National Republican., 1883-01-15
TIE uOTTGE.

New &C. Davis, Lcadyille, Col.
TIE HOUSE.
! Immediately after the reading of the Jour-
nal the house went into committee of tho
whole (NTr. Reed in the chair) on tho pension
appropriation bill. This bill appropriated
$Sl,575,000 as follows: For army pensions,
$SO0O0,000; for navy pensions, $lO0O,000
for fees and expenses of examining surgeons,
S275,O00; for pay and allowance of pension
agents, $200,000; for contingent expenses,
$4,000.
Mr.. O'Ncill, under authority of the COM
mittee on appropriations, moved to increase
| the appropriations for army pensions to
Ss5000,000. Mr.. ONcill explained that at
tho close of the present fiscal year there would
be an uneXpendcd balance TO the credit of the
pension bureau of Sl5,S00,000, which would
bring the appropriation up to tho estimate of
the departments, S10l, 100000.
Mr. Blackburn said that the amendment
was right so far as il went, but the question
was whether it went far enough. The csti-
mates amounted to $l01 100000. This bill to
appropriate SS6,0000 900 reappropriated tho un-
expended balance which should be on hand at
the end of the current year. 1t was prcdi-
Gated on the approximate estimate of the com
missioner of pensions, as to the balance which
would be on hand, and which was admitted
by that officer to be the largest possible csti-
mate. He feared that this bill would ncccssi-
tate n deficiency bill at the next session of
congress.
Mr.. O'Noill said that tho reason that there
would be u balance on hand was that at the
beginning of the current fiscal year large
additional force of clerks had been employed
in the pension office, who had taken several
months to be educated up to state of cllici-
enCy.
Mr.. Atkins had no doubt that thcro would
be deficiency as the force in the office was
too large for the amount appropriated The
amendment was adopted.
An amendment was adopted making i'm
mediately available $j0000 of the appropria-
tions for the fees and expenses of the eXamin-
ing surgeons.
The committee then rose and reported the
bill TO the house, when it was passed
JOHN BAILEY.
Mr.. Murch offered u resolution instructing
the select committee on the charges against
Chief Clerk Bailey to inquire whether that
officer has attempted at any time to influence
legislation for the benefit of the Washington
Gas Light company. Adopted.
Mr.. Forncy moved that the house 90 into
committee of the whole on tho fOrtifcation
bill.
Mr. White called for the regular order and
desired to proceed TO the consideration of the
unfinished business, being the resolution re-
ported adversely in June last from the COM
mittee on ways and means, calling on the see
retary of the treasury for information relative
to the passage of the bill in regard to the en-
try of distilled spirits into bonded warehouses.
The speaker suggested that prior unfinished
business was the resolution reported in March
last from the committee on rules, changing
the rules of the house.
Mr.. Reed. And If any business is more unlu.
ighn nd IN I'm 500 Iuttp
The speakerruled that Mr.. Forneys motion
took preference of the unfinished business;
and after protest from Mr. White that tho
speaker, by his decision, was lending to this
whisky bill" the house went into comm ittco
of the whole (Ar Davis of Illinois, in the
chair on
THE FoRTIFICATIoN BILL.
Tho bill makes the following appropra-
tions: For the protection, preservation and
repair of ofiOrriilcations and other works of de-
Tense, $4,000; for armament of sea.cOast
Notifications including heavy guns and
howit2crs for flank defense, &C., including the
conversion of smooth-bore cannon into rifles
100000 for torpedOcs for hitrbOr defense and
preservation of the same, $4,000; total, 3325,-
900.
Mr.. McCook, in speaking to formal
amendment entered his protest against the
neglect of congress in leaving the sea coast
was no navy, and IL it werO not for the eff
cheney of the torpedo service the harbor OF
New York would be, in tho event of war, as
detenselcss as If there was not IN CarthwOrlS
there. He hoped the day was not far distant
when the committee on appropriations would
consider the opinions of educated officers who
had made the question of harbOr defense the
study of II life time rather than an economy
which amounted to parsimony.
The committee then rose and reported the
bill to the house, and il was passed
The house then proceeded 20 the consider
alton of the special order, being bills reported
from the committee on
PENSIONS, BOUNTY, AND BAcEPAY.
The first bill passed was one authorizing
the secretary Of the interior, in the adjudica-
tion Of pension claims to treat the declara-
tons that have been verified before any oili-
Ger authorized to administer Oaths Cwhoso
signature shall bo certified before q court of
record) rs if ii had been verified before a court
of record.
The next bill called up was one providing
that any person whO while in tho naval or
military service, shaR have lost the sight of
one eye shall be entitled to receive pension
of Sl2 per month; and in eases in which the
injury TO the one eye manifestly affects iniu.
riously the sight of the other eye, he shall be
entitled to an equitable increase in his pen
sion, not to exceed in the whole amount S2j
per month; and all those who, under like cir
have lost the sightof one eye, the
sight of the other having been previously lost,
shall he entitled to a pension of S5Op per month
and all those who while in tho military or
naval service Of the United States, in the line
of duty, by injury received or disease con-
tmcted, shall have lost the hearing of both
ears, shall be entitled to receive pension of
s25 per month; and for any loss of hearing
less than total deafness, in one or both cars,
they shall receive an equitable portion of the
full pension.
Mr.. Bragg opposed the bill. Theoyil of tho
pension law was that congress, undor tho
guise of doing justice TO Il few, did the rank
est, foulest injustice TO 10000 persons. BE.
fore congress passed these speeial pension