Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-29
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
THE 0IEXICAN VETERANS, PEN
SION BILL DISCUSSED.

Payment of GeOrgia's Revolutionary
Claim Again Brought to the Surface
for a Few Misunderstanding Stir
Up the House Little During the
Legislative Appropriation Bill De-
bate.
w WASHINGTON, May 2S.-In the Senate
to-day among the bills reported favorably
from the committee and placed on the
calendar were the following:
BY Mr.. Hoar, from the Committee on
Claims-To reimburse the several States for
interest paid on war loans, also to require the
payment in cash to the State of Georgia of
S35. 300 -, appropriated for said State by the
act passed last year to refund certain money
expended by that State in the common de-
fense IN l777. Mr.. Hoar moved to put the bill
upon its passage. explaining that the money
was withheld by the Treasury Department as
an Offset to Georgia's share Of the
war tax. The other Southern
States not having been made to
Committee on Claims be unjust to insist at
present on payment by Georgia. If by any
future action Congress should require these
states 10 pay the tax, Georgia would. of
course, be subject to the provision but as that
state had expended this money in cash for the
common defense of the colonies during the
cash.
Mr.. Voorhees,, while favoring the bill, OBJ
jected tO1ts immediate consideration in de-
ference to the pressing claims of the MeXi-
can pension bill.
Mr.. Brown appealed to Mr.. Voorhees, to let
the bill pass, but Mr. voorhees, would not
yield.
THE MEXICAN PENSIONS BILL.
On motion of Mr.. Harris the Mexican pen
sion b.ll was taken up. The pending question
was upon Mr.. Logans motion to strike out
mat part OF the amendment proposed by the
senate Pension Committee that limits the
pension to eX-soldiers and eX-sailOrs who are
dependent in whole or IN part on their own
labor, or on assistance from Others Mr.. Alli-
son said that giving pension TO women who
should after the passage of this act, marry
an eN-sOldier of the Mexican war would be
establishing precedent that had not been
observed as to prior wars.
Mr.. Beck remarked that the youngest of the
Mexican veterans was now 81 years old, and
If he married at all after that time he would
he sure to marry young woman, and under
the proposed amendment we should have to
pay these young women pension as long as
they lived.
Mr.. Logan asked why il was assumed that
he would marry young woman.
Mr.. Beck replied because that is the rule
with old men, and the older the man the
younger the woman he would marry. Il
would not trust the old members of this Sen
ate II they were to marry again. ] have
doubt that they would marry very young
women Laughter
Mr.. jackson. supporting the committees
amendment excluding from pensions men who
did not need them, said that he represented as
many Mexican soldiers as any man in the
Senate, and he did not believe that penGloning
for service was the correct principle. Pen
slOns should be given to the wounded, aged
and needy. The Senate committees amend
ment provided for that. 1t was no stigma on
mans character to say that If he had income
enough to render him independent of labor he
should not have pension.
Mr.. Blair also defended the committees
amendment.
THE UTAH BILL LAID ASIDE.
3 >
come up for consideration, but Mr.. Hoar
stated that strong desire existed for the
passage OF the Mexican pension bill, and As
he understood that the Southern Senators de-
sired to speak on the Utah bill, and there was
no possibility OF getting that DIll through be-
fore Friday, he would not, at least for to-day,
interfere with the pension bill. Debate ON
the Mexican pension bill was accord
ingly continued by Messrs. Lo-
gan, MePherson, Sherman, Call and
others. Mr.. Logan was opposed to giving any
pension to soldiers Of the Mexican war who
afterward fought in the Confederate army.
MIR. Call thought that Mexican soldiers who
were rich enough to live without some form
of labor were not numerous enough to make
it worth while to make them exception to
the bill. He also favored the clause giving
pensions to widows who married Mexican
soldiers not only before the soldiers discharge
but at any time afteTWaTd.
Mr. MaXey regretted that the pauper clause
had been proposed to the bill. He was op-
posed to il and asked how the line could be
uIdWus
THE MEXICAN ARMY EULOGIzED.
MI. Morgan, in expressing the hope that the
bin would pass as it came from the House,
delivered an eloquent eulOgium on our Mexi-
can army, which, he said, had never been de
feated. 1T had added" he continued, ''35O,-
000.O00 acres Of the territory Of an empire to
this republic. vet we were here dckerinG
with the poor Mexican soldier as to whether
we should give him the paltry sum of IS a
month, unless he went down on his knees and
begged for it, and produced certificate OF
his poverty"
Mr. Morgan expressed himself as mortified
and disgusted at the spectacle presented by
this debate.
