The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-17

tine Senate to-day, will be signed by the
President. II appropriates $4,000.
The weather to-day was warm and cloudy.
FOrty-seventh Congress Session.
! WASHINGTON, January 16, 1882.
SENATE.
| Communications from the Secretary OF
| the Treasury were submitted by the Presi-
dent pro tenn. transmitting the annual re-
port Of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and
also in response to a Senate resolution Of
inquiry respecting the organization Of a
separate court for the trial OF customs
cases.
The Chair submitted a petition from the
Board OF Trade OF Portland, Me-, for n
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 exam
liners for all the subordinate offices OF the
Government
Mr.. Jones, OF Florida, introduced bill
granting TO the Pensacola and Atlantic
Railway Company the right to build bridges
over navigable waters between Pensacola
and Chattahoochie, Fla.
Mr.. Call introduced a bill granting the
right of way through public lands to the
Palatka and Indian-Riycr Railway 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 or
ders by the collector thereof forbidding the
arrest or the taking out OF process OF ar
rest Of offenders against the revenue laws.
Adopted.
Mr.. Hale, from the Committee on APP
preparation. reported favorable the House
census deficiency bill, making an apprO-
priation OF $4,000.
The Senate then, on motion OF Mr.. In
gals, took up his resolution declaring that
the arrears-of-pensions act ought not to be
repealed.
Mr.. VOORHEES, in support Of the resolu-
ton said the denunciatiOns Of the act by
the press Of the country, and particularly
by prominent organs OF all kinds OF cOrpO-
Z
slightest basis for their support or iustifica-
ton. The repetition OF these denuncia-
tons bv a member OF the Senate had
filed him with amazement and pain. II
the Senator from Kentucky Nlr. Beck
should make good his allegations against
the penSion-arrearS act. its supporters
would have cause 10 ha1g their. heads in
shame. but he (Mr. Voorhees, claimed that
it was work Of justice on the part OF the
Government, dictated by duty and patriot
ism. lie then read the terms OF the act TO
show that its meaning was not obscure or
likely TO misconStructi0n, and that IFS de-
sign was simply to remove that mean de-
fence 10 the payment OF an honest debt
namely, the bar OF the statute OF limitations
rs to pensions allowed under the carefully
prepared provisions OF previous acts.
Taking up separately and replying
to the charges made against the pen
sOn-arTears act, Mr.. voorhees, con-
tended that these had not been substan-
tiatcd i'm one instance. 1t had been charged
that the bill was passed i'm the Senate with
out discussion and under some sort OF par
liamentiary compulSiOn. The records dis
proved this, and showed that twenty-One
senator's participated in the debate upon IT,.
Mr.. Beck said that in the passage Of the
bill referred to both houses OF Congress
were imposed upon by a set OF pension
claim-agents, who devised the scheme OF
pension arrearages for their own benefit,
and that il its actual cost had been iOrctold,
or in any way indicated at the time, the bill
would not have received the support OF any
of the members who voted for il. He gave
an outline OF the progress OF the bill,
showing that il passed the House
under a suspension Of the rules, which
cut off debate; that the measure which
passed was not the one recommended
bv the committee. but one that had not
been before the committee; that the ques-
ton was pressed for action upon the eve Of
an adjournment. when members were go
ing home for reelection and were indiS-
posed to vote against a proposition which,
upon its face, had only \ patriotic object.
The bill. although not understood, was al
lowed to pass without dissent. He quoted
from the debate upon it to show that the
maximum which any member believed it
would cost was $50, 900, 600, while $4,000
900 or 800, 1000, 900 were the highest figures
mentioned in the Senate. He asked whether
the Senate did not believe fraud was commit
ted when he. rs one member, was induced
to vote upon the measure upon belief
which subsequent developments had shown
to be entirely unwarranted. lie assumed
that no member imagined that the results
oil that legislation would be what they are,
and that il it had been intimatcd, what is
now stated by the Commissioner OF Pen
sionS TO be a fact, that 10 per cent. OF the
total Of the arrears would be paid out in
fraudulent claims, not vote would
have been given for the bill. He re-
minded senators that when the bill
came from the House TO the Senate the
latter body was flooded with petitions with
printed headings, and purpOrting to come
from various parts Of the country. These,
he asserted. were gotten up by pension
agents i'm Washington, and by them clrcu-
lated throughout the country for sigma
lures i'm order TO create Il pressure upon
the Senate.
Mr.. ingalls, inquired for Mr.. Beck's au-
thority for the statement he had just made.
MIR. Beck replied by reading from the re-
port Of the Commissioner OF Pensions in
/ 1879, showing the existence and the opera
I tiOns OF pensiOn-agent bureaus. He added
that the adoption Of the resolution would
be equivalent 10 telling the House IT might
as well cease TO consider all notifications
OF the law, as the Senate had committed
/ itself against them.
Mr.. Beck reiterated that Congress was
deceived by the scheme concocted by in
terested outsiders, and asked Mr.. ingalls,
il he did not believe when he voted for il
that the act would not involve an aggregate
expenditure OF over Sl9,OOO,OOO, or at the
utmost $30,000,000.
Mr.. ingalls, replied that such statement
was imputed to him, but that he had never
made any such. What he did say was, that
il those already upon the roll who had been
deprived OF pensions to which they had
been entitled were given arrears they had
earned up to the time Of the passage OF the
hill n yvolild omounf IN about $4,000. l00