The National tribune., 1885-12-24
TBE 18TH CONGRESS.
An EpitOme of its Proceedings the
Past Week.
OF INTEREST TO SOLDIERS.

| to amend certain sections of the Revised Stat
| utes of the United States relating to pensions
and certain laws enacted since the revision of
| the Statutes, and for other purposes. Mr.
| Mitchell said:
This is almost precisely the bill reported by the
Committee Pensions last Congress. 1t relates to
a large number of minor defects in the pension
| laws II was recommended from the Office OF the
| Commissioner of Pensions and was very carefully
| considered by the Committee on Pensions at the
| last Congress. The bill includes number of cases
which give Senators trouble very frequently, cases
| of inequality and other cases which we have TO
relieve now by multitude of private measures
desire that Senators shall be interested IN tins mat
ter and endeavor cure these small defects OF the
pension laws by a general act.
! Senator Miller IN. " submitted resolution,
which was agreed to- directing the Secretary
of War to transmit to the Senate copies OF all
official orders and correspondence relative to
the recruiting. enlistment organization, his
tory and discharge of the 9TH n. Y. Cav, COM
monty called the I'd Black Horse Cav; Also to
state whether any bounty has been paid to the
enlisted men of said regiment and if not, upon
what grounds such bounty has been denied.
Many petitions, from different States, were
presented, praying that all soldiers of the late
war be allowed pensions and that the limitation
as to arrears Of pension be removed.
Senator Plumb Kan presented the petition
| of a committee formed by an Association OF
Union Soldiers who lost an arm or leg during
the war; praying for such legislation in their
Bills We're introduced in the Senate:
BY Mr.. Plumb (Kan.) (S 622), authorizing
the issue of artificial eyes to soldiers, seamen
and others.
Also IS 623) to provide for the payment of
bounty TO certain discharged soldiers of the
United States Army.
Also Is. 526) for the relief of women and
children who were wives or minors of Federal
| officers or soldiers, and who were taken captive
| by hostile Indians during the late war.
By Mr.. George Miss IS. 59i granting PEN
sions to the soldiers and sailors of the Mexican
war;
By Mr.. Logan (Ill) (s 778) to equa!ize the
bounties of soldiers sailors, and marines of the
late war for the Union.
Also Is. 779) for pensioning prisoners of war
| who were confined in Confederate military
prisons during the late war.
In the House Mr.. Browne Qnd.) introduced
bills III. r. 49, granting pensions to soldiers
of the Mexican war; and for other purposes
Oh. r. IL increasing from So to SIG per month
the pensions of surviving officers, sailors,
and enlisted and drafted men of the war of
1872; n. r. 10) granting arrears of pensions to
persons pensioned by special act.
Mr.. Lowering (Mass) presented petition
from Lieut.. t.-Col. David p Muzzey Sd Mass.
Cav, and 60 other survivors of the storming
column known as the Fororn Hope" organ
lied for an assault upon Port Hudson, La, June
15, 1863, praying Congress to grant them medals,
as promised in the order of Gen. Banks.
On Monday both Houses poured in flood of
bills, ofwhich large number appertain to pen
sions and kindred matters. 1t was impossible
to obtain copies of these bills in time for our
present issue, but they will receive attention
next week.
| PROPOSED NEW SOLDIERS HOME.
Senator Manderson (Neb.) introduced bill
Is. 646) to authorize the location of branch
| Home for disabled volunteer soldiers and sail
ors in either of the States of Iowa. Minnesota,
Nebraska, Colorado or Dakota Territory, which
was referred to the Committee on Military
| Affairs The bill appropriates $250,000 for the
erection of buildings and improvement OF
grounds and provides that all honorably-dis-
charged soldiers and sailors who served in the
war of the rebellion, the war of 1912 and the
Mexican war, who are disabled by age, disease,
or otherwise, and by reason of such disability
are incapable of earning a living, shall be ad-
mitted into the Home provided that such dis
ability was not incurred in service against the
United States.
BATTLE MEMORIALS.
In the Senate, Mr.. Sewell IN. j. introduced
bill Is. 500 to encourage societies to erect
monuments on the few important battlefields
of the Revolution yet unmarked.
Mr.. Sherman Ohio presented petition OF
the Maumee Valley Monumental Association OF
Ohio, praying for an appropriation of not less
erecting monuments on the battlefields of Fallen
Timber, Fort Meigs, Fort Miami, Fort Defiance
Fort Wayne and Fort Industry.
PENSION TO MRS. GRANT
Senator Edmunds introduced bill directing
the Secretary of the Interior to place the name
of Julia d. Grant, widow of the late Ulysses S
Grant, on the pension roll and to pay her q
pension during her natural life at the rate OF
$4,000 a year, from and after 23d day of July
| 4 Mr. 1,nn dc
precisely in the form Of the bills heretofore
passed by Congress granting pensions to the
widows of ex-Presidents; and he hoped the
committee would find it convenient to report
as early as possible.
The committee reported on the following
day, recommending passage Of the bill. BY
unanimous conscent the bill was taken up and
passed without dissenting vote. Two days
later it was taken up in the House by unani
nous consent, and passed. There are now
four widows Of ex-Presidents on the pension
list at $1,000 a year each-Mrs. Tyler Mrs
Lincoln, Mrs. Garfield, and Mrs. Grant.
THE SILVER FIGHT.
The friends and enemies of the silver dollar
in the Senate have joined issue, and each side
+ has thrown down the gauntlet to the other
Mr.. Mcpherson IN. j. introduced a bill (S 473
to suspend the coinage of the standard silver
dollar, and Mr.. Teller (Col. introduced bill
Is. 619) to provide for the free and unlimited
coinage oil the silver dollar. Both were referred
to the Committee ON Finance.
r DAKoTA's TRIBULATIoNs.
, Dakota is having hard time getting ad
mitted into the Union. She has been trying fo
three or four years but has not yet succeeded
There is no good and sufficient reason why the
admission of State after all the statutory
and constitutional conditions have been com
piled with on her part, should be made party
question; but that has clearly been the trouble
in the case of Dakota. The voters Of the Terri
tory are largely Republican. The certainty
that her electoral vote would have been cast fol
the Republican National candidates prevented
the Democratic House last Winter from ap
; proving the bill passed by the Senate for til,
, admission of Dakota. Now the people of the
. Territory are determined to force the doc
' open, if possible, and last week their Legsla
: turc elected United States Senator's The new
Constitution of the State of Dakota was sub
mitted to the United States Senate for ratifi
7 cation.
: Senator Butler IS. c. offered resolution
. inquiring Z" under and by what authority So
called State Legislature has been organized il
}, the Territory Of Dakota if such a body ha
= been organized as alleged, and by what warrant
= authority said organization has proceeded t,
elect Senators to this body. And that the Com
mittee on Territories inquire further and repor
! | whether said organization is not calculated tt
= bring about conflict of authority prejudicia
| to the good order of said Territory and de-
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