St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-09
The Interstate Commerce Bill
Passes the House by a
Large Majority,
And Mr.. Reagan is COrrespondingly
Happy Over the Success OF
His Pet Bill.
The Senate is Occupied During the Entire
Session in q Discussion Of the
Pension Bill.
FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.
The Senate.

/
visions, but they were the Identical provisions
found in the pension bill recently passed by
the house. 1t was general legislation, he
said, and repealed all legislative provisions
contained In the pension appropriation bill
last year. There was now a great com plant
that the legislation of last year was hasty, and
unjust TO the soldiers Of the country, aud it
had been indirectly charged that the senate
was responsible for that legislation. The
fact was the legislation of last year
came from the house on the regular
bill. Under the rules of the senate
there was no possibility of having we'll con-
sidered legislation on the appropriation bill,
because an amendment should not be offered
nor debate had with respect TO it. He intro
duced the bill in order that 1t might be re-
ferred to the committee on pensions and
carefully considered in the committee and in
the senate. 1t was said under the legislation
OF last year that claim agents were Cypress
ing pension applicants. If so, the fact should
be ascertained at the earliest moment and
remedy applied. He expressed the hope that
the pension committee would be able to re-
pot speedily on the subject. If the present
bill did not reach the evil the senate should
be informed of that fact. Senator Allison
deprecated the whole practice of putting gen.
eral legislation on appropriation bills.
Senator Beck disagreed with Senator Alli-
son as to the improperly of attaching gen.
eral legislation provisions to an appropria-
ton bill, but the pension appropriation bill
was not the only bill to which such provisions
wprp at ed OF ,NbI thar
to adopt that legislation or lose the hill. The
remedy, Senator Beck said, was an amend
ment to the joint rules which would prohibit
the senate from agreeing to the provisions of
general legislation on the appropriation bill.
Senator Dawes explained that the senate
conferees had objected to the legislation of
last year and rejected IL, but the house re-
fused to pass the bill without it.
Senator Hale said the remedy suggested
by Senator Harris was the only remedy, and
no matter how important legislative provs-
ions might be, when found on appropriation
bill they should be struck out.
Senator ingalls, said he had listened with
interest to the senators who had roared so
loudly and Numbered in ''Index"
upon the improperly Of general
legislation upon appropriation bills. He
admired the vigor with which the senator
from Tennessee (Harris), with resembling
| clamor smOte his desk, and declared he, for
| one, was willing TO stand up in solid phalanx
and declared the house should be resisted if
necessary to the death That amusing
| comedy had been repeated over and over
| again. In the past five years We had re-
| peatedly resolved that there should be no leg
islatiOn on the appropriation bills. We had
| declared that the practice was vicious. We
had withdrawn ourselves, aud gone up into
| the high mountain and declared we would
! have nothing to do with II. Senator Ingalls,
| criticized the action of the appropriation
| committee, and the conference committees
Of the senate which had always yielded, he
said, TO the house on this point, no matter
what merit the question involved. In the
twelve years of his presence in the senate he
tad never heard the sepste conferees
! had yielded. If the senate, he said
was the only body which be knew that had
voluntarily cast itself into dungeon and
loaded itself with chains and let its adver-
! sury 20 free. The senate needed no Joint
rule on the subject under debate. II only
! aeeded 10 take II stand and adhere 10 It,
! Senator Hale said it was easy to claim an
! other body had more backbone than this
! body, hut the senate was liable to be cou-
! irontcd any moment in such a bill with legis-
/ laJiOn so inherently and strictly just, the
senate would hardly feel il ought n OF to pass
/ The pension bill was Il case in point. Hun
dreds Of thousands Of worthy people were in
| tercstcd in that BILL and II the house should
\ put In IL provision intended TO remedy the
| grievance against which those people had
| been loudly protesting, no senator would
| feel like disregardng it. II confronted with
such a provision in the last days OF the SEES
! sion and with danger that the bill might
| fail If that provision was not agreed TO.
! Senator Allison thought the appropriation
| com mittce should thauk Senator ingalls, for
| the implied com pliment conveyed by his ref
| ereuces Of that committee. If Senator In
! gals statements were true, that committee
| was able, at iis will and pleasure, to lead
seyenty-six members Of the senate. He
would remind ingalls, that when be tlngals
was engaged, toward the close OF the session,
| in packing his trunk for a trip 10 Kansas, the
! committee on appropriations was still dill
| gently at work ia an effort % reach II conc u
sion regarding that same appropriation bill.
| The govern ment had to go OIL. II could not
! 20 on without money, and so the differences
between the two houses had, In some way, TO
he composed. Senator Allison cited many
committees had succeeded in getting the
/ house committee 10 withdraw provisions 10
| which the senate had objected. IL may be, be
said that the 4th Of next March would be upon
Us before the completion Of the pension bill,
I and an immediate session Of the Forty
ninth congress might be necessary. For bis
! part, he was perfectly willing u remain and
I let the men who were to come IN on the 4th
I of March deal with the question. The navy
/ was now being run without any appropria-
! ton, because the two houses were at dis
/ agreement on an appropriation bill. II was
easy, Senator Allison continued, for the sem
I stors to stand up and sc,ld the com mittee on
/ appropriations, and with geuterl ani cour-
/ tevus philippe talk Of its surrenderug to
I the house. The senator from Kansas
/ Qugals) should bear in mind the members
/ Of that committee were mortal
men, not such men as the
/ senator from ksLsas. They had more
/ insrmities than be, but they did The best they
could, aud when the committee did not do
what the senate thought the proper thing, he
/ (AIHson) wanted the entire body Of senators
( 20 stand up In all their figidity aud frgidity
and tel the con- mittee.
The bill introduced BY Allison was then
referred to the committee on pensions.
Senator HsTlry offered : resolution, which
lies over one dsv, requesting the president,
II not incom pauble 10 the IA lie interest, TO
commitments 10 the senate historical state
ment concerning the public lolicy OF the ex-
ecutive department II the confederate states
during the late war reported 20 have
been lately fled IN tie war department. by
Gen. sherman
Senator Lspbam then addressed the senzte
on The subject Of com mercial treaties, and
eou:Tov~rted the argument tina: they we're IN
constitutional.
On the conclusion Of Lsphzm's remarks,
senator NO-riii, In moving 10 refer 10 the