The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-08
FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS-
THE PENSION vETOES DISCUSSED
In THE HOUSE.
The River and HarbOr Bill in the
Senate-Amendments Adopt.
ed and Rejected.

Sneaker laid before the House the
twenty.one veto messages transmitted
by the President yesterday.
The fist message was referred, with
out comment, TO the Committee on
Invalid Pensions but the disposition
OF the next mess'ge, vetoing The bill
granting a pension to Edwin M. Hsr-
riDgton, consumed some time.
MIR. Matson Ind moved its refer
ence, pending which Mr.. Holmes s,
fla. stating that the reference of the
bill would be the end OF it, moved that
its consideration be postponed until
FRIDAY next. Rejected-yeas, 90,
nays, 12l.
MIR. Burrows Mich. moved TO
amend Mr.. Nelson's motion by adding
instructions rSquirirg the Commits
on Invalid Pensions TO report the bill
and message back on Friday, Mr..
Matson hoped that this would not be
done. He could see no good reason
why this hill should be singled ont for
report on Friday fromanong the num-
Der tof vetoed bills then before the
committee.
Mr.. Burrows could not see that the
committee was inclined to act very
diligently on the veto messages, and
he did not think the instructions to
report back special bill would greatly
interfere wi j the purpose OF the COM
mittee az to the balance.
Mr.. Jackson PA ] attacked the veto
policy OF the President, who, he de-
Clared, was not actnated by any re-
gard for the worth and merit OF pri.
Vate pension bills. His reason for We
tong the bills was not that they were
unworthy. His reason was apparent
ON the face of his message. He was
in sympathy with party opposed to
pensioning Union loldiers, and he did
not propose that any Union soldier
should be pens!oned If he could
avoid ii. 1t WAS said that the Presi-
dent meant right. He did mean right
10 please q certain element in the
country, but not right TO please hon
est. loyal people.
Mr.. McMillin Tenn. The present
President has signed more private pen
sion bills than any other President in
the same space OF time.
Mr.. Jackson-And he has vetoed
ten times more good ones than all
other Presidents put together.
Mr.. Perkins Kas. addressed him.
self to a consideration OF the pending
messages, and criticised the position
taken by the President that the gov
eminent should not assure its soldiers
against quarrelsome propensities or
unprovoked assaults.
Mr.. Matson thought that the mes
sages should be considered carefully
Gentlemen on the other side seemed
adverse 10 get at the President.
Democrats were determined that the
President should have fair play, and
they would stand by that position. II
was not fair play to the President to
undertake upon hasty consideration
to pass bill over his veto.
Mr.. Bragg Wis. said that there
seemed TO be an idea in the House
that it was the duty of the President
to abdicate his office in favor OF ma
iority OF the Committee on Invalid
'nsions, Whenever, in exercise Of
3 constitutional perogatives given
N, he examined legislation to see
lether II was provident and wise, it
ls charged that he had perpstrated
N outrage on the American people.
lie (Mr. Bragg maintained that the
President was honestly dscharging
his duty when in the exercise of his
judgment he sent leg Station back to
the House with his reasons for with
holding his approval. The House
should a / upon the question, not with
demagogjcal speeches, but with Judi
Gial aud deliberative consideration.
He MR. Bragg was glad to find that
at last there was man ia Inc execu-
tive chair who had the nerve and
courage TO place his hand upon legs-
laton when he thought it improper,
whether II were pension or railroad
legislation. Applause on the Demo-
era ic sidel. Congress had gone alto.
gsther too far in the way OF pension
legislation but there was n class of
soldiers for whom there never was
voice raised in the House. They
were the men who in April, May,
June and July, 1861, filed the ranks
of the army actuated only by patriotic
desires 10 sustain the national flag.
Before the Houte went further in pen
sioning the dead wood of the army it
should make some provision for the
men who went TO the front in 1861.
He sent TO the Clerks desk and had
read letter irom one of these men
who is at the Hampton soldiers
Home, com nendiug his course in re-
gard to pensions, r.diCulipg the policy
OF Congress and making use of such
strong expressions ss to lead Mr..
Browne, OF Indiana, to inquire sarcas
tlcaly whether it was a veto message
that was b log read,
Mr.. Blu rows's motion to instruct
was lected-yeas, 1909; nayR, 1874
and the message was referred to the
Committee on Invalid Pensions
The next message was vetoing a bill
granting pension so Catharine Nc
earthly.
Mr.. Matson moved its sierence to
the Committee on Invalid Pensions,
and Mr.. Browne moved instructions
requiring the committee 10 report it
back on or before Monday next.
Mr.. Brown criticised The action of
the President and invoked Gods
mercy on the man who had the heart
to veto a bill for the relief of a man
who had died in the line OF duty to his
county. He sarCsstically reflect I'd on
the manner in which the experienced
soldier the Commander in Chief Of
the army trelted his comrades. His
Exc sllency belonged to that class I, (
men who Outing the war were afraid
OF nothing but danger, but now he
s'o)d vigorously armed cap-a.pie, with
ve'oes in his hands, between the an
for innate soldiers and the Treasury OF
the United States. President Cleye-
land would go down to posterity as
the greet American objsctor.
Mr.. ConRer la. resented the Ian
gusge ed by The President as throw
ing elurs upon the motives of Con-
gress and as insulting to the Union
soldier.
Mr.. Bsyns Pa took the same view
a I'd suggested that the Democrats who
stood by the vetoes would have their
IN nhood very severely taxed.
Mr.. Cannon III read in the veto s
the story that while Cleveland was
President there would be no further
,,,ansion laoisiaiinn Than uara oroat