The Portland daily press., 1878-04-11
XLVth Congress-ReguIar Session.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. April 10,
Sargent, from the naval affairs committee report
ed bill to regulate the appointments of cadet mid
shipmen in the naval academy at Annapolis. Cal.
endared.
Voorhees, offered resolution directing the COM
mittee pensions to report bill granting pensions
to soldiers of the war Of 1872 their widows and
orphans, and said he would call it up the 30th.
Bill to prevent depredations upon property in the
District Of Columbia passed, and on motion OF Hill
the Senate took up the bill for the relief of John G..
Debate upon the alleged deficiencies as apparently
shown by the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
in 1871 sprang up, Davis of West Virginia claiming
this report showed actual dealcaon of over $50
900, 900, and Dawes contending it was but appar-
emit deficit growing of the mode of accounting by
the Treasury Department for all uncollected reye-
nue..
McBurney stood defaulter to the amount of over
100000. while the report of the committee showed he
owed the government bp $4,000, which was taken by
his deputy without any fault on the part OF McBar-
After further debate the bill passed.
Matthews offered an amendment to the bill to re-
peal the resumption act Referred to the finance
committee.
Eaton gave notice he would call up his resolution
in relation to the arrest OF Benz. Noyes after the
morning hour tomorrow.
Secretary of War. transmitting the reports of Gems.
o. o. Howard and A. ID. Terry. Referred to the
committee on printing.
Gordon moved to amend the Journal by. which it
position on the retired list of the regular army was
referred to the military committee but after consid-
cradle discussion with which the journal was correct
withdrew the motion.
TheiSenate at 24O resumed the consideration as
unfinished business of yesterday of the bill to repeal
the bankrupt act.
McCreery said the judiciary committee had as
signed to him the charge of the bill. He should OPP
pose all efforts to amend the present law for if it
took five months in winter to perfect the former BILL
what could they expect to do with new bill in The
warm summer months. His legislature instructed
himsto vote for repeal of the act.
ATaff1 of fif1fa fort In .a
bill to establish uniform law the subject of
bankruptcy. He agreed with MeCreery that the
present law contained little that good and that
little SO harraesed by delays and vexatons as to be
hardly worth consideration. He then proceeded to
explain the provisions of his bill, pointing out the
differences between its provisions and the existing
laws. He contended that the bill proposed by him
him to the constitutional requirements of being
strictly in relation to bankruptcy and uniformity in
its operation, There never has been period when
there was so much debt, SO much bankruptcy, pres
ent and prospective, and he felt that something
should be done that would afford reefto the unfor-
tunate bankrupt while at the same time protecting
the interest of the creditors For this he had
ventured to offer the substitute now presented.
McCreery rose 10 leply, but yielded for an execu-
tive session
When the doors were reopened the Senate ad-
journed till tomorrow.
HOUSE.
A bill was introduced prohibiting the army or
navy bands OF music making precuniary engage
ments. Referred.
Among the bills introduced were the following:
Authorizing the issuing of Treasury notes taking
up greenbacks and national bank notes.
Prohibiting contraction Of currency and repeating
internal revenue laws.
Making it illegal for any member of either House
of Congress to act as general advisory attorney for
certain corporations and patentees.
Joint resolution directing the committee of civil
service reform of the two Houses to inquire into the
propriety of limiting executive patronage by con-
sttutional amendment, and also into the propriety
of adopting some new methods of keeping the ac-
counts of the Federal government.
Joint resolution proposing constitutional amend
ments to sessions of Congress. 1t provides that
after 1880 there shall De but session every two
years, unless when convened by the President.
the pension appropriation bill.
Bill approprlates $2s,2s6,574 and provides that
after July l. 1878 pensioners be paid by the
Treasurer Of the United States under the direction
of the Secretaries of the Treasury and Interior. The
items of appropriations are as follows:
Widows and minors, $12, 100000; survivors of the
of 1872 1882 900; widows OF soldiers of of
1872, $12a7,97S fees Of examining surgeons, $780,,
900; navy invalids, $210,0O0; widows and minors
$2346OO; fees of examining surgeons $1,000; carrying
out the provision of the act 100000.
Mr.. Smith of Pennsylvania explained the bill.
The principal features the provision which pro-
posed to abolish the pension agencies and devolve
their duties upon the Treasurer of the United States
He read from the tabular statement to show that
beside the salary of $4,000 which each agent rece we'd
he also received from $4,000 to $4,000 In fees By
abolishing those agencies the government wonld
save 100000 annually.
Mr.. Hanna stated that the pension agent had 10
pay his clerks out of these fees and he thought the
bill ought to be entitled a bill to rob the pension
Mt Smith argued in favor of the bill. President
Hayes had consolidated the So agencies into Is and
this bill simply proposed to consolidate those 10 into
He sent to the clerks desk and had read letters
from the Secretary Of the Interior and United States
Treasury in approval of the proposed change
Mr.. Powers objected to that provision OF bill which
abolshes pension agencies and argued it would cost
much more to carry out that plan than it costs now
and would entail delay and expense on the PEN
sioners who ought to be PROMPTLY paid.
MIR. Butler said he had given great deal of con-
sideraton to the subject of paying PENSIONS and he
had some sessions ago prepared and introduced a
bill on the subject His bill provided first that the
payment of pensions should be monthly. This
woad receive great evil, the pledgng of pensions
punished this money sharks, the more usury they
charged so that iC was no use to legisate in that
direction the second provision of his bill was that
pension agents. when that bill was published in the
papers convention of pension agents called to
take against it, and the buttOnhoed their
members and defeated the bill. He asked that the
committee on appropriations would take day or
two to consider his bill.
Mr. Hewitt Of New York. member of the COM |
mittee appropriations, defended the bill which he
to $13O,O0O The expenses were 1852 900 and the
innate next year S315,000 This reduction of
SI4O0 600 year had attracted the attention of the
committee on appropriations, and the committee |
having learned that it was the result of the CONSOLE
dation of So pension agencies into IS, enquired |
whether further consolidation would not effect |
further reduction. That the origin of this bill.
He reminded the House that under the existing sys-
lem 87k per cent. of the payments to pensioners
were made in checks transmitted by mail. He de-
MED that it would cause delay in the payment of |
tensions and said that it proposed to divide the
rolls into twelve equal parts ana 10 pay on those rolls
every month instead OF paying Them all every quar-
ter.
After some remarks by Mr.. Finley of Ohio, the
rose without action on the bill and the
House adjourned.