Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-20
CONGRESSIONAL.
A FIELD DaY OF TlLK IN EOTH
HOUSES.

HOUSES.
The Ghost of the Rebellion stirs UP the
Senate Over the Pension Bil1-House
AgOnized by Contested Election Case
Into Resurrecting the Electoral Fraud
Provisions of the Bill for Issuing Treasury
Notes--Hayes Will Not Interfere in
Louisiana.
Senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-Senator Spencer
from the committee ON military affairs. re-
ported favorably on the bill for the relief OF
VIM. A Hammond, late Surgeon General OF
the army, and it was placed on the calendar.
1t authorizes the President to review the
proceedings of the general court martial in
his case, and to annul and set aside the find
ings and sentence of said court martial. II
after such review, he shall deem it right and
proper to do SO, and in the event of the find
rized to place the name of VIM A. Hammond
on the retired list of the army as Surgeon
General Provided that in case of such
restoration he shall not be entitled to back.
present or future pay, Or allowances of any
kind whatsoever.
Senator Mathews, by request, introduced a
bill making presumption grant to the heirs
Of Jean Baptiste Beaubien, deceased, for
part OF Fort Dearborn reservation at Chicago
and to confirm the purchase of the other
parts in their titles and to convey to Chicago
the streets and alleys of said reservation.
Referred.
Senator Ferry called up the Senate bill, to
regulate the compensation of postmasters
and for other purposes, which was discussed
at some length. During the discussion
Senator Davis, of West Virginia, expressed
an opinion that the bill should be amended
so as to allow the free transmission of Off
cial documents, and communications of
members of Congress to pass through the
mails free.
Senators Hamlin, Davis Of w. Va, and
others, expressed themselves in favor of
restoration of the franking privilege.
Senator Edmunds during his remarks said
the denial of the privilege to members of
Congress rather implied that the members
were engaged in other than public business,
OF else sold their franks, and he denied both
of these imputations. Further consideration
OF the bill was then postponed until to-mor-
row.
Senator Spencer, from the committee on
military affairs, reported back the resolution
of the Senate instructing the committee to
inquire and report whether any person has
been appointed in the army contrary to the
provisions of the act of July, 1856, &C.,
together with the desired information. Or
dered report be printed and lie on the table,
Senator Sargent introduced bill to re-
organize the life saving and coast guard
service. Referred.
At the expiration of the morning hour
Senator Withers called up for consideration
the Senate bill amending the laws granting
pensions to soldiers and sailors Of the war of
1872 and their widows.
The committee reported al amendment to
the section authorizing the restoration to the
pension rolls Of all persons now surviving.
heretofore pensioned, on account of service
IN the war of 1872, and any of the Indian
wars, whose names were stricken therefrom
on account of disloyalty, SO as to provide
that all such persons should be restored
whose disabilities had been removed, or who
had made application for such removal.
Senator ingalls, said there were not more
than 100 men affected by this provision Of
the bill, as nearly all distinction between
loyal people and rebels had been obliterated,
and as there was no possibility of the restor-
alton of national unity without having such
obiiteration complete the bill should be
passed. It occurred to him as a small thing
for great nation to admit to its counsels
those who we're leaders in the rebellion and
exclude from the benefits of that government
the poor old men WHO had received pension
Of 50 month and could do no harm.
Senator Edmunds opposed the amendment
and said he did SO, not that he was opposed
to restoring these old men to the pension
roll but such an amendment might be taken
as precedent for compensation of property
lost during the rebellion.
After some further discussion, it was
agreed that the words of the amendment
we're not necessary to restore to the pension
rolls the names of those persons stricken
therefrom on account of d.sioyalty, and Sen
ator Withers, in charge of the bill, withdrew
Other amendments of the committee of
verbal character were agreed to, and the
question being on the third reading of the
bill, Senator ingalls, said he was opposed to
the whole system Of gratuitous pensions as
by the bill which was to grant pen
sions to all survivors of the war of 1872 who
served in the military or naval service for
fourteen days. He was in favor of pension
ing those who were wounded and disabled in
service, but could not favor granting pensions
to persons because they merely entered the
service. If such gratuitous pensions be
given, how would Congress be able to resist
appeals for pensions which would come ten
or fifteen years from this time, from those
who merely served in the late war and were
not wounded. Such legislation as this was
prompted by sentiment, and when Congress
in 1871 departed from the system of grant
ing pensions only to those who were dis
abled, it took dangerous road.
Senator Morrill, said he feared this bill
was the forerunner of what was to come
and would result in taking large
sums of money from the treasury.
Senator Oglesby opposed the fifth section
of the bill authorizing the restoration to the
pension rolls of those persons whose names
were stricken therefrom on account of dis
loyalty, and moved to strike it out. He
argued that the men who had fought for the
government in 1912 should have been the
last to attempt to destroy it in after years.
Senator Blaine said every soldier who
served in the war of 1872 must have been at
least 60 years of age when the rebellion
broke out, and they were now
nearly 80 years of age. It
was impossible these men could have done
anything active against the government of
the United States during the late war, and
it was not to be expected they would break
their family ties in the South when war broke
out He, Blaine, had not laid awake at night
considering how to restore the men of the
rebellion to privileges, but these old men did
their part In upholding the country in the
war of 1912, and he would not exclude one