The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-11
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
The Senate Decides There Shall Be No
Legislation on Appropriation Bills,
And a Discussion Ersues, in Which the Rights
of Ex-Soldiers Furnish the Text for
Much Talk in Their Behalf.
THE SENATE.
No More Legislation To BE Engrafted on
General Appropriation Bills.

the Senate a memorial in the form of a joint res
olution from the Legislature of Dakota, urging
a division of the Territory and admission of its
southern portion as a State.
The Senate passed Mr.. Sherman's joint resolu-
crate the dedication of the Washington monu
ment.
Mr.. Lapham, from the committee on foreign
relations. reported a joint resolution referring to
the President the matter of the Venezuelan
awards under the convention of 1866.
Mr.. Voorhees, called up his bill to increase the
appropriation for a public building at Fort
Wayne, from 800, 900 to $175, 900, and making
$50, 600 the amount Immediately available.
Passed.
Consideration of the bill to prevent Unlawful
occupancy of public lands was resumed. This is
the bill known as the ''anti-fencing bill" 1t was
passed with slight amendments.
Mr.. Cockrell asked the Senate to take up
House bills on the Senate calendar, but objec-
ton was made.
The bill to quiet the title of settlers on the
Des Moines river lands was then taken up, but
at 1 o'clock it was displaced by the anti-silver
coinage bill.
Mr.. Morrill, noticing that Senator Sherman
who has the floor for a speech upon the meas
ure-was absent, moved that its further con-
sideration be postponed until tomorrow.
Carried.
Consideration of the pensions appropriation
bill was continued, and the Senate committees
amendments were concurred in.
Mr.. ingalls, said he understood that the Sen
ate, by its action yesterday, had resolved that
there should be no more general legislation upon
general appropriation bills. He asked the Sen
ator from Iowa MIR. Allisonl, chairman of the
on appropriations, whether he regard
ed the action of yesterday as binding upon that
committee.
Mr.. Allison-I certainly regard the action of
the Senate yesterday as requiring the committee
on appropriations, as well as the Senate, to OBJ
serve the rule; and whilst l cannot speak. of
course, for every member of the committee, for
myself l believe the mint to be instructed
to report these bills without legislation.
Mr.. Ingalls-And that there is to be no sur
render in the mi of conference2
Mr.. AlliSon-I can only speak for myself. /
regard the instructions yesterday as requiring
committees of conference on the part of The Sen
ate not to report legislation here without in
struction.
Mr.. Ingalls-And that committees are to ad-
here to the Instructions, even if the appropria-
ton bills should fail2
Mr.. Allison-Well, Mr.. President, they would
probably, in that event, take the advice of the
Senate. l certainly would not undertake to
force an extra session Of Congress with reference
to an appropriation bill. without taking the ad-
vice of the Senate; but / repeat. l should not. as
a member OF a conference committee, feel that
was permitted to agree to legislation upon APP
preparation bills without a further order from
the Senate.
Mr.. Ingalls-Now, Mr.. President. there ap-
pears to be some discrimination exercised by the
on appropriations in their report
upon this bill. Some of the general legislation
that came to us from the House has been stricken
out. but other features of that legislation the
committee have allowed to stand. l am unable
to see why, if the rule is to be applied, it should
not be applied uniformly. Mr.. Ingalls, here
pointed out some features of the House bill
which the Senate committee had allowed
to remain unchanged, and asked the
Senator from Iowa tMr: Allison whether
they were not general legislation. One clause
pointed out by Mr.. ingalls, was admitted by Mr..
Allison to be Of that character, but he (Mr. ALI
SON., for one, had not been willingt to recommend
it to be stricken out. 1t was the clause provid-
Ing that a presumption of sOundness at the time
of enlistment should operate now in the cases of
applicants for pensions.
Mr.. ingalls, supposed the reason why Mr.. Ali.
son wished it retained was that it was valuable
and necessary legislation.
Mr.. Allison said the Senate had already twice
passed on the provision. Any senator, however,
could move to strike it out Mr.. Allison did not
regard the clause as a change of existing law.
MIR. ingalls, said it was a change of existing
law, but not a change of existing practice in the
Pension Office. Of course, after the government
had examined a man and declared him sound,
and accepted his service, it seemed unjust that
it should claim that he was not sound at enlist
ment. 1t would seem that the government
ought to be estopped from such IL claim. Mr.. In
gals had been informed at the Pension Office
that the law was practically interpreted that way,
but that discretion should be permitted to the
Pension Commissioner to cover special and ex-
c~eptional cases. 1t seemed to Mr.. ingalls,, how
ever, that the clause in question was general
legislation.
Mr.. jackson moved to add to the bill the pro-
visions of the bill recently passed by the Senate
relating to compensation, ect., of pension attor-
neys.
In amendment, Mr.. Ingalls, moved to strike
out, as genera, legislation: the clause requiring
that presumption of soundness shall operate, but
that such presumption may be rebutted.
Mr.. Sherman hoped it would not be stricken
out. 1t would be physically impossible, he said,
for many deserving soldiers to prove, after
twenty years had elapsed, that they were sound
when they enlisted. We should not carry on
this farce about the operation Of Senate rules
any further. We should not deny soldiers
rights merely on the ground that an 81 was not
dotted or a 1T crossed.
Nh. VOORHEES, strongly opposed striking out
the provision. A meaner or more contemplate
spectacle, he said, had never been presented
than had been presented by the United STATES
government, when it said to a soldier. after its
own examination and acceptance of him, and
after he had served, and suffered exposure, re-
s%ultine in long continued ard wasting diseases,
or had been MANNED and crippled ia the service
of his country, that he must now afirmatively
prove his soundness at the time of his enlist
ment.
A shocking instance. Mr.. Voorhees, said. had
lately come under his observation. Duriug the
late canvass a little man had come to him with
papers from the pension Office, showing that his
pension application had been rejected because he
was not sound at the time of enlistment. He
nae served three years and a half in the army.
Observing on the lapel of his coat something
looking like a silver dollar, MIR. Voor.
hees was surprised that so poor looking a man
should use silver dollars for ornaments. On in
Quiry, Mr.. Voorhees, found the object to be a
silver medal. The medal read, Presented by
the United States of America to Michael Torpey.
for distinguished and conspicuous gallantry. at
Edgefield junction, Tenn, August %, 1868"
This man, crippled and warped with inhammatory
rhematism, contracted from lying on the ground.
bore a medal dealer to him than ever had been
the cross of the legion of honor to
a soldier of Napoleon. That man, when en-
gagged in difficult and dangerous tasks, exposed
to heavy fire. when ordered by his commanding
nficar 70 ratirn or he would ha EiIlod hnd -.