well
as other amendments Of minor import
| snce.
/ Mr. Davis moved to amend the clause
| in regard TO the contingent expenses Of
! the Bureau 50 il should read "ssch con-
/ tingent expenses a. may be recommended
bv the commissioner Of pensions and ap-
proved by the Secretary Of the Interior
/ Agreed TO.
NJ. Davis said the commissioner OF
! pensions did not give a detailed state
ruent ot bis contIn gent expenses, aud be
/ Davis thought that hereafter the com.
missioner should be compelled 10 give
/ such detailed statement in ms annual re-
port.
Mr. Morrill,, Of Msin0, said the commits
sioner Of pensions had been IN the habit
/ Of giving detailed statement OF the con-
tingent expenses, and It could be found
in the report of the Secretary Of the In
terror.
: Mr.. Davis said he believed large por-
ton OF the money pai1 for pensions was
paid wrong.ully. It seemed to him that
the pension agents might be dispensed
WITH and the pensions paid from the
main Office mere in Washington.
M ingalls, said that early IL the fes-
sion he introduced bii! to appoint forty
agents to inye tigate the frauds in The
pension department. lie believed With
the Senator from West Virginia Davis
that extensive frauds were perretrsted.
OF the S2O,OOO,OOO appropriated, at least
100000 were frau dulently or Inprop.
erly paid in Consequence Of deaths, re-
marriage Of widows and minors becom-
ing Of age. he hoped that The bill in
troduced by him would be passed, 90 that
an end might be put 10 these glazing