St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-06-13
The River and HarbOr Bill Passed
in The House by a Vote OF
156 to 104.
Consular and Diplomatic Bill Passed
The Senate-Vance and Van Wyck
Only Voting Nay.
Mexican Pension Bill Taken up, Which Calls
Out Heated DiseussiOn-Other
Bills.
The Hennepin Canal Appropriation FL
naIIy Struck Out From The River
and Harbor Bill.


WASHINGTON, June 12.-On motion of
Senator Allison the senate took final vote
on the consular and diplomatic appropria-
ton bill and the bill passed, 80 yeas to nays
Vance and Van Wyck.
The bill, as passed, is almost precisely as
reported from the senate committee on ap-
preparations, making an addition of $780,
GOO to the bill as reported from the house.
The Mexican pensions bill was taken up.
Mr.. Van Wyck moved an amendment to
the bill some time since reported from the
pension committee, by Mr.. Cullom, to pro-
vide pensions for invalid soldiers and sailors
who had been discharged from the army or
navy after three months in the war of the
rebellion, and for widows and dependent
parents of deceased pensioners.
Mr.. Hawley was opposed to service pen
sion, and would therefore be made to vote
for the Mexican pension bill. Able bodied
soldiers did not need pensions, but for dis
abled soldiers he would give literally.
Mr. Cullom said the Mexican pension bill
ought to be passed, also an amendment pIo-
viding for relief of soldiers of the late war.
Mr.. Sherman was very desirous that at this
session some satisfactory pension legislation
should be secured. not only for Mexican sol
diers but for soldiers Of the late war. He
hoped the military committee would add to the
bill an amendment on another point. 1t was
an outrage, he said, that thousands of brave
soldiers who served their country faithfully
in the war, and went to their homes when the
war was over, should stand on the army
record as deserters. The charge that these men
were deserters was a lie. They were not de-
serters, they had fulfilled their contracts with
the United States. To say to soldiers of the
Tnioh that the war did not end until 1866,
was an outrage and shame. He did not care
who had decided it, it was crying shame to
stamp as deserters brave men who so long
fought gallantly for their country in battles
greater than any in modern history, who
crowned their country with laurels and saved
our nation for many generations yet un-
born.
Mr.. Hawley said that after the surrender
there was great menace to the republic to be
guarded against There was no date when
trouble might not have occurred. There was
great police duty to be performed. Was 1t
for an individual to say, 81 will go home now
and leave my comrades to remain on duty?'
The precise degree of moral guilt of soldiers
who ran home, Hawley would not attempt to
fix. nor would he for a moment compare
them with rascals who ran away from the
army within the war period proper, but no
man could convince him that the class of
men first mentioned had been just to their
comrades.
Mr.. Plumb said it was an outrage to put
these men on par with those who basely
deserted the cause during the war. This was
a matter of the greatest moment to large
number of the bravest soldiers of the army,
and should be set right.
Mr.. ingalls, moved as an amendment the
senate bill introduced by him the first day of
the present session, amending the arrears of
pension act.
Mr.. ingalls, read from plank of the plat
form of the recent Republican convention
pledging that party to repeal of limitation
contained in the arrears of pension act. He
was very glad, he said, that the Republican
party had arrived at this conclusion, and at
last, in unmistakable terms, declared itself
in favor of this principle. He now called on
his party associates to carry out the expressed
declaration of their party.
Senator Sherman said, with his views of
the demands made on the treasury he would
not, if pressed, vote for ingalls, proposition.
The declaration of political platform would
not change his views. He did not think the
principle was right. The pension should
commence when action for it was filed. As
for the proposition to put all survivors of the
Union army on the pension roll at this time,
it would SO weigh down our finances as to
make it almost impossible to bear. He sug-
gested that committee of nine senators be
appointed to consider this whole subject.
Harris, Cullom, ingalls, and Maxey opposed
the suggestion, and after further debate the
senate, without reaching conclusion on the
bill, went into executive session, and when
the doors were reopened adjourned.