The National tribune., 1885-02-19
XLVIIIth CONGRESS.
Pension Appropriation Bill Retire
Hent of Gen. Grant.

TUESDAY, Feb 10.-In the Senate the PEN
sion Appropriation Bill was taken up, aud MIR.
ingalls, moved to strike out as general legisla-
tion the clause requiring that the presumption
of soundness shall operate, but that such pre-
sumption may be rebutted
Mr.. Sherman hoped it would not be stricken
out. 1t would be physically impossible for
many deserving soldiers to prove, after 20years
have elapsed, that they were sound when they
enlisted.
Mr. Voorhees, strongly opposed the striking
out the provision. A meaner or more con-
temptible spectacle, he said, had never been
presented than had been presented by the
United States Government when it said to a
soldier, after its own examination and accept
ance of him, and after he had served, and suf-
fercd exposure resulting in long continued and
wasting diseases or had been MANNED and Grip
pied in the service of his country, that he
must now affirmatively prove his soundnesS at
the time of enlistment. \ shocking instance
Mr.. Voorhees, said, had lately come under his
observation. During the late canvass little
man had come to him with papers from the
| Pension Office showing that his pension appli-
cation had been rejected because he was not
sound at the time of enlistment. He had served
three years and half in the army. On the
lapel of his coat was something looking like a
silver dollar. On inquiry Mr.. Voorhees, found
the object to be silver medal on which was
inscribed Presented by the United States of
and conspicuous galiantry at Edgefield juno
ton, Tenn, Aug. %, 1867 This man, Grip
pied and warped with iniiammatory rheuma-
tism contracted from lying on the ground, bore
| a medal dearer to him than ever had been the
cross of the Legion of Honor to soldier of
Napoleon. That man, when engaged in diff
cult and dangerous task, exposed to heavy
fire. when ordered by his commanding officer
to retire or he would be killed, had replied {:
"What are we here for if not to succeed or
take our chances of death?" Yet that soldier
had in his pocket letter from the Pension
| Office, notifying him that he was not sound at
the time of his enlistment. and that he could
| have no pension.
After further discussion upon this topic, Mr..
| ingalls, explained that he had made his pend
ing motion for the purpose of raising the point
regarding the Senate rule. His own conviction
was that the provision as it came from the
| House was sound and that the Senate ought to
agree to it.
Subsequently Mr.. Ingalls's motion was voted
down; yeas Is, nays 44-Mr. Ingalls, himself
voting in the negative.
The bill was then passed substantially as it
came from the Senate committee all the legis-
| lative measures found in the bill as it came
from the House relating to the compensation
of pension attorneys &c, being struck Out-the
Senate having already passed special bill con-
| tanning those provisions.
In the House the session was consumed in
discussing the Post-O Office Appropriation Bill.
| WEDNESDAY, Feb. lin the Senate Mr..
Allison reported the Army Appropriation Bill
| The bill providing for permanent reservation
| for the Indians of Northern Montana was
| passed.
This being the day appointed for the joint
count of the electoral vote by the Senate and
House of Representatives at ~ o'clock, the
Senators. headed by the President of the Sem
| ate Mr.. Edmunds and the Secretary of the
| of nd hxyt ha mt IA
proceeded to the House of Representatives,,
where the electoral vote was counted and the
result announced.
On the return to the Senate chamber the bill
to repeal the presumption and timber-culture
laws was then taken up. Several amendments
to the wording of the bill were made and
others relating to various general features of
the land laws not before affected by the bill
were proposed.
After debate the bill was reported to the
Senate, and some amendments rejected in Com
mittee of the Whole were re-ofered
Pending their discussion the Senate, at 4:50
p. H., went into executive session, and when,
at 500 the doors were reopened, thesSenate adj
journed.
In the House, after the counting of the
electoral vote, Mr.. Horn offered an amendment
increasing from S4100,000 to $4,535, coo the
appropriation for the letter carrier system.
Messrs. Potter IN. W Cox On. W, Bingham
Messrs. McMallon and Townshend opposed it.
The amendment was adopted--yeas 100 nays6i.
Mr.. Skinner n. " offered an amendment
providing that letter-carriers may be appoint
ed, when public business demanded it, in places
where the population was not less than 10000,
and when the gross revenue at such offices
amounted to $4,000 or in several places near
to each other when the aggregate was 10000
and the gross revenue was not less than $4,000.
THURSDAY, Feb. 12.-Thc Chair laid before
the Senate the House concurrent resolution
providing for joint committee of three mem
bers of the House of Representatives and two
Senators to notify Grover Cleveland of his
election as President of the United States from
the 4th of March next, and to notify Thomas
A. Hendricks of his election as Vice President
from the same date.
A resolution offered by Mr. Sherman was
agreed to, authorizing the President of the
Senate to appoint a committee of three Sena-
tors to make the necessary arrangements for
the inauguration of the Presidenteect on the
18th Of March.
The Chair announced as the Committee
Mcssrs. Sherman, Hawley and Ransom.
The bill to quiet the titles Of the Des Moines
River settlers was taken up, and Mr. Wilson
spoke at length in its favor and Mr.. Garland
in opposition.
Mr.. Vest read a letter from gentleman, who
he said, had been vouched for, in which it was
stated that a bill introduced by Senator Palmer,
apparently Tor The dement, OF the bona fde
purchasers Of public lands. was not in reality
in their interests, but in the interest of few
persons who, through collision with the land
agents, had been enabled to buy great tracts of
the public lands at private sale contrary to law
thus getting for Sl2J an acre lands that were
worth S25 to 500 an acre.
Mr.. Palmer said that no doubt some specua-
tors and lumbermen had invested in lands
but those were not the men that he was
seeking to relieve. The men he wanted to help
were the poor farmers, who had put their sweat
and toll into their lands.
At / o'clock the Des Moines River titles
bill was displaced by the bill repeating the pre-
emption and timber culture laws. After some
debate the bill was passed, with slight amend |
ment, by a vote of yeas 26, nays 20, Mr. Ed
munds voting with the Democrats against the |
bill, and Mr.. Brown with the Repubicans-for it, |
In the House the Post Office Appropriation |
Bill was the subject of debate.
FRIDAY, Feb. 13.-In the Senate Mr. Blair |
moved for the consideration of the Labor Bill, |
which was discussed until adjournment.
THE Labor Bill is House bill, entitled "An |
act to prohibit the importation and migration |
OF aliens under contract agreement to per- |
form labor in the United States, its Territories |
and the District of Columbia" 1t prohibits any |
person or company from preparing the trans !
portation or encourage ing the importation of |
foreigners under agreement to perform labor in |
the United States, and makes void all contracts |
of that character, whether express or implied |