National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-02-25
IN SENATE AND HOUSE.

Pension Bills and Bill for settlement OF
Army Claims Passed, and Proposed Sweep.
ing Statute OF Limitations Discussed by the
sennte-Rlver and IIarbor Bill in tho
House.
In the senate yesterday Mr.. Mitchell asked
unanimous consent to take up pension bills on |
the calendar, under tho FIVE minute rule.
Mr.. Ingalls, thought II would be better to |
have an evening session for them.
Mr.. Hoar would oppose anything like shut. |
ting of of debate In the senate.
Mr.. Hale said II the senator from Massachu' |
sets (Mr. Hoar) wanted TO spend all the time |
of the senate IN talk rather than work, largo |
part of the business of tho senate must bo LETT
| undone.
MIR. Hoar said private pension bill might !
| involve a precedent of the greatest importance
\ and he would not consent that q senator's r0s |
| marks should be shut off In five minutes and
| with the right TO him to be heard only once
| In Mr.. Hoar's Judgment the remark of Mr.
/ Hale could proceed from the very imperfect
| comprehension By that senator Of the consti.
/ tuition of his country and the constitution OF |
the senate. Laughter, In which Mfr. Halo
Mr. Mitchell moved to take up tho first pen.
sion bill on the calendar.
| This was agreed to-yeas 49, nays 22--and
the bill was subsequently passed.
| Inthe course oldObntc on the bill Mfr. Jackson
| remarked that since December, 1884, the senate
pension committee had considered 800 pension
| cases that had been rejected by the ponslonl
office OF those over 10 per cent. had been
/ fayorably reported by the committee.
Mr.. Mitchell, then moved to take up the next
Mr. sherman said the senate had better pro-
coed regularly today with pension cases
favOrably reported. ~.
Mr. Blair said there were some cases nd
versely reported that ought to be considereds
He thought time would BIO saved by taking the
Cnses as they came
Considerable discussion arose as to the best
| method of tnktuu tho billg
Finally motion prevailed to take mp IN
their order all pension bills fayornbly reported
and they were accordingly proceeded with,
and large number Of such were disposed Of
The pension bills upon the calendar and
iavorably reported having been disposed Of
Mr. Cockrcll called up the house bill already
favorably reported by him from the committee
on military affairs, to provide for the settle.
ment of the claims Of officers and enlisted
OIL shG n Tiny HT loss Of Ry9 pF2PGry
States. lie said II was q bill to provide, by
general law, u method of settlement for claims
which are constantly coming before congress,
and which arc uniformly passed by congress.
1t would not, however, include any losses sui.
fered In war Neither would 1t cover such
things as carpets, watches, NC, but only arti.
Giles deemed useful necessary, and reasonable
for officers and soldiers to have when on duty.
ON the suggestion Of Mr.. sherman the time
for presenting such claims was limited to two
years.
As amended the bill was passed.
Mr.. Cockrell then called up n house bill,
! heretofore reported tavorably from tho com.
} mitteo OH claims, limiting to three years the
time Of presenting claims for bounty or back
pay for services In the late war or previous
wars, and limiting to six years the time for
presenting all claims originating hereafter
against the United States except cases of pen
sions. The bill also provides that 1t shall not
be construed to extend the power of the court
OF claims nor 70 include claims now barred by
the statute of limitations.
MIR. Blair thought the bill would exclude a
large number OF claims OF colored soldiers
Mr.. Cockrell believed nearly all the claims of
that class were already in, though not all ad-
juSted.
!. Mr.. ingalls, said the United States did not
n permit the statute OF limitationsto run against
Y the government, and he thought an honest
9 claim should not be limited in the manner
q | prescribed by the bill.
Mr.. Cockrell said the bill was no innovation
I on the present law, but general law to apply
Mr.. Hawley said the United States govern.
ment was the only civilized government In
the world that did not permititself to be sued;
yet 1t insisted on suing Its own citizens with
out regard to time He cited the case OF u citi-
zen sued by the United States sixteen yeara
after the closing OF the accounts of an officer
for whom he had been surety.