Mr.. VanWyck asked if Mr.. Morgan would
give way for the question.
Mr.. Morgan said yes"
AIr. NanWyck remarked that he would ike
TO ask the senator from Alabama a question
just at this point, because that Senator had
become gloomy about the debate
Mr.. Morgan retOrted warmly. 'Dont in
suit me. When you want 10 ask me a ques-
tiOn, ask me your question like a gentleman"
Mr.. NanWYck said that there was no occa-
sion for so much feeling on the part OF the
senator. He then asked whether it was just
to give a wealthy man who had been a MeXi-
can soldier IS month and give only that
small pittance to poor man.
Mr.. Morgan thought that it would be no
compliment to the rich man, but would be
great boon TO poor man.
Mr.. Ingalls, moved to lay on the table the
amendment proposed by the Senate Commit
tee restricting pensions to those who depended
on their labor. The motion was agreed to and
the amendment laid on the table by 80 yeas to
Yeds-Messrs Allison, Bayard Beck.
Brown, Butler, Cockrell, Coke, Cullom,
Doph, Fair, Farley, Garland, German,
GrOOme, Hale, Harris, Hill. Ingalls,, Jones of
Florida, Jones o. Nevada, Logan, Mcmillan,
Mcpherson, Malone, MaXey, Miller of Cali
fOrnia, Miller OF New York, Morgan, Palmer,
Pcndleton. Platt, Ransom, RIddleberger,
Sawyer, sherman, Slater, Vest, Voorhees,,
Williams and Wilson-40.
Nays Messrs. Aldrich, Blair. Call. Cameron
OF PENNSYLVANIA, Cameron of Wisconsin, Con-
ger, Dawes Edmunds, George, Hawley, Hoar,
jackson. Lamar, Mitchell, Morrill,, Pike,
Plumb, Pugh, salisbury and Van Wyck-2O.
CONFEDERATEs NOT EXCLUDED.
One clause OF the bill as it came from the
House repeals the section of the Revised Stat
utes that prohibits pensions to soldiers who
engaged in the war against the United States,
but limits the repeal to cases coming under
this act. The Senate committee recommended
striking out the limitation, but the Senate, on
motion of Mr.. ingalls,, by vote of 35 yeas to
23 nays laid the amendment on the table.
Several other amendments were offered and
tabled, some OF them lr0nlcal and sarcastic,
and others with the evident purpose of over
loading and killing the bill. Pending debate
the Senate, at 6 30 O'Clock adjourned.
Before the adjournment Dir Plumb, from
the Committee on Appropriations. reported
the District of Columbia appropriation bill,
and said that he would call it up to- morrow
after the morning business.
Mr.. HOar offered a resolution, which under
the rules goes to the Committee on Printing.
providing for the printing Of 10000 copies of
the report on the COpiah county affair, to-
gether with the testimony taken by the Sem
ate committee and the views of the minority.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day, the morning hour
having been dispensed with, there was a
struggle for precedence between the legisla-
tive and river and harbOr appropriation bills
Mr.. Randall, Of PENNSYLVANIA. thought that
it would expedite the business of the session
to have the former bill passed before Friday,
on which day number Of gentlemen on the
Republican side would leave for Chicago. In
this view he was reinforced by Mr..
Cannon, Of Illinois. Mr.. Willis, OF
Kentucky. held a contrary opin-
ion, and Mr.. Blanchard, of Louisiana,
gress could not adjourn without passing the
ing the river and harbOr bill. and there was
danger that it would do so unless that bill was
attended to now. The legislative bill was
successful, and at II 80 O'Clock the House went
into committee of the whole, with Mr.. Cox. of
New York, in the chair, for It's consideration
The amount appropriated is $20,726,S76, being
an increase Of $SS.l 100 over the appropriation
for the current year and S93S,626 less than the
estimates.
Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, briefly explained
the provisions OF the bill, stating that the
only changes from the existing law
which they contained was one re-
ducing the number Of internal revenue
collection districts from S4 to 63, and one in
creasing the force in the pension office.
Mr.. Cannon. OF Illinois. while he did not