The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-02-12
PENSION DEBATE IN THE SENATE.

1
took place in the Senate, beginning by a
motion of Senator Van Wyck, of Nebraska
to amend the bill for the relief of Sarah
3. Jackson, widow CT Samuel 3. Jackson,
late of Co. A, 91st n. Y, by adding
the following section from the Mexican
| Pension Bill:
SEC. 2. That all widows or minor children of SOL
diers and sailors who as such, are now receiving,
under existing laws general or special, the sum oil
IS per month. by reason of the death of such SOL
diers sailors in service from disability con-
tracted in the military or naval service OF the
United States and in line of duty, shall, from ana
after this date be entitled and receive the rate OF
SO per month in lieu of said rate of S. and all such
widows minor children who shall hereafter be
! found entitled TO the rate of So per month under
existing laws shall be entitled to and receive the
rate OF Sl2 in lieu of said rate Of So.
Mr.. Van Wyck supported his motion by
stating that he was in favor of the Mexican
Pension Bill, but that measure he felt had
| failed, and he, therefore, proposed this
amendment that might be adopted and
| bring the relief which he desired should be
brought to the widows, orphans. and de-
pendent relatives of Union soldiers. Senator
Blair at first opposed this amendment be-
cause he did not despair Of the passage OF
the Mexican Pension Bill, and he feared
that the adoption of the amendment would
| imperil it. After discussion of some
length the amendment was agreed to
yeas 81, nays IL.
Senator Mitchell then offered the follow
ing amendment, also from Mexican Pension
Bill, which was agreed to by vote Of 81
to II:
SEC. -. That in considering the claims OF de-
pendent parents the fact and cause of death and
! the fact that the soldier left no widow Or minor
| children having been shown required by law, 1t
shall be necessary only to show by competent and
sufficient evidence that such dependent parent is
| without other present means of comfortable sup
port than his or her manual labor, or the con-
trbutons of others not legally bound for his or her
support; and such may be found to be entitled
to s. month under existing laws shall receive in
lieu thereof SIC month from the date of this act.
SEC. -. That in all applications under the gen.
eral pension laws including this act, where 1t ap-
pears by record evidence that the applicant was
regularly enlisted and mustered into the service,
that fact shall be pria facie evidence of soundness
! at the time OF his enlistment; but such presump-
ton shall be subject to rebuttal by record other
! competent evidence.
SEC. =. That person shall be entitled TO more
than one pension at the same time under any or all
| laws of the United States, whether such pension
shall have been already obtained or shall be here
| after obtained unless the act under which such
pension is claimed shall specially so declare.
Senator Blair moved as an additional
| amendent this section, also from the Mexi-
can Pension bill, and which, with the other
amendments, includes substantially all of
| its provisions relating to the soldiers who
served in the late war:
SEC. -. That every person who served in the
military naval service for the period of three
months during the war Of the rebellion, and has
honorable discharge therefrom, and who is OF who
shall become disabled from any cause not the re-
suit Of his own gross carelessness, dsreputabe con-
duct vicious habits, and shall also be dependent
upon his Cwn labor for support, shall, upon max
! ing due proof of the facts under such regulations
as may be prescribed by the proper authority, be
placed upon the list of pensioners of the United
States and be entitled to receive pension during
the continuance of such disability rate proper
Tomato TO the degree thereof; and such pension
shall commence at the date of filing an application
therefor The highest rate of pension granted under
this section which shall be for total incapacty to
perform any manual labor shall be S2i, which is
hereby made Invisible upon that basis for any less
degree of disability: Prorided That no person en-
titled 20 receiving an invalid pension under
existing laws, such may be hereafter enacted,
granting pensions for disabilities contracted i'll the
military naval service of the United States and
! in line of duty, greater than that provided for
herein shall receive the benefits of this act; but
any applicant for such invalid pension having an
application therefor pending, or who shall here
after file his application for such pension may, by
a declaration over his signature, at any time,
elect to prosecute his said claim under this act or
under the general laws. and his pension. when al
lowed, if prosecuted under this act shall commence
| from the date of such election.
Mr.. Van Wyck and others opposed this
amendment. for the reason that they feared
it would endanger the success of the other
amendments. Senator Van Wyck said:
The idea which impelled me was that these mat
| tiers which were really undispued might have an
| opportunity to receive the concurrence OF both
branches and therefore become law. The disabled
soldier of the war to-day receives n pension. The
new principle to which / accord my judgment, as
well the Senator from New Hampshire, is that
! every soldier who served a certain length of time
during the should be pcnsioned. say 10 my
friend substantially the Senator from Pennsylva-
mia has said that the danger that that will imperil
here the establishment of that which all desire
for a class placed on the Mexican Pension Bill by
the Senate. soldiers who cannot receive relief under
| the present law. That class of soldiers say to
my friend, i believe in New Hampshire and
throughout the Union ask to have their claim de-
! ferred until the next session of Congress, when
there will be time TO consider it, rather than that
the claim of the widows and dependent parents
| should be put in peril or altogether rejected.
The amendment was finally rejected. The
other two amendments were ordered to be
engrossed, and the bill was read the third
time and passed, its name being changed to
"a bill for the relief of Sarah B. Jackson,
and to increase pensions in certain cases and
for other purposes"
How the House will view this bill remains
to be seen, and its reception by that body is
awaited with deep interest. OF course, all
soldiers prefer that the Mexican Bill now
before the House shall be passed just as it
is, and the friends of the measure in the
House are very far yet from despairing of
its success, although the time being con-