National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-02
CONGRESS YESTERDAY.
EIeefc..aI ..cx..s


Mr.. MORGAN, from the committee on the state
Of the law in regard to the electoral count, re-
ported back Mr.. INGALLS, resolution on the subject
with a substitute amendment The substitute is
as follows:
Be enacted By The Senate (the House Of Representa-
tires concuiringl That the two Houses of Congress
shall assemble in the hall of the House Represen-
tatiyeS on Wednesday, the 9th of February, 1884, at
twelve o'clock M, and the President of the Senate
snail De the presiding officer; that one person be
appointed teller on the part of the Senate ana
two on the part of the House of Representatives
to make list of the votes as they shall be de-
clared: that the result shall be delivered to the
President of the Senate, who shall announce the
state OF the vote and hepersons elected TO the two
Houses assembled as at esaid, which shall be
States
together with list of votes, be entered on the
journal of the two Houses
SGc That if it shallapPear that any votes sol OF
United States have beeH given on day other than
that fixed for the casting of such votes by act OF
United States; and if the counting or emitting to
count such votes shall not essentially change the
result of the election they shall be reported by the
President of the Senate in the following manner :
We're the votes of electors cast on the - day OF
-, 1885, to be counted, the result would be, " For
a. B., for President of the, United States, votes,
and for c. D., for President of the United States
- votes;" if not counted, the result would be,
For A. A. for President of the United States
- - votes; for c, D., for-President Of the United
President of the United States and in the same
manner for Vice-President'"
Mr.. MORGAN asked for the present cOnSidera-
ton of the resolution.
Mr.. EDMUNDS said that inasmuch as the Senator
from Colorado [Mr. TELLER and himself, two mem
bers OF the committee from which this report had
come either not invited failed to get their
invitations to the meeting last night, at which, he
understood, this amendment was agreed upon, he
thought they would like TO see it in print before
committing themselves for or against it. He there
fore asked that 1t go over for one day under the
rule.
he meant in speaking of meeting last night.
There had been no meeting of the committee last
night.
reference to meeting ofsome body which, he uIl-
derstood had been held last night and that at that
meeting this amendment had been agreed to.
Mr.. THURMAN added that no meeting OF the
committee nor Of the members oft had been held
last night
The resolution was here tabled, in order to be
printed.
The remainder of the morning hour (until one
o'clock was occupied, without action, in Il discus
sion of resolution called up by Mr.. HARRIS to give
House bills fayorably reported the precedence
over other business every morning atter the rOu-
tine business until halfpast one o'clock.
=, The next half hour (which under the new An;
until 2l0 o'clock was occupied by Senators KIRK
WOOD and DAWES in a further discussion of Ponca
Indian affairs introduced by the latter the pre-
viOus day in his remarks on the killing of Big
Snake.
At this point the subject was dropped.
Mr.. LOGAN said he had intended to call up the
Grant retirement bill to-day, but not having had
the opportunity he now asked unanimous consent
to make it the special order for Thursday.
Messrs- VEST and EATON objected the latter re-
marking that he though the bill could wait week
longer without injury toit or the public.
Mr.. LOGAN said he thought that when the Sem
ate could afford to listen to hours talk about
dead Indian, 1t might be disposed 10 find little
time for a live General.
Alter discussion, Mr.. LOGAN gave notice of his
i1fnr to toll
On motion of Mr.. BOOTH the pension appropri-
alton bill was taken up.
In Committee of the Whole the amendments of
the Senate committee were agreed to. They re-
strict the fee of q surgeon for an examination TO
s., and provide that pensions payable to inmates
of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Sol
diers shall be paid TO the treaSurerS of the home
instead of directly TO the pensioners.
Mr.. BOOTH, in charge of the bill, submitted an
amendment, which he said had the approval of
three members of the Pension Committee, to
whom he had had an- opportunity to show it,
appropriating TO supply deficiencies for the fiscal
year 1881 the sum of 1852, ,03l. 90, namely, for
pensions for army invalids and their widows
minors and dependent relatives; including ar
rearS to survivors of the war of 1872 and their
widows; provided that the amount expended for
each of the above items shall be accounted for sep
arately.
The amendment also appropriates for navy pen
sions to inYalids, widows, minors, and dependent
relative $3.50 27499; provided that the appropria-
ton aforesaid for navy pensions shall be paid from
the income of the naval pension fund, far the
same may be sufficient for that purpose; and pro-
vided further, that the amount expended for each
of the above items shall be accounted for seps-
rately 1t also appropriates $4,000 for fees of eX-
amining surgeons, as provided by the several acts
of Congress
Mr.. BOOTH forwarded to the Clerk and had read
the recent letter of the Commissioner of Pensions
showing the necessity for the appropriations to
meet deficiency. He said that il had been
deemed best by members CT the committee TO in
clude this deficiency in, the pending bill in order
that the money might be available for the March
payments as these c0sfu not be made without it.
The amendment was adopted.
MI. INGALLS, moved to amend the bill by strik-
ing out the provision requiring the accrued PEN
sion due the Indian pensioners 10 be paid by the
Commissioner of Pensions in installments
After debate participated in by MeSsrs. INGALLS,
BECK, WTTHERs, and LOGAN, the amendment was
rejected-ayeS, p; noes, %.
Mr.. WITHERS moved to amend by adding to- the
first section the provisions of the bill reported by
him from the Pensions Committee for the exaniN-
alton and adjudication of pension claims, COM
monty known as the sixtx-surgeOn bill"
| In advocating the radical change proposed by
his amendment, he remarked that the Commits
sioner of Pensions had computed that, with all
the increase of clerical force that could be made
available, it would be impossible for him TO adju-
dicate more than twenty-five thousand cases per
year. whereas three hundred thousand unadjudi-
Gated claims were pending.
Pending motion for executive session,
The CHAIR laid before the Senate message
from the President, with accompanying docu-
ments, in reference TO the removal of the Ponca
Indians
The reading of a message from the President
upon its presentation being the usage of the SEN
ate, the requirement was technically complied
with, at the suggestion of Mr.. EDNUNDS, by read
ing the initiatory portion, when the message was
informally laid aside, and at 40, without dis
position of the bill. the motion for an executive
session prevailed. When the doors We're reopencd
the Senate adjourned.