The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-05-23
PENSION AGENCIES.
An Eloquent Plea for The Appoint.
ment of Wounded and Disabled
Soldiers, by
SENATOR INGALLS,.
Congressional Record.l

| ltS SSudls My Otu LIE Dill as TepOlle
from the House of Representatives col
tanned the 'followirg section:
That from and after July I, ISIS. the Off,
OF pension agents shall be filed by wounde
or disabled soldiers.
The Senate Committee on Appropriation
reported an amendment to thiS section
these words:
That hereafter, in the appointment of pen
sion agents, the preference shall be given I
wounded or disabled soldiers.
Mr.. Sargent, Mr.. Beck, Mr.. Christianc
and others objected TO these provisions upo
the ground that they were unconstitutional
whereupon the following debate cured
Mr.. INGALLS-I understand .e Sena
tor from Kentucky to say, and in this he
| seconded | believe by the Senator from
the Senate TO direct the President TO ap
point wounded, disabled, and HONORABLE
discharged soldiers TO Office
Mr.. CHRlSTIANCI-What do say i
| that it is unconstitutional TO require hin
to do that, and not give him the liberty o
selection.
Mr.. INGALIIS-If it is uconstitutiona
to appoint them
Mr.. BECK-Will the Senator from Kan
sas allow me? l only intended to say tina
it was unconstitutional to prohibit hin
from appointing anybody else.
NJ. INGALLS-I do not understand tina
this amendment does thai
Mr.. BECK do.
Mr.. INGALLS-Or that the section pro
posed by the House does that.
Mr.. CHRISTIANCY-Will the Senator
allow me to saw one word?
Mr.. lNGALLS-Certain
Mr.. CHRiSTIANCY-I do not wish to
be misrepresented as saying that | think i:
is unconstitutional for the President to ap-
point wounded soldiers. / have said moth
ing of that kind
Mr.. INGALLS-Thea amendment that is
offered by the Committee on Appropriations
to the section that is proposed by the House
declares that the President shall appoint
wounded and disabled and honorably dis
charged Union soldiers as pension agents.
The Senator from Kentucky and the Sena-
tor from Michigan both say that is uncon-
stitutional. There can therefore be no es-
cape from the deduction that they think it
is unc Institutional for the Senate to direct
the President to appoint soldiers to office.
Mr.. BECK-If the Senator from Kansas
has come to that conclusion, he has been
trained in school different from any other
Senator On this floor. l mean to say dis
tinctly now that, while the President has an
equal right to appoint tbem-and l would
not deprive them of any right they now
haye-and he has appointed number Of
them, and l suppose he will continue to ap-
point them, we have no right to say he
shall not appoint anybody else.
Mr.. INGALLS-Then understand the
Senator to withdraw from his position.
Mr.. BECR-Not a bit of it.
Mr.. INGALLS-And that he does NO
consider Il unconstitutional for the Senate
to instruct the President to appoint Union
soldiers TO office.
Mr.. BECK never made any such as
sertion.
Mr.. INGALLS, certainly am at loss
to understand the position taken by the
Senator from Kentucky. Here is section
in the bill as sent from the House, express
ing the sense of that body, and, through
the amendment proposed by the committee,
Indirectly the sense of this body, that I'm
i'n soldiers who have been wounded or
disabled and honorably discharged should
be appointed pension agents. Senators
gravely arise and say that that is uncon-
stitutional, that We have no right TO direct
the President to appoint Union soldiers to
Office. II there is any escape from that
conclusion, should be glad to know what
it is. And / have further to say that If
this is unconstitutional it is for the Presi-
dent himself to decide, and if the House
and Senate as their sense in this matter
should declare that this should be his ac-
tionsif he decided it to be unconstitutiOn-
al, then he and his law officers can take the
responsibility. | should regret very much
indeed TO have the SeOate commit itself to
the position, whatever might be the opinion
of the President or his law officers, that it
was unconstitutional to direct honerably
discharged wounded and disabled Union
soldiers to be appointed to the Office Of PEN
sion agent or to any other office. The Sen
ator from Kentucky said it was now about
twelve years since the war was closed
Mr.. CAMERON, of Wisconsin-Wili the
Senator from Kansas allow me to say one
word?
Mr.. INGALLS, Certainly
Mr.. CAMERON, of Wisconsin-The
point is not that we shall direct that Union
soldiers he appointed, but We require that
they shall be appointed, and that none
others shall be appointed.
MIR. lNGALLS-Does the Senator from
Wisconsin object to having Union soldiers
appointed pension agents?
Mr.. CAMERON, OF Wisconsin-That is
not the question.
Mr.. INGALLS, That is the question,
Mr.. President
Mr.. CAMERON, of Wisconsin-That is
not the question at all. The question il,
what does the bill as it comes from the
House provide That is the question.
That from and after July 1, ISIS, the oelce
OF pension agent shall be filled by wounded
or disabled Union soldiers.
Mr.. INGALLS, What is the objection to
that?
Mr. CAMERON, # wisconsin, am not
talking about that now
Mr.. INGALLS-That il what I am
speaking about. Ii the Scnator has any
objection TO it, il he wants to commit him
self against that proposition, should like
him to state on what ground.
Mr.. CAMERON, OF Wisconsin-We have
not reached that
Mr.. INGALLS-Is it on the ground that
they are disqualified or incompetent, or, a.
some Senator has said, that they are una
bic to give bond? Is it possible that i, il 10
be maintained on this floor that OF the six
hundred thousand OF seven hundred thous-
and disabled and honorably discharged In
ion soldiers there cannot be enough found
to fill eighteen pension agencies and give a
sufficient bond?
NJ. C,NEpoy r, yy;.o IT,
nronos;,ion has no, hon J;scn"ssJ 90, 7
ib;nE ,bsra are ,b;nL ,b,, snf;o;s,,
nnmhsr can he fonnd The nsra;nn IL
,r;c, in which tho STATE of W;.cnn.;n : n
oinJad III Nc, ho .tfsc,sa b., ~. I'm IL
49, -. -. II