Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-07
IN SENATE AND HOUSE.
The Pension Fee Bill Passed-An Flo
quent Plea for Woman Suffrage.

quent Plea for Woman Suffrage.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Elm the Senate
to-day Mr.. ingalls,, according to notice
given yesterday, moved an amendment to
the Senate rules that prohibit general
legislation on appropriation bills, the
amendment being to permit such legisla-
ton only as may be germane or relevant
to the subject matter of the bill.
After long debate Mr.. Ingalls, amendment
was referred to the Committee on Rules. The
debate was participated in by Messrs. Ingalls,.
Hale, Beck. Bayard, Platte, Dawes, Hoar,
Allison, Hawley. COckrell aud Lapham. In
the course OF his remarks COckrell allud-
ed to newspaper reports to the effect that 81 =
500 had been paid to one eminent attorney in
Washington, and $1,000 to another to get
certain pension legislation through Congress.
The legislation had been secured, but
Mr.. COckrell said that he intended no refiec-
ton on the conference committee that was
primarily responsible for having the legisla-
ton passed, as ne tCOckrel) believed that the
committee acted on its sense of duty with the
best information Its members could get
Mr.. HaWley said that a bill could be passed
in half an hour repeating such legislation.
Thereup0n Mr.. jackson called up the bill
already on the calendar relating to the fees
Of pension claim agents and attorneys.
The bill was taken up, but MIR. Palmer
asked and received unanimous consent to Law
it temporarily aside to allow of his delivering
a
tional amendment.
The decision to take up the pension agents
Dill also temporarily postpone the anti-silver
coinage bill.
PLEA FOR THE GENTLE SEX.
Mr.. Palmer spoke at considerable length on
the question of won an suffrage upon IS mer-
its. He concluded by expressing the cOnvic-
ton that net only was it right, desirable aud
eXpedient that women should vote, but that
dangerous political conditions which were
IpTDans confront II
duty, for the safety of the nation, no longer
to deny to our political life the strength to be
derived from the conscience and moral worth
of woman.
A resolution was agreed to providing that
the sessions of the Senate shall begin at /
O'Clock on and after Monday next.
The bill to regulate the fees of pension
agents ana attorneys was then taken up. In
the course OF the debate, Mr. Beck said that
he thought that under the extraordinary cir
cumstances by which the passage of the law
OF 1881 was secured, the parties claiming I'M
der 1t should be required to 90 into court and
show good cause In 1884 pension agents
wanted their fees increased, but both houses
declined to increase them, yet in the confer
ence committee the fees were increased.
MIR. Allison said that it was due to the con-
ference committee to say that as he (Allison)
understood the matter, the Pension Commit
tee and the Secretary of the Interior recon
mended or approved the legislation referred to.
Mr.. Beck said that these officers had no
| business to recommend" measures after both
| houses OF Congress had distinctly declined to
! pass them.
POCKETING $5,674,695.
When the conference committee by that
! act opened up all the cases between 1873 and
| 1854 they were taking out of the pockets OF
| pensioners S3,593,S5O on 239, $50 claims then
pending, and if the 1885, 23 cases that had been
| rejected, but were still being pressed
| should be restored-which was not impossible
there would be a further sum which that
bill would allow, to be squeezed
out of pensioners, amounting to $2,0S0,
| 900, making total of 1854 ,695 of WhIc5
| pensioners were robbed The claim
| agents had agreed to do the work for $40 a
claim, and mad IN great many instances re-
| ceIved the money. When they succeeded In
| getting thu provision through the conference
| committee many of them abandoned the
! cases then pending on which the $40 fee had
| been PAD, sold the good will" of their bus
| ness, ana new agents withheld the papers I'M
! I'LL the applicants made new contracts 10
| cover the extra SIS allowed by the new law.
| II the applicants had not made those new
| contracts they could not recover their papers.
| Therefore all such contracts were fraudulent
and made under duress. The committee on
conference had no right to yield to the re-
| commend&tl4ns of ANYBODY in the matter.
| Mr.. jackson said that person lily he would
| Ike 10 break all contracts If Congress had the
! power to disturb those that had been honestly
| entered into.
Mr.. Allison thought that he might have
| been misunderstood. He had not meant 10
| say that the Commissioner of Pensions rec
! commended legislation at the time, but he
| knew that the Commissioner had since stated
| that he would allow it to stand. After
| further discussion, participated in by Messrs
! Blair, Harrison. Call and Platt the bill wa.
| passed without division.
| The consular and the diplomatic appro.
| prlation I'll was then called UP and passed.
| The conference report on the Military
| Academy appropriation bill was called up
| and the Senate receded from its ans ndments
| The Chair then LAID before the Senate the
| antl-silver coinage bill, but without further
! action the Senate al O'Clock went into execu-
| tive session, and when, at 5:l5 O'Clock, the
I doors were reOpened the Senate adjourned
leaving that bill as the unfinished business fol
| tomorrow.
| IN THE HOUSE.
After reading the journal the House pro
ceeded to consideration of the business under
| the new rule. The business tram acted under
| 1t was not of general interest.
| The Committee on Public Lands reported
the bill to declare forfeited the entire gran
| OF lands in aid of the Girard and Mobile Rail
| ROAD IN Alabama. 1t was put on the Hous,
| calendar. The amount of land involved i
| 6Ss, 600 acres.
The Committee on Naval Affairs reported
| adversely the JOINT resolution rendering Thu
| thanks Of Congress to Commanders Schle,
and Coffin and Lieut.. Emory 1t was laid oil
| the table.
The remainder of the day was devoted t,
| discussion of river and harbOr matters.
The House at the evening session passe,
| tWenty-six pension bills, including one grant
ing pension of $40 each to the minor chill
dren Of the late Lieut.. Kislingburv and on
| increasing to $50 the pension Of the widow o
commodore FlllebrGwn, and at l0:30 O'cOcl
| adjourned.