The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-11
CONGRESSION MA T.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, April 1O.-Mr. Matthews
offered an amendment to the bill for the
repeal of the resumption act. Referred.
The senate resumed consideration of the
bill TO repeal the bankrupt act. which came
up as unfinished business from yesterday.
Mr. McCreery said he should oppose all
efforts to amend the present law, for ii it
took five months in winter to perfect the
former bill what could they expect to do
with a new bill in the summer months.
Nine-tenths of the people of Kentucky
favored the repeal, and he would say
nothing to delay the passeg ge of the bill to
provoke discussion in opposition to it.!
Mr.. Matthews offered as a substitute
for the bill his own bill to establish a
uniform law on the subject of bankruptcy.
He agreed with Mr. McCreery that the
present law contained but little that Was
good. He proceeded to explain the pro-
visions of his bill. comparing it with and
pointing out the differences between its
provisions and the existing law. He con.
tended that the bill proposed by him came
up to the constitutional requirements of
being strictly in relation to bankruptcy
and uniformity in its operations. There
never had been period when there was
so much debt, so much bankruptcy,
present and prospective, and he ielt that
something should be done that would
afford relief to an unfortunate bankrupt,
while at the same time protecting the
creditors. For this reason he had ventur-
ed to offer the substitute now presented.
MIR. McCreery rose to reply. but yielded
to Mr.. Sargent, for motion of considera-
ton OF executive business, which was agreed
to and the senate went into executive
session.
When the doors were reopened the
senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
| WASHINGTON, April l0.-The house
went into committee of the whole on the
pension bill.
The bill appropriates $29, ,2S6,5 ,574. aud
provides that after July /, 1878. pensions
shall be paid by the treasurer of the Unlted
States, under the direction of the secre'
taries of the treasury and interior. The
items of the appropriation are as follows:
Army invalids, $l3, 10000; widows and
minors, $l2.830,000; survivors of the wal
of 1912, ST, ,332. 900 widows of soldiers oi
the war oflsI2, $l,247, ,974; fees of ex
aminiug surgeons, ,$850,0O0; navy invalids
l$210,000: widows and minors, 1884, 600;
fees OF examining surgeon, $1,000; fol
carrying out the provisions of the.act, $96,
600
Mr.. Smith. of Pennsylvania, explained
the bill. By abollshIng pension agen
cies the government would save $200,00(
annually.
Mr. Hanna stated that the pension agen
had to pay his clerks out of the fees, an
he thought the bill ought to be entitle,
"a bill to rob the pension agent out OF hi
pay"
Mr., Powers objected to that provisio
of the bill which abolishes pension agen
cies, and argued that it would cost. .muc
more to carry out that plan than it cost
now, and that it would entail delay an
expense on pensioners who ought to b
promptly paid.
i Mr.. Bragg opposed the bill on th
grounds that it would cause delay in th
payment Of pensions and because the bl
came not from the committee on pension
= which committee authorized the bill, bl
:, from the committee on appropriation
% which had nothing to do with devisir
means for the payment G pensions, b'
which was monopolizing to itself the duti
of the naval committee and in fact all 9th
standing committees of the house.
Il After remarks by MIR. Finley, the con
mittee rose without taking any action
the bill, and the house adjourned.
Thereupon caucus OF republican sc
ators and members was announced to
held at o'clock this evening in the hall
S: the house.