The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-01
FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS-.
The Senate VIII Insist on a Full and
Free Conference on the Tariff.
MIR. Randall Declines to Serve on the Con-
ference Committee-The River and
Harbor Bill Discussed.
THE SENATE.
A Full and Free Conference on the Tariff
Bill to BE Insisted On.

AAOuSO blii W pIOhluc LOT luo VI
zenshlp to such citizens of the United states as
have become naturalized citizens OF Great Brit
ain.
Mr.. Tabor offered joint resolution providing
for participation by the government in the Ma
tional Mining and Industrial Exposition to be
held IN Denver.
A message was received announcing the names
Of the conferees the internal revenue and
tariff bills. AT Mr.. Garland's request the mes
sage was read. Mr.. Garland asked to have read
from the Congressional Record the resolution of
the House ins.fucting its conferees 80 consider
fairly the constitutional objections to the inter-
nal revenue bill as amended by the Senate, and
TO bring the same, together with the opiIion of
the House i'll regard thereto, before the commit
tee on conference" etc, and mOvedto reconsider
the motion by which the Senate had agreed to
the conference.
Mr.. Ingalls, raised the point of order that it
was not in order 20 read or refer TO particular
words or acts of the other House upon pending
measures.
Mr. Garland said his motion to reconsider was
made in good faith, He had voted for the con-
ference yesterday in the belief that the Senate
was In possession of all the House had done in
this matter, but now it turned out from the Of
fetal record that practically fraud had been
committed upon the Senate, and there could be
no full and free conference under the conditions
made by the action of the House. His vote, and
probably the votes of other senators upon the
agreeing to conference, would have been dl1-
House, and, il a motion to reconsider should pre-
vail, he intended to take the position that the
Senate could not confer under such conditions.
Mr. Edmund's moved to lay Mr.. Garland's
motion on the table. Lost-ayes "a, nays 26.
The President having finally ruled that it was
not in order to read the action of the House from
the record as Mr. Garland had proposed, Mr..
Garland appealed from the decision. After the
question had been debated for some time, Mr..
ingalls, offered resolution declaring it to be the
opinion of the Senate that the conference should
be fun and free and nstructing the Senate con-
ferees, If they found any Limitation was placed
by the House on the action of the committee, to
retire and report that fact 10 the Senate for its
consideration.
Mr Sherman at first Objected to the resolu-
ton, but withdrew his objection later. and the
resolution was agreed to without division.
Mr.. Garland then withdrew his appeal, and the
Senate resumed consideration OF The bill to give
increased pensions to one-armed and one-legged
soldiers.
The pending question was on the motion of
Mr.. Vest TO strike out the words ''or shall have
suffered disability equal thereto
Mr.. Mitchell said when the bill passed the
House the statement was made that it would in
vClve an increase OF expenditure OF 81 SOC. 600.
but 1t has been ascertained that 10 would require
So 900, to carry out the provisions of the bill.
Mr. Voorhees, declared himself favor of the
bill, and called attention to some figures show
ing that in 1879 the number of soldiers who had
suffered amputation was less than $4,000, and
one-half OF those were now dead and buried.
The vital statistics on this subject were ap-
palling They showed beyond question that the
average diminutiOn of lfe by those losing a leg
Mr.. Vanwick said If the desire of the Senate
was defeat the bill, that was one thing; but if
there was any real intention that increased
pei sions should he given to those suffering from
special disability there was no class more in
need or deserving of such recognition than the
class proposed to be struck out by Mr. Vest.
Mr. Platt said IL would he great injustice to
adopt Mr.. Vests amendment.
Mr.. Harris said the majority of the committee
This @ an nan IN u, so "a
would move indiffnte postponement OF the bill.
Mt Salisbury supported the motion.
Mr. Van WyeK said when the Nation called
these soldiers to It's defense it pleaded it's faith
that manned and wounded, and widows and
orphans should he cared for, and that pledge
should be held at least as sacred as a promise 70
pay the national debt, incurred in the same
great struggle. Addressing some senators on the
other side of the chamber, he said if the Con-
federacy had triumphed they would never have
allowed their wounded soldiers, or widows and
orphans of their dead to suffer want.
Mr.. Logan opposed the motion TO postpone
the bill. Its postponemen6 meant its defeat.
The men applying for AN increase of pensions
were entitled to a fair hearing before the SEN
ate of the United States, and II the pending bill
was defective the proper thing to do was not
to postpone it but to amend and pass it. The
highest pensions granted or to be granted would
not compensate these soldiers for their suffer
ings, and the complaints sometimes heard about
taxing people to pay pensions originated, not
among the people at their homes, but with
members of Congress-
Mr.. Vest said If the Confederacy had tri-
umphed he would have voted the last dollar
vide for It's soldiers, and the people of
the United States, to whom the victory lad been
given, had the same duty imposed upon them.
Recognizing this, and believing that the nation
who would not reward it's soldiers should be
blotted from the map OF Christenuom, he, a
citizen of the United States, would vote for the
largest public provision for the men who on the
battlefield preserved the Nation. He moved to
strike ont this equivalent disability" because
he believed it would open the way for illimitable
frauds.
Mr. Harris was not willing that his motion to
indefinitely postpone this bill should be con-
strued into evidence that he was opposed to
reasonable and just pensions. During his six
years in rle Senate he had voted for every
pension bill that bore an ordinary semblance
in the last hours Of Congress,
and in respect to which no one could tell
whether IL wond take So, 000,0 900 or SIC, 00o, 900
OF $1o0,000,000 from the treasury, he
thought il should be indefinitely postponed
leaving the claims of these classes whose pen
siOns 1t proposed to increase to be passed upon
at the next session of Congress, when the sub
iect could be considered deliberately and with
Judgment.
MI Butler was IN favor Of giving $40 month
TO soldiers who had lost an arm leg, but op-
posed TO the equivalent disability" clause
Mr. Sherman favored an increase of pensions
to soldiers who have lost an arm or leg in the
service, and to those suffering equal disability
from any actual wound received In the service,
and he would vote for the equivalent disabili-
ty" provision. if it cOnld be made certain in its
operation. But he thought in the present form
IL was vague and liable to lead to abuses. The
motion to postpone Indefinitely was lost-19 TO
"a
Mr.. Vests amendment striking ont the "equi-
valent disability" clause was l0St-yeas 20, nays
27.
atMr Platt offered the substitute of which he
gave notice some days since, and it was adopted
yeas 81, nays 8.
Amendments providing for pensions to sur
yivors of the Mexican aud Indian wars were lost
Mr. Williams made IA speech IN favor of PEN
sionlng Mexican veterans, and incidentally OK
pressed the opinion that the increase pensions
hill wOuid sbtl. COO. 900 from
the first year.
The bill was reported, the Senate amendment
made in committee of the whole coDcurred in
and the bill as amended passed by the following
vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Aldrich, Allison, Blair, Cock
ren, Conger, Davis, of Illinois, Dawes Hale,
Harrison, Hill, HOar, ingalls,, Lapham, Logan,
McDil, Mcmillan, Miller. of New York;
Mitchell, Morrill,, Piatt, Plumb Rollins, Sawyer,
Sewell, Sherman, VestAnd Voorhees-27
Nays-Messrs. Barrow, Bayard, Beck Call,
Coke, Garland, George, Harris, Jones, Alaxey,