The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-01
Some Oihor Congressional Matters

pVho ViHUi SOHsTtSSlOJni MutttIS
Forty-seYenth Congress econd Session
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-Mr Edmunds
from the committee on Judiciary, reporte,
adversely the house bill to provide for thu
restoration OF citizenship of such citizens o
the United States as have become natura,
lied citizens of Great Britain,
Mr.. iaber offered q joint resolution pro
! yiding for participation by the government
in the National Mining aud Industrial ex
position TO be held AT Denver.
A message was received announcing The
names Of the house confcrees on the inter
nal revenue and tariff bill
At Mr. Garland's request the messag,
was read. Mr.. Garland also asked to hay,
read from the Congressional Record the
resolution of the house instructing its con.
ierees ito consider fully constitutional
objections to the internal revenue bill MS
amended by the senate, and to bring the
same together, with the opinion of the
house in regard thereto, before the com.
mittee Of conference" ETC., and moved to
reconsider the motion by which the senate
had agreed to the conference.
The pending question was on the motion
OF Mr.. Vest TO strike out the words "or
shall have suffered disability equal
thereto"
Mr.. Voorhees, declared himself in favor of
the Dill and called attention to some
| figures, showing that in 1870 the number
OF soldiers who had suffered amputation
was less than 1900, and one-half of those
were now dead and buried. The vital
statistics on this subject were appalling.
| They showed beyond question the average
demenation of life by those losing leg
or an arm was fifteen years.
| Mr.. Van WICK said if the desire of the SEN
ate was TO defeat the bill that was one thing,
but II there was any real intention that
| Increased pensions should he given to those
suffering from special disabilities, there
was no class more in need or deserving such
recognition than the class proposed to be
struck out by Mr.. Vest,
Mr.. Platt said it would he great Injustice
to adopt Mr.. Vests amendment.
| Mr.. Harris said the majority of the COM
mittee on pensions had reported in favor of
postponing this BILL and in Difference to
that report he would move indefinite post
ponement Of the bill.
| AIR. Salisbury supported the motion.
Mr.. VanWyck said that when the nation
called these soldiers to its defense it pledged
1
aud widows and orphans should be cared
for, and that pledge should be held at least
as sacred as the promise to pay the national
debt incurred i'll the same great struggle
| Addressing some of the senators on the
other side OF the chamber, he said that If
the Coniederacy had triumphed they would
never had allowed their wounded soldiers
or widows or orphans of their dead to suffer
want.
Mr.. Logan opposed the motion to post
pone the bill. Its postponement meant its
defeat. The men applying for Oh increase
ofpensions were entitled to fair hearing
before the senate of the United States, and
If the pending bill was defective. the proper
thing TO be done was not to postpone but to
amend and pass it.
Mr. Vest said If the Confederacy had tri-
umphed, he would have voted the last dol.
lar and last acre of land, if necessary, 10
provide for its soldiers, and the people OF
the United States, to whom victory has been
given, had the same duty imposed
upon them. Recognizing this, and believ-
ing the nation that would not reward its
soldiers should be blolted upon the map OF
Ohristendom, he, as a citizen OF the United
States. would vote for the largest public
provision for men who, on the battlefield
preserved the national existence, but he
had moved to strike out this equivalent
disability" because he believed it would
open the way for illimitable frauds.
Mr.. Harris was not willing that his mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone the bill should
be construed into evidence that he was op
posed to reasonable and just pensions, bu
as to this BILL taken up in the last hours o
a congress- and in respect to which no on,
could tell whether 1t would tax,
five or, ten or hundred millions
from the treasury, he thought i
should be indefinitely postponed, leaving
the claims of these classes, whose pensions
IL proposed to increase, to be passed upoi
ut the next session of congress, when tn,
subjcc, could he considered deliberatel,
and with judgment.
Mr.. Sherman said he would vote for tn
equivalent disability provision, if 1t coul,
he made certain in its operation, but HI
thought, in the present form, 1t was vagu
and liable to lead to abuses,
The motion to postpone indefinitely wa
lost--l9 TO %.
Messrs. CocErell, Ingalls,, Plumb an,
Vest voted nay.
Mr.. Vests amendment striking out til
equivalent disability clause WAS lost
ayes, ~; nays, %.
Mr.. Plntt offered the substitute, of whic
h gave notice some days since, and 1t wa
/ adOpted-ayes 81; noes, s.
Amendments providing pensions TO sur
vivurs Of the Mexican and Indian, wars
, were lost.
Mr.. Williams made u speech in favor q
r pcusioning Mexican veterans, and inciIer
tally mentioned that the increase of per
slons in the bill would take $50 COZ, 900 tror
the treasury the first year.
Y The bill was reported to thu senate, III
amendments made IN committee OF tn
whole concurred in, and the bill as amende
, passed-27 to H.
l Mcssrs Cockrell, ingalls,, Plumb an
|. Net voted ave.
!, The bill, as passed, is in the followin
" language; "rhat from and after passage
IS this act all persons on the pension roll an
Is MI y rsous hereafter granted pen ilol
who, while in military or naval line OF dut
shall have lost one hand or one foot,
been totally or permanently disabled
S. 80 M to render their incapacity TO periorr
/, manual labor equivalent to the loss of
- hand or foot shall receive a pension of s.
per month; that all persons now on II