The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-15
NINE NEGATIVES.
THE GRANT RETIREMENT BILL PASSES
THE SENATE
Lacking Nine Votes of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Members on the Generals Generosity -
Missing Electoral Certificate
Union archaeological Gossip.

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 15.-ln the sen.
ate Wednesday bill TO pay the expenses of
special messengers to obtain from the dis
trict judges of the states of Iowa and Oregon
the triplicate copies of the votes of those
states for president and vice president (the
copies received by mail from said states be-
ing defective In forml was adopted.
Edmunds called up the bill introduced by
him Tuesday authorizing the president 10
appoint from the list of those formerly hold
ing the position Of general OF general-in- chief
of the army, one person with the rank and
full pay of such general or general-in- chief,
Cockrell, not knowing whether the yeas
and nays would be called on this bill, desired
to record his vote against it, tie thought
there was no justice, no propriety in it, The
retired list of the army was created ex-
pressly for officers of the army in the
service, who by reason of disability incident
to the service had become untitled for duty.
Gen. Grant, according to statements in the
press, was dow drawing the small sum Of
$4,000 per annum, which the average
American citizen would believe sufficient
amount to support any American citizen IN
comfort.
cipies laid down by the senator from Mis-.
souri, tCockrelI he recited the services OF
Gen Grant, from the Mexican war down.
and in view Of the duty and honor the
country owed him, would be glad to have
nearly unanimous vote in favor of the bill.
Maxey spoke OF the magnamnity which
Gen. Grant haj shown to the southern PEG
pie at Appomatox and believed there wa
not man in the south who would hegTudgt
a reasonable sum to him in his declining
years 1t WAS well known that hi:
resources hal been swept away, aud from a
forty years acquaintance with Gen Grant
he [Aaxeyl cXonertte,i him iron tn,
slightest blam- in tae gigantic failure ot
Grant 4 WaTd except his usual fault Of
reposing too much confidence in others.
Gib'on ami Jonas lof Louisianal, Georg,
tof Mississippi. AMI Jones (of Florida. spoke
in favor OF tue bill
VOORHEES, corrected the miSapprehensior
| that Cockrell's statement that Gen
Grant was in receipt of Sl5,0N
year, might cause. The guarantee undei
| which he was drawing that income would
| expire in about six years He spoke of tie
courage which Gen. Grant had shown in re
Gen Lee and in correcting the injustice done
to Fitz John Porter.
The roll was called On the passage OF til,
| BILL and it was aiopted-yeaS, 40; nays, Q
Those voting nay were Messrs. Beck, Coea
| reil Coke, Harris, Pen lleton Saul, bury
| Slater, Vance and Walker.
Hale called up he naval apr priatio'
bill EasSsd by the house. Among the seGatt
a meT9dments agreed to, was enc to strike GU
the clause Prohibiting any Office
| on the retired list of the army Of navy,
| accepting civil employment AMI givin.
to such officers the option Of waving shei
| salaries on the tired lis; and accepting th
compensation for suca civil employment il
lieu thereof during the term of It's conti8
uance. The bin as amended was pssse,
| and sent to tie house for concurrence
At . o'clock the unfinished business, tn,
interstate commerce bill was taken up
In the house Randall had read a Iettel
| from the secretary Of STATE, stating that on
Of the certificates of the electors Of the state
| of Oregon and Iowa he'd not been receive,
| by the president OF the senate, e.
calling attention 10 the law which require,
the secretary Of state 70 send spscia
| aAAOoCtA5vt9 Ltk tuC-Atl telld slsA"U all dpil y
| priation to defray the expenses of sue
special messengers. The secretary adds tina
| in view Of the pressing necss ity for Eromp
action he had assumed the personal responi
| bility of despatching d messenger to Oregon
| Randall introduced a bill appropr.atin
| $500 for the purpose, and it was pas ed
The day having been assigned to the con
| sheraton sf business from TIE commits,
| on foreign affairs, Cox, Of North Carolina
| for that committee, called ny the senat
! French spoliation bill.
Cox N. c. Proceeded to explain the li
| reviewing the history of the times undo
which these claims originated. Thers ha
been forty-six reports, forty-fivs Of whic
| hal been favorable