Mr.. Blair said there were 100000 colored ex-
soldiers of the union, many of whom were by
$ this bill given only three years to file theft
y claims, while persons not soldiers were given
I. six years.
Z Mr.. Hoar thought three years enough fol
claims that had already been running twenty
years.
Mr.. Harrison thought ex.soldiers should be
allowed six years
Mr. Dolph, saying II was impossible to pas
to-day bill OF so much Importance, moved
an executive session. Ik
The motion was agreed to, and at 4:i5 d. M
the senate, without action on the bill, wen
into executive session. An hour afterwarC
the doors were rcopened, and the senate I'D
h journcd.
4. Before adjournment message from the
l. house announced disagreement with the
10 It.,.
The senate, on motion Of Mr.. Hale insisted or
- Its amendments, aud the chair appointed
Messrs. Hale, Plumb and Call committee o
conference on the disagreeing vote of the two
houses.
Immediately after the reading of the journal
the house proceeded to- the consideration to
business under the special rule. n
On motion of Mr.. George of Oregon bill
was passed for the allotment of lands In soy.
crafty to the Indians on the Umatilla Indian
reservation.
the river and harbor committees then took
place, and resulted in n victory for the latter
committee, motion made by Mr.. Randall to
proceed to the consideration of the de.
= REGENCY bill being defeated by vote of yeas
H. nays l39 and at o'clock the house went
T into committee of the whole on the river and
hSr6oT SiIi, the pending question being the
out the lennepin canal clause on point Of
order.
After discussion by Mr. Henderson, Mr.
peal, andby Mr.. Turner against It, the decision
Of the chair was sustained by u vote OF lOg &c
%, so the clause is eliminated from the bill.
Mr.. Hepburn offered I'm amendment pro
hibiting the employment OF civil engineers In
the work on rivers and hArbors, and providing
for detail of army officers to take theft
places. Iogt-ycas 20, nays no.
ON motion OF Mr.. Hepburn an amendment
was adopted granting Jurisdiction 10 United
States circuit courts TO condemn any real es
tate or material needed in any improvement
nj hnr iynl hp n
q on motion OF Mr.. ROwel an amendment wa.
adopted providing that the secretary of wal
may decline to eTpendd any ny, portion of II,
ment, the improvement for which such appro
o priation is made will not be a public benefit.
5 Mr.. Holman offered an amendment restrict
+ ing the appropriations for the improvement
!; of the Mississippi river below Cairo to tn,
y completion OF the works on the Plum Poin
= and Lake Providence reaches
. A very unintelligible and noisy discussion
interrupted every few moments by points OF
order and parliamentary questions, arose anC
continued tor half an hour There were
= usually halfa dozen members addressing Tho
= chair ut the same time, and cries Of vote
i vote" testified to the impotence Of the others
Il In advocating the amendment Mr.. Hepburn
' and Mr.. Reed declared that the works on thu
Mississippi river were experimental and
} should DO confined to the two reaches speci
fled.
The amendment was adoptcd-l3l to 81
on motion of Mr.. Hepburn, an amendment
. was adopted directing the secretary of war L
A withhold such portion OF the contract price
: as will pay all sums due for labor performed
M on any Improvement until II Ia satisfactorily
~ shown that all the laborers are fully pnid
q on point of order raised by Mr., lliscOck
n the section creating u board, to be called tn,
O. United states harbor board, was stricken iron
10 the bill.
r On motion OF Mr.. Koan, the section author
v, i2lng the secretary of war to remove and no
No. build bridges which may be an obslructon Il
IA navigation was stricken from the bill.
Nj Mr.. Holman offered IN amendment proyld
~ ing that the money appropriated for the i'm
Il proyement OF the Mississippi river shall bC
expended under the direction OF the seCretaRl
OF war aud In accordance with the plans ap
OF proved by him. After n short and very nols!
n. 5is,,ss,ny, ~ an,nnb ,n,,nt ,vng odnntgd IA