Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-17
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

In the Senate, communications from the
Secretary Of the Treasury were submitted
by the President pro tem., transmitting the
annual report of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey, and also in response to the Sena e
resolution Of inquiry respecting the Organi-
zation of a separate court for the trial OF
customs cases.
The Chair submitted a petition from the
Board of Trade # Portland, Ne, for the
separate organization of the Signal Service
Mr.. Vest presented the petition of Hon.
Henry Hitchcock and others, of st. Louis,
for the establishment of competitive eK
amintiOns for all subordinate offices of the
government.
Mr.. Jones, of Florida, introduced bill
granting to the Pensacola and Atlantic
Railroad Company the right to build bridges
over navigable waters between Pensacola
and Chattahoochee, Fla.
Mr.. Call introduced a bill granting the
right of way through the public lands to the
Palatka and Indian River Railroad Com
panY.
Mr.. Logan introduced and asked present
consideration OF bill granting arrears of
pension to the widow Of Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Vance offered a resolution directing
the Secretary Of the Treasury to furnish
copies of all charges and complaints, re.
ports, or other information on file concern
ing irregularities in the collection of inter
nal revenue in the Sixth collection district
of North Carolina, and copies of any orders
by the Collector thereof forbidding the ar
rest or taking out process for the arrest of
the offenders against the revenue laws.
Adopted.
Mr.. Hale, from the Committee on Appro-
priarions reported favorably the House
census deficiency bill, making an appropria-
tion of $54 900
t.-aEJ ,t,[
gals, took up resolution declaring that
the arrears of pensions act ought not to be
repealed.
Mr.. VOORHEES,, in support of the resolu-
tiOn, said that the denunciations of the act
by the press Of the country, and particular
ly by prominent organs of the lords of cor
porations, were made without the
slightest basis for their support or iustifca
tion. The adoption of these denunciations
by members of the Senate had filled linn
with amszement and pain. II the
Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Beck
should make good his allegations
against the pension arrears act,
its supporters would have cause to hang
their heads In shame. But he (Mr YoOr-
hees) claimed that 1t was work of Justice
on the part of the government dictated by
duty and patriotism. He read the terms Of
the act to show that its meaning is not
obscure or liable to misconstrucuon, 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 limitation9. AS to the pensions allow
ed under the carefully prepared provision
OF the previous acts, taking up separately
and replying to the charges made against
the pension arrears act, Mr.. voorhees, con-
tended that these had not been substantial
ted, and in one instance, where It had been
charged that the bill was passed in the Sen
ate without discussion and under some sort
of parliamentary compulsion, the record
disproved this and showed that twenty one
Senators participated in the debate upon 1t.
Mr.. RacE said tnat in the mere passage Of
the bill both Houses of Congress were i'm
posed upon by a set Of pension claim
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 - anv
of the members who voted for IT,
lie gave an outline of the pro-
gresS OF the bill, showing that it
passed the House under q suspension
of the rules, which cut off debate. That
the measure which passed was not the one
recommended by the committee, but one
that had not been befHre the committee
That the GU sstion was pressed for action
upon the eve of adjournment, when men,
bers were going home for reelection
and were indisposed to vote against
proposition which upon its face
had only patriotic object
The bill, although not understood,
was allowed to pass without dissent. He
quoted from the debates upon It to show
that the maximum which any member be-
lieved it would cost was So, 600 600, while
$l9, 1000, 900 or $40, 900, 600 were the highest
figures mentioned in the Senate. He asked
whether the Senate did not believe that
fraud was committed, when he as a member
was induced to vote upon a measure which
subsequent developments had shown
to be entirely unwarranteds He said
that no member imagined the results of
that legislation would be what they
are, and that If it had been intimated what
is now stated by the Commissioners of PEN
sions to De the fact that ten per cent. of the
total arrears will be paid out In fraudulent
claims, not a vote would have been given
for the bill. He reminded Senators