The National tribune., 1886-03-25

it takes more money. That is no argument; it is
the argument 6ht si T,H"a wogd himself make
that he thought it ought to he forgiven
Now, is the Government gning to say TO men who
are entitled to PENSIONS " You did not apply for
your pension five years ago, and therefore you
not entitled to it?'' Why are they not entitled to
it? They are not entitled to it merely because
Congress has passed an act providing that unless
pension is applied for ut certain time the amount
of money due the party shall be retained in the
Treasury of the United States in other words, it is
a statute of limitation on mans leg. A man has
lost leg aria, and statute of limitation is
passed by Congress against that mans leg
that is gone: that is that he shall not receive pay
for it unless he applies at a certain time.
There are many reasons for applications not being
made. What are they? Many men say, do not
want pension; VIII not ask the Government
for pension" Why? Il can live without it,
That is reason ! could say-bu. dislike to
mention mysef-that | entitled 20 a pension
early in the and have been since, but
| have never asked for it and never expect TO but
if was to ask for it should take it for granted Mt
least that was entitled to pension since the day
! received my wound for it would be for il!e wound
| that the pension would be granted only refer to
this an illustration. Other gentlemen here are
in the same position. Some men who have pen
sions have them because of their wounds. Why,
then, if they have them because of their wounds,
should the pension not commence ut the time the
| wound was received or the disability was incurred
/ should like to know.
1 will say that no bill ever passed Congress that
benefited the people of the United States for
the amount of money that was embraced in il than
the arrcarage-o of pensions act when il passed. 1t
distributed the money among the people who were
entitled To it and relieved their wants and neces-
sites and in fact. is well known, at that very
time the general distribution of that not
! only benefit to those who were the recipients of
the fund but il general benefit to the cOun-
try at the time 1t increased the prosperity of the
| people | would not throw money out of the Treas
| ury merely for that purpose; | would not ask any
one TO do it on that account, but because | believe
il is honest and just to those men who entitled
! TO pensions that the pension should commence with
the commencement of the disability injury at
| whatever been
Now sir if q contract exists between the Gov
eminent and the soldier as does under law en-
! acted many years ago, what is it? There is an
| agreement between the Government and the soldier
that if he ensts in war the Government will pay
him pension for injuries that he may receive dur
ing the term of service, whether those injuries
! result from wounds or from disability occurring
| from other causes. This agreement was made, and
| Is always made by the Government with the sol
der, and is made now. Whether it is in the law or
not it is implied agreement that exists between
the man who serves the country that he shall at
| least if lie is wounded disabled receive pen
sion of such character as Congress shall deem
suited to the disability.
So then if this bill is to be amended at all, and
| inasmuch rs il has been amended, believing this
amendment more meriiorious than any one which
has been offered shall vote for it and hope it will
| pass.
Mr.. Wilson (Iowa):
fear that we are likely to reach result similar
| to that which arrived mt in the last Congress
with reference TO the general question of pensions,
| by placing numerous amendments upon the bill
which came from the House, sending 1t back there,
and by delay losing nil voted for the amend
| ment reported by tho Senate Committee on Pen
sions; | am in favor of the amendment offered by
| the Senator from Kansas with reference to the eX
tension of the limitation of arrcarages but in order
! to avoid the possible danger Of losing the entire
bill, wish to state that if the present amend
ments shall be voted down | will then move to
reconsider the vote by which the amendment of
| the committee adopted with the hope that we
may reach the bill just it came from the House,
and pass it without any amendment whatever,
| depending upon further action on the part of the
| Senate and House 10 provide for the subjects con-
tanned in the present proposed amendments.
| Mr.. Van Wyck (Neb)
The committee have done what they considered
! their duty, and a Senator believing as do,
have done what considered my duty-nothing
| factious, nothing political If now the Senate
| think that ali these amendments shall be with
| drawn, l most cheerfully accede to it; but the
| amendments which have been placed on the bill
by the Senate, if not retained there, never never
! will find place in the laws of this country. am
satisfied so far as the discussion has gone mt both
ends of the Capitol, that no further or other in
of pensions will be made at this session of
! Congress than those which appear in this bill for
| the increase of the pensions of widows Indica-
tons in the House of Representatives show that
! further other increase will be allowed there.
! l only asked one simple thing, that the minors
| shall be protected to this meager extent and to
keep the idio,ic and insane and helpless children
of dead soldiers from spending their days in poor
! house. That ALL Feeling / did that the
| only guarantee or bounty which we shall get must
be obtained here and now, was the reason have
urged, probably too persistently, this matter upon
the attention of the Senate. have discharged my
/
geston or motion of the Senator from Iowa. |
know that my friends who feel rs warmly rs do
! and whose suggestions have right to more con-
sideraton than mine, have urged that this matter
should not be pressed. They fancied they found
in it peril Mt the other end of the Capitol to the
bill itself did not SO conceive. L thought any
antagonsm that might come or any divergence of
opinion could easily be arranged If the House
ments and have the bill passed pure and simple
1t came from the House.
After further discussion the Senate disagreed
to all the amendments, including those which
had been adopted in Committee os the Whole,
| leaving the bill precisely as it came from the
House. In this form ii was passed by unani-
nous vote without call of the roll. The bill
was approved by the President on Saturday
March 20, and is now law. The increase in
the rate of pensions will begin on that date.
OF INTEREST To SOLDIERS.
The Senate passed Il bill to define the status
and for the relief of the heirs or legal repre-
sentatives of certain recruits for the 18th Kan.
Cav. who wero killed at Lawrence, Kan Aug.
81 1869, by gucrrilas.
1t is understood that the House Committee
on Pensions has agreed to report favorably
bill to grant pensions to all surviving officers,
soldiers, and sailors and the widows of those
deceased, of the Mexican war 1t is probable
that the measure presented by the committee
will embody the features of the bill of Mr.. FL
dredge (Mich.), III. L. 6482, introduced by him
March s. When reported its provisions will
be given in these columns.
1t is reported that the House Committee on
Public Lands has agreed to submit report
recommending the repeal of the pre- -emptiOn
laws, without disturbing those relating to
homesteads and timber culture.
Mr.. Lyman Iowa introduced a bill grant
ing condemned cannon and carriage to Har-
lem Post, No. 197, Grand Army of the Republic,
at Harlem, Iowa, for monumental purposes.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn.) introduced bill 10
authorize the auditing and allowance of claims
for Use and occupation destruction OF build
ing5 III the late war which We're used alone for
educational or religious purposes.
Mr.. Morrison On submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Commit
tee oil Eulcs:
RcsO'red, That il shall be in order when any gen.
eral bill or proposition to increase the rates or
amounts of pensions to grant pensions to persons
no. previously entitled thereto by law is under con
sideration to amend the same as to provide by
taxation otherwise for the payment thereof; but
no such amendment shall be in order unless the net
provided for shall be thereby set apart for
the sole purpose of paying such increased pen
Sions.
Mr.. Mlliken (Me) introduced bill CH. r.
696f) to amend an act approved March 3, 1863,