The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-04
WOUNDS REOPENED.
wRANaLE OVER THE DOCTOR BILLS
Aud EIpsnsu Iaeldent TO the Illness Of the Late
Prssid.ut-Ssuats Cuts Dsua the Liberal
Appropriation OF the House Severe
Strleturss on Dr.. Blls aad Others.

WASHINGTON, D. G., July 3.-The Senate
Committee reported M amendment to tht
House bill, constituting the First md Sec
ond Comptrollers Of tho Treasury and thl
Treasurer OF the United States, Board o.
Auditors, to hear and determine all ques
tions arising out Of the claims and pro
posed allowances growing out Of the illness
and burial Of President Garfield, providing
methods OF auditing them, appropriatins
seventy.fve thousand dollars for the pay
ment OF awards and limiting the amount te
be certified and paid for medical services
to $4,000. 1t is further provided that ,,al
claims shall be considered aud allowances
made before January l, 1857, and TINT the
aggregate awards shall not exceed The
amount appropriated.
Mr.. Vest then opposed the proposition
with much earnestncss. lie said 1t was
well known that the President, il moi
butchered, was the victim Of malpractice
in his last illness. For eighty days he was
physicked, lcechcd, probed and lanccd
while the bullet that was eating away his
life never for moment came under the
attention OF the physicians. From a med
ical or scientific view alone the fees were
grossly enormous and would not be allow.
ed by q Court in any ordinary case.
II Gariield's life had been saved there
would have been some reason for liberal
outlay on the part Of tho Government for
medical services, but none existed. Mr.
Vest then referred to the newspape,
charges made during the Presidents illness
that while public bulletins were giving
favorable reports the Presidents phv.
sicans were tclegraphing in cipher tc
Wall street brokers information exactly
the reverse of that which was being pub.
lishcd. He thought it due to the country
that an investigation into that charge
should even yet be made. He regarded
the charge OF DR.. Bliss Of $4,000 for eighty
days attendance exorbitant, and had read
at the clerks desk statement made by DR..
Boynton to the effect that on or abou,
August Sth, 1881, he was informed BY the
late President that DR.. Bliss was voluu.
teer in the case. In this connection the
testimony given by DR.. Bliss that he was
sent for by tkc Secretary of War was also
read.
Mr.. Hale said he was unable to appre.
ciate the force OF Mr.. Vests criticism upon
the medical treatment OF the late President
as n failure. The fact was universally ad.
mitted that the Presidents wound was
necessarily fatal. The amendment orisi.
mated with the Appropriation Committee
without suggestion or intimation from
any quarter, and afforded means OF re.
moving the matter from debate in Con.
gress ior settlement by Il competent trib.
unal.
Some discussion followed as to the ground
upon which the Senate Committee had
based its reduction from tho aggregate re-
ported in the House Of $4,000, whicl,
now proposed to make it $75, 900, and Mr..
Hale explained that the committee had
adopted the House basis Us their own, but
had substituted n lower scale.
In reply TO Garland: he added the PROPOSE.
tion WIS intended to put quietus upon
the whole matter, and il the language was
not sufficiently guarded TO that end, he
would accept any modification which
would better express the meaning.
MIR. Garland said he would waive the
point that the army surgeons were Obliged
to attend the President lis Commandments
Chief without pay, and that no law war
ranted payment for medical attendance
in this case. lie wanted 10 be satisfied o
the reasonablencss Of the charges, but Ee
would pay every man who contributed to
ameliorate the suffering or prolong
the life Of the lamented Garfield all he was
entitled to. lie commented upon the de.
sparity between the high scale Of the
House committee and the low scale now
reported, rs showing the necessity for a
further investigation OF the claims, and ad.
vocated proposition requiring the
charges as fixed by the board
OF audit to be reported TO Con-
gress Mt the short session. lie said il
public reports were 10 govern rs to the pllysi.
clans he would not vote 10 pay them one
dollar, and referred to the autopsy to show
that the bullet extracted from tho pa
TENTS body was found eighteen inches
from the place at which it had been To-
Gated.
Mr.. Hawley said the discussion would be
IN indescribably painful one to the coun-
try. He wanted TO have an end OF it at
once, and said he thanked the committee
for the disposition they had made OF it.
MIR. lloar advocated the amendment rs
shielding the family and executors OF the
dead President from litigation So
Messrs. Sherman and Plumb made simi.
lar appeals.
Mr.. Allison said he felt it 10 be his duty,
us Chairman OF the Committee OIL Appro-
priations, 10 have entered upon the official
records tile generous response made to the
Committee by President Roberts, OF the
Pennsylvania X. R., declaring it not only
the duty but the pleasure Of tho Company
TO do what it could 10 increase the comfort
and aid in restoring the health OF the late
President, and disclaiming any intention
TO ask compensation Of the Government
for the courtesies extended on that ac-
count. r.,
After further remarks by Messrs. Van.
Wyck, Blair, Pendleton and Saulsbury,the
amendment offered by Cockrell, reducing
the appropriation from $4,000 TO s57,5O0
and the amount for medical services from
s5a,5Oo to Ss5, 900 was agreed to-yeas %,
nay %.
ingalls,, Rollins, Saunders, Sherman and
VanWyck voted aye with the Democrats
Davis, Illinois and Jones, Florida,
voted with the Republicans. A
proviso was adopted requiring the
claimants to file release under
seal OF all claims against the representatives
Of the late President, growing out Of said
illness and burial.
= The: section prevailed Ms amended and
the bill passed. ;;-s N.
OF MORMON PItOSELYrEs.
Ncnriy Ono Thousand Converts Landed
In New York. S55
NEw ionK, July 3.-The largest consign-
ment Of proselytes to the iaith Of Latter
Day Saints since 1852, when one steamer
brought about n thousand, arrived here to.