Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-17
The Senate,


Abraham Lincoln arrears of pension for the
five years intervening between the death of her
husband and the passage of the act granting
her pension, the estimated total amount be-
ing $4,000, and asked immediate con-
sideration.
Senator Blair, of the pension committee,
suggested reference of the measure to that
committee, as it was perfecting q more CON-
prehensiye bill, which would include this case
and that of Mrs. Garfield The bill was so re.
Ierred.
The house census deficiency bill passed.
Senator VOORHEES, reported from the joint
select committee on the subject, bill author
izing the construction of q building for the
accommodation of the congressional library.
It is substantially the bill which passed the
senate last year, providing for the purchase of
the square east OF the capitol grounds, and an
appropriation of $500 900 to commence the
construction of the building. The present
bill increases the am cunt that may be expended
for the purchase of land, from 81 900 600 to
81, 10O, 900, and authorizes commission, con-
sisting of the secretary of the interior, archi-
tects Of the capital and librarian of congress,
to make contracts for the construction of the
building.
Senator Logan introduced and asked present
consideration of the bill granting an
arrears pension to the widow of Abra-
ham Lincoln. He had read letter
from surgeons attending the lady, showing
her to be suffering from spinal and other
troubles, and from cataracts in both eyes. He
said he had statements from persons who
knew the lady well, that her income was in,
sufficient to pay for necessary medical and
nurse attendance, which her comparative help
less condition required. The arrearges under
the bill would be at the rate OF pension of
So, 900 each year for five years, or $4,000.
Senator Ingalls, said his resolution offered
before the holidays, directing inquiry as to
what allowance should be made Mrs. Lincoln,
was now being considered by the pension CON-
mittee to which it was referred. and he suggest
ed reference at the bill to that committee.
Senator Black of the pension COM
mittee explained the cases of Mrs.
Garfield and Mrs. Lincoln were now under con-
sideration and it was hoped the report would
be made at an early day and the. bill then be re-
ferred to the pension committee.
Senator Vance offered a resolution
directing the secretary of the treasury to fur
nish copies of all charges and complaints, re-
reports or other information on file concerning
Irregularities in the Sixth collection district
of North Carolina, and copies OF any orders
by the collectors fOrbidding arrest, or taking
out of process of arrest for offenders against
the revenue laws. Adopted.
The house census deficiency bill making an
appropriation of $4,000 passed.
The Sherman funding bill, after statements
that it was understood a vote on the bill would
not be taken until tomorrow, and that Plumb
and others desiring to offer amendments were
absent, was laid over Informally. The senate
then took up ingalls, resolution declaring the
arrears of pensions had ought not to be re-
pealed.
Senator Voorhees,, in support of the resolu-
ton, said that the denunciations of the act by
the press of the country, and particularly
prominent organs of all kinds of corporation
wealth, were made without the slightest basis
for their support or justification. Repetition
of these denunciations by member of the
senate had filled him with amazement and
pain. II the senator from Ken
allegation against the pension arrears act its
supporters would have cause to hang their
heads in shame, but he, Voorhees,, claimed it
was work of justice on the part of the gov
eminent, dictated by duty and patriotism.
He then read the terms of the act to show its
meaning was not obscure or liable to miscon-
strllction and that its design was simply to
remove that mean defense to the payment of
an honest debt, namely the bar of the statute
of Limitation as to pensions allowed under
carefully prepared provisions of previous acts.
1t merely said, if a soldier. broken down with
disease and wounds, had been slow
in presenting his claim and had al
lowed the five years limit to pass
without doing so, he would still be permitted
to prove his injuries and receive his pension
from the time he was discharged from the
army on that account: 1t is said to be SOL
diers' widows that though penury and ignor-
ance might have prevented her from asserting
her right for a few years, yet the government
would still make annual payments to her from
the day and hour when her husband sealed
his measureless devotion to that government
with his death.
Taking up separately and replying to the
charges made against the pension arrears act
Senator VOORHEES, commended these had not
been substantiated In one instance. It had
been charged the bill was passed in the senate
without discussion and under some sort of
parliamentary conpulsion. The records dis
mpon the bill. The charge that
the bill created new ground for pension, or
enlarged the pension rolls, was equally untrue,
as every person who could now make valid
claim for pension could do 80 in the same
way before the act was passed. The only
question it raised was whether the payment of
pensions should date from the wounding,
disease or death of the soldier, or should not
commence until after he had spent fifteen or
sixteen years in hunting up proofs of the fact
of his wounds or disease. The soldier was
entitled to have the government perform all
the conditions of its contract with him, and
he (Voorhees) would say to those who asserted
to the contrary, that they would have no idle
encounter in making good their assertion.
In replying further to what he characterized
as false and idle clamors against the law.
He contended: Pension payments were of
special benefit as q means of causing money to
circulate among the people, and the safe
guards against frauds which were thrown
around the law, were most efficient and salts
factory. He secuted the charge that claim
agents procured the passage Of the act as an
absurdity, and added that while soma
frauds had been committed their amount is
but trivial in comparison with that to which
they had been magnifed in popular magma
ton.
Senator Beck said that in the passage of the
bill referred to, both houses of congress were
imposed by set of pension clam agents who
devised the scheme of pension arrearages for
their own benefit and that If its actual cost
had been foretold. or in any way indicated at
the time the bill would not have received the
support of anr of the members who voted for it
He gave an outline of the progress of the bill,
showing it had passed the house under sus-
pension OF the rules, which cut off debate.
The measure which passed was not the one
prepared by the committee, but one tnat had