Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-12
Personalities In the House.

During the discussion of the pension bill 10
the House. yeste rday,
MIR. HauDa, OF Indiana. replying to soUe re-
marks made by Messrs. Chttenden and Hcw
it, Of New York, aud Sparks, of Illinois, to
the effect that he opposed the bill because he
(Haona) was friend OF the Indianapolis Pen.
sion Agent, said that the telephone by which
he spoke was that of more than twenty thous-
and pensioners of Indianapolis, who would be
wronged aud robbed by the passage of this
bill. They would be robbed of their pittances
by shysters around Indianapolis and Washing
too. The bill would be 10 the interest of the
bankers and business men Of New York, who
hoped to have The thirty eight million dollars Ian
nually paid for peDslons) transferred to the
repositories 10 New York. He had been &C.
cused of opposing the bill through mereenary
motives. Talk about mercenary motives, said
he, when this bill is to bring the $3S 0OO 900
into the banks OF New Y ork, and is but another
means of making the West and South tribu
tares to New York-he could find mercenary
motives there, if he desired As to the remarks
of the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Sparks)
be would not deign to reply to anything so
groVelIng.
Mr. Sparks-To what remark does the gen.
tleman refer?
Mr. Hama (not noticing the Interruption
wcnt Oh to criticize tho Committee on Appro
prations because, pursuing peculiar policy, it
had refused to make appropriation for necessa.
ry clerk hire 10 the Surgeon Generals Office,
and now that the committee proposed to sub.
ject the two hundred thousand pensioners TO
the same niggardy policy which prevented the
administration of public justice, the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Sparks) had attempted to
raise party feeling on this question. God for
bid that the democratic party, low as 1t was,
should sink SO low az to be controlled by party
feeling on question OF this kind. laughter
Mr.. Sparks said that he had simply referred
to the fact that the gentleman from Indiana
represented pension agency district. and was
therefore naturally prejudiced against the bill
abolishing pension agencies; for, saying that be
had been attacked by the gentleman from To-
diana Mr.. Hanna) like Texas bull laughter,
he denied having drawn politics into the debate,
and therefore the statement made by the gen.
temau from Indiana to that effect was not war.
ranted aud was not a fact, and that was about
the way to put it. Laughter.
Mr.. Cbittcndcp, of New York. in reply TO
Mr.. Hanna, stated that he had no moro to do
with the banks Of New York than that gentle.
man bad-Dot blt-and every word, every
syllable, every letter of his in regard to those
backs was as applicable 10 that gentleman as to
himself. 10 regard TO the statement that this
bill would rob the pensioners, there was not
word of sense or truth in tits all bosb.
Mr.. Hama rose to reply, but was interrupt.
ed by MIR. Sparks, who asked whether MIR.
Hapna's law partner was not the Pension Agent
at Indianapolis. Laughter.
Mr.. Hanna (excItedly)-I will answer, that,
sir, and will say that my law partner fought
through the war from the first to the last, and
fought when you did not. Laughter.
Mr. Sparks (equslly cxclted)-l want dis
li1otIy to state that pour Law partner is the Pee
sion Agent at Indianapolis. | know it and |
can prove it, and that what the matter with
Hanna. lLoud laughter and applause.
One OF nnr most estimab!e citizons may be