The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-28
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Life Saving seryioe-- Ills Dis
graceful lneificienOy.
A Bill in Relation TO Pension Offices.
The Long Bonds for The People.
SENATE.
WAsHNaroN, February "a.

SENAlc.
WASHINGTON, February q.
Mr.. Hoar presented petition Of the
citizens Of Cape Cod, demonstrating
against the passage Of Sargent's bill TO
organize coast guard and life saving
service.
Mr.. Sargent said the reports Of the life
saving service, emanating from the Treas.
ury Department, showed a diSgraceiul
state Of inefficiency in the service. 1twas
we'll known that In some instances where
the officers and men Of the life saving ser.
vice were in sight Of the vessels needing
relief, they we're afraid to man the boats,
and other persons had to come forward
and perform the service Of the persons
who were appointed now 10 please
political friends, and not on account OF
their fitness for work. he thought that
sailors, accustomed to sea and used TO mil
itary discipline would improve the ser.
vice.
BILL FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF CAPITOL
GROUNDS.
Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Pub.
lie Buildings and Grounds, reported .
bill for continuing the work OF improving
the Capitol grounds, and asked for its
present consideration, which led to some
discussion, during which Mr.. Conkling
spoke OF the repeated changes which had
been made in improving the Capitol
grounds. lie said that II the late Board OF
Public Works In Washington-that
stalking horse for vituperation which he
had heard denounced so often, had done
what he had seen done in the vicinity Of
this building, his impression was that the
country would not be big enough to hold
the noise. The bill passed.
The Chair laid before the Senate
House bill to amend Section 477S Of the
Revised Statutes, which provides that
whenever there shall be vacancy in the
office Of pension agent, by death, resig.
nation or delay in qualifying after ap.
pointment, the President may, II he
deems 1t necessary, appoint some person
to perform the duties Of pension agent
for period not exceeding sixty days, or
until the vacancy can be filled in the reg
ular way.
In explanation, Mr.. Ingalls, said the
Pension Agency at New York became
vacant by tho resignation Of Col. Howe.
General Coster has been appointed, but
failed 10 give the required bond OF $780,
600. The payment Of pensions at New
York city should begin Monday next, and
the object OF the bill was TO allow tenn
porary appointments and payments to be
made then.
Messrs. Conkling and Edmunds objec-
ted to the passage oil the bill on the
ground that it would virtually place in
The hands Of the President the appoint
ment Of Pension Agents throughout the
country without the advice and consent
OF the Senate. ~
After some farther discussion the bill
was laid aside for the present.
LONG BOND.
The consideration was then resumed OF
the unfinished business, being the bill TO
authorize a long bond for the Investment
Of savings.
Mr.. Wallace explained the provisions
OF the bill at length. He said: There
are two purposes in the bill. One TO
provide fund for the Investment Of the
earnings Of the poorer classes. The ar
gument for this Is the insolvency Of the
savings banks, 80 recent and wide spread.
The remedy seems to be In wise use Of our
public debt as fund for that purpose.
The other purpose is to initiate policy
Of the diffusion Of the public debt among
our people-a popular loan at low rate
OF interest, to run 80 years-to ease the
burden Of taxes and keep our surplus
earnings at home. II authorizes, ,syndi.
Gates and appeals to our own people; It
looks beyond national banks and finds an
anchor for public faith with the people
themselves.
The pending discussion OF the bill was
LAID aside temporarily and the Senate
resumed the consideration OF the bill
considered In the morning in regard 10
the payment Of pensions iu New York
city.
Mr. Ingalls, said TO obvlate the objsc.
tions made by the Senator from Vermont
(Edmunds) and others he moved the fol.
lowing as substitute for the House bill |:
That whenever during session Of the
Senate vacancy shall occur in the office
OF pension agent by reason oil resignation,
death or removal, or expiration Of term
OF office, or when any such agent lawfully
appointed shall fail 10 qualify and as.
sume the duties OF such office, the Presi.
dent may, when public exigency requires
it, designate any officer Of the United
States 10 perform the duties OF said Office,
but such designation shall not be for
longer than twenty days. Any such officer
40 designated shall give bond, ifrequired
by the President, for the faithful dis.
charge OF said duties. The foregoing
provisions shall apply TO any vacancy
now existing. sg
Mr.. Sargent submitted the following as
an amendment: And the Secretary OF the
Interior shall allow, in the settlement OF
the accounts OF such officer, the necessary
expenses incurred by him in the dis.
charge Of his duties under snch act.
Alter q lengthy discussion as to the
legal bearings OF the proposed measure,
Mr. Ingalls, said that he understood the
animns OF all this discussion, and had he
been President OF the United States, and
the pension agent had failed to give bond
for the period Of three weeks, he would
have concluded that he could not give
bond and would have nominated some
other person for the place.
Mr.. Blaine said that this bill was an
attempt to cover up by general stat
ute the specific failure. Of an officer to
put in his bond when he had had every
opportunity to do II. II was to give
him more time TO file his bond, and no
such case ever occurred before when the
pension agent was not ready to perform
his duty.
Mr.. Ingalls, said that there was case
in New orleans where the pension agent
was in the midst Of paying pensions.
Mr.. Blaine-HoW were pensions paid
then
Mr.. Ingalls-I do not know.
Mr.. Blaine-Then the Senator only
knows one.half the case.
Mr.. Ingalls-That's more than you
know,
Mr.. Blaine, continuing, said there were
more than 20 Senators on this floor who
could name men In New York Of either
party who could have given the required
bond within "a hours. There was a
pension agent, appointed under the high.
est possible standard Of civil service
reform, who had been hawking round