Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-26
THE VETERANS AT PORTLAND
Again Discuss The Lowering Pension
 BilI, Elect Officers And Close The

Again Discuss The Lowering Pension Bill, Elect Officers And Close The Session.
 PORTLAND, Me, June 25.-At this morn ing's session of the national encampment Comrade Patch, of Massachusetts, took the platform and presented to the encampment on behalf of Comrade Berthrong, the well known artist of Boston, a finely executed crayon portrait of General Grant 1fe-size. With the presentation came the request that the encampment present the same to Mrs. Grant and Comrade Patch moved that the general shall be committee to have it suit ably framed and forward it to the wife of General Grant. The reports of the commit | tee on the inspector generals and quarter ! master generals reports were read and cepted Five hundred dollars was appropri- | ated for the relief of Mother Biokerly Keep, ! the old army nurse.
 Charles Bearth for the committee rules | and regulations submitted his report: 'sPosts l are permitted to elect officers in January in ! stead of December. Commanders will not | be permitted to appoint surgeons and chap ! lains. Posts will report quarterly as before. ! Memorial day will be observed Saturday, l May 29, 1886, instead of Sunday as proposed l by comrades present" The committee on l the commander n-chief's report recommend | ed that $10,000 of the funds at national head quarters be invested in first mortgage bonds. | They denounced the manufacture and sale 1 of spurious badges and authorized the next | commander-in- n-chief to take steps to prose | cute such manufacture. The committee on | resolutions reported recommending that Con 1 gress appropriate sum to renew the painted l names on the gravestones in national ceme- ! Tbay ed 0d 1 tion of a universal pension bill of So per ! month. Conlrade Graves, of Michigan, sub mitted minority report. Comrade Loring, | of Massachusetts. got the floor and moved l that the minority report be adopted and | made an able speech in it's defense. Com | rade Anthony, of Kansas, opposed the mi | nority, and he was followed by Comrade l Grosvenor, of Ohio, in the same strain. Com | rade Patch, of Massachusetts, advocated the l $S bill and was followed by Comrade Merrill | of the pension committee in opposition. l Comrade Tarbell, of New York; favored l the minority report. Comrade Barnum, of | New York, moved the previous question and l it was carried and the ma jority report was l adopted. A motion to adjourn until three ! o'clock and that the convention remain in
 session until the work is completed was car | ried.
 On reassembling the veterans proceeded to elect officers for the ensuing year. The bal 1 lot for commander-in-chief was as follows: l Whole number 454, necessary to a choice l 228, s. s. Burdette of the Department of the 1 Potomac 249, J. A. Reynolds of New York l 126, John W.Burst of Illinois 79. Com
 rade Burdette's election was made unanimous. | Comrade Connor, of Maine, was elected sen for vice commander-in-chiefJ John R. Lewis, | of Atlanta junior vice commander; L. H. 1 Stewart, of Ohio, chaplain-in-chief; J. c. 1 Tucker, of California, surgeon general. After 1 transacting some important miscellaneous business the convention sang "Auld Lang | Syne" and adjourned sine die at 12 | o'clock.
 At to-day's session of the Woman's Relief
 corps convention President Mrs. Sherwood appointed Mrs. Barker of Massachusetts, 1 Mrs Wittenmeir of Pennsylvania and Miss | Gizard of Illinois 8 committee on army re- | lief workers. Mrs. Kate B. Sherwood was l unanimously re-elected president, but de- l clined and Mrs. Sarah B. Fuller, of Massa- 1 chusetts, was unanimously chosen her suc- cessor. Governor Robie and staff of Maine,
 and Governor Alger of Michigan, were intro
 duced and half an hour was devoted to
 speechmaking. Mrs. o. Mason Kienne, of | California, was then chosen senior vice presi-
 1 dent and Mrs. Adeline P. Kent, of New
 Hampshire, junior vice president. Mrs. L. | A. Turner of Massachusetts, was reelected
 treasurer and Mrs. Annie Wittenmeir, of
 Pennsylvania, was reelected chaplain. At
 9 D. m. the convention adjourned to accept
 an invitation to harbor excursion.