The National tribune., 1885-12-24
NATIONAL

the person persons upon whose testimony
such conviction shall have been obtained, and
the other half to the United States" Other
sections permit the giving of information. as to
matters of fact bearing upon any applicant,
| when asked for. The Republican Senators and
Congressman are not just now troubled to any
great extent with this sort of thing, but it can
not be doubted that the passage of this bill
would disburden the Democratic statesmen of
a great weight of wo.
ARMY MATTERS
Senator Manderson (Neb.) introduced bill
(S 592) for the voluntary retirement of Lieu
tenants in the line of the Army after 20 years
service. -
Senator Cameron pa introduced bills rs, 662
and 663) to encourage the manufacture of steel
for modern army and navy ordnance, armor,
and other military purposes, and to provide
heavy ordnance adapted to modern army war
fare.
PROVIDING AGAINST DISEASE
Senator Eusts G4a.) introduced bill (S 604)
providing for the appointment of commission
| to investigate the declared discovery of inocu-
| lation of yellow fever and protection so afford
ed against that disease; which, with the accom-
panying papers, was referred to the Select
Committee on Epidemic Diseases.
UNIQUE SCHEME.
In the Senate a memorial from NJ Krauskopf,
of Brooklyn, n. Y, was presented, covering 4O
pages of legal cap, inveighing against the des
potic tyranny of the press of the country, and
invoking the strong hand of the Government to
throttle the monster. He asks that the Gov
ernment establish and run" at each first-class
post-ofiice, newspaper which shall be free
to the people, and the columns of which shall
be open for the expression of opinions, and for
advertisements, which shall be inserted gra-
tuitously.
"CoLD TEA" IN THE SENATE
I~There was a spicy debate in the Senate over
motion to strike out the clause in the rules for
bidding the sale of intoXcantS in the Senate
restaurant This rule has been conspicuous for
its non observance. Liquors have been pub
licly sold, and whole page of the restaurant
bill of fare has been given to an enumeration
of those kept to slake the Senatorial thirst.
The Senate refused to strike out the prohib
tory rule, but it is not likely that it will "pro-
hibit any more effectually than before.
NEW SENATOR FROM OREGON.
John H. Mitchell, the new Senator from
Oregon, presented his credentials and was
sworn in. There are now no vacant seats in
the Senate.
spen; Utmost the entire week in discussing the
amendments to the rules. They were finally
adopted by a vote of 226 to 20, substantially as
reported by the committee The most impor-
tant feature, as heretofore given, is the distri-
button of many of the approprition bills among
several committees, instead of having them all
emanate from the Committee on Appropriations.
This was known as the Morrison plan, and was
strongly opposed by Mr.. Randall, who in the
last Congress was Chairman of the Appropria-
tions Committee, position of great Importance
and responsibility under the former regime. The
long struggle came to an end on Friday. short
session was held Saturday, but lite was done.
An effort was made to have call of the House
for the introduction of bills, Of which each
member has wheelbarrow load ready to dump
into the hopper but objection was made Two
or three members who had been summoned
home by sickness in their families were per-
mitted to introduce few bills. Several men,
bers tried to have the Senate bill fixing the
Presidential succession taken up and passed,
but without success
| A REVOLUTIONARY WAR CLAIM
In the House Mr.. Hammond (Ga.) introduced
a bill (H. X. II to require the payment in cash
to the State of Georgia OF So. .555.42 appropri-
ated for said State by act to refund to the
State of Georgia certain money expended by
said State for the common defense in 11I1, ap-
proved March 1888; and, in connection with
this, bill Oh. r. 3 to prevent the claim of the
war taxes under the act of Aug 5, 1861, and acts
amendatory thereof, by the United States as
set-of against States having claims against the
General Government There is bit of inter
estng history connected with this matter. As
will be seen, the claim is more than hundred
years old 1t is known as the Trezevant claim
1t was paid by the State of Georgia, and IS no
doubt, just against the United States. Two
or three years ago Mr.. Hammond secured the
passage of bill to reimburse the State, but
when he went to the Treasury to get the cash
the officials declined to fork over They said
that the United States Government had a valid
claim for large amount against Georgia, being
her proportion of the war tax of 1861 levied
upon the States, and they proposed to make a
"set- off, giving her credit for the amount ex-
pressed in the bill which had just been passed
by Congress. But the Georgians wouldn't have
| it that way and concluded to bde their time.
Now there are new hands at the bellows in the
Treasury and they going to try again to
get the money.
SENATOR MANDERsoN's BILL
F Is 629) declaring certain persons entitled to
pension, f king the rate and regulating the proof
in certain cases, is as follows:
Sec /. That the Secretary of the Interior is here
by directed and required to place upon the list OF
pensioners, at the rate prescribed in section two OF
this act. all persons not now pensoned who served
for at least year in the late of the rebellion
and who were either discharged. after such term of
service upon Surgeons certificate of disability, as
longer tit for military duty, who, after like
term of service, discharged with re-enlst stment
clause stricken from their certificate of discharge
Sec 2 That the persons so entitled. before being
placed upon the pension roll, shall undergo an
examination by an Examining Board of Surgeons
at place convenient to the applicant, to be
designated by the Commissioner of Pensions; and
upon the receipt of the report of said Board by the
|
which each person shall be entitled, which shall be
not less than 81 more than sl2 per month, to be
computed from date of discharge
Sec. g. That from and after the passage of this act
no pensioner shall receive less than 81 a month; {;
and in ali applications for pension now pending or
that may hereafter arise where II is shown that the
applicant was regularly mustered into the service
of the United States, he shall be presumed to have
been physically sound at the date OF his mustern
and all injuries sustained by him while in the serv-
ice shall be presumed to have been received In the
line of duty unless the contrary be shown by proof
the burden of which shall be upon the Government; /;
and in all applications for pension the claimant
shall be entitled to the benefit OF all doubt upon the
evidence adduced in support OF his claim.
Sec T. That 1t shall not be lawful Tor the Secretary
of the Interior. Commissioner of Pensions. nor any
officer agent of the Pension Office to receive any
information touching pension granted, nor an
application for one, from any person. upon an
agreement or understanding to conceal the name
of the informant or the snbject-matter OF such in
formation from the pensioner or applicant affected
thereby, his agent or attorney.
BOUNTY IN CERTAIN CASES
l The following is the text Of Senator Plumb's
bill to provide for the payment of bounties to
8 certain discharged soldiers. 1t places those
who were discharged within two years from en-
r listment by reason of disease on an equality in
respect to bounty with those heretofore paid
' bounties when discharged by reason of wounds :
That every non-commssioned officer. private
any other person who wns discharged from the
Army of the United States during the war of the