The National tribune., 1886-03-25
TBE 49TB CONGRESS.
The Widows Increase Bill Passed by
the Senate and is a Law.

Last week the Senate, in Committee Of the
Whole took up the bill passed some time ago
by the House, to increase from IS to ST. per
! month the pensions of widows and dependent
relatives The amendment offered by the Sen
ate Committee, increasing to 81 per month the
allowance for each minor child was agreed to.
Mr. Van Wyclz (Neb.) offered two additional
! amendments, one providing that it shall only
be necessary for parent to show that he or she
/ is without other means of comfortable support
than manual labor or the contributions of
others not legally bound for his or her support f.;
the other that, in case a minor child is insane,
idiOtic, or otherwise helpless, the pension shall
/ continue and be paid during the existence OF
such disability. In advocating these amend
ments, Mr.. Van Wyck said:
That amendment, together with the increase of
the widow pension, was placed upon the House
bill one year ago. Now, whatever may be the fate
of this amendment to-day desire TO atiude to IT
| fer this reason: Senators know and the country
knows that the Senate has already been arragned,
charged with neglect of duty i'll not more speedily
pass ing the increase of pensions to widows and de-
pendent relatives. refer to this fact now to show
that the Senate did its full measure of duty one
year ago and placed il rs an amendment on House
bill, and in the House the amendment was assented
to by the House Committee and II 1t had then peeii
passed, during the year past and gone the beneii-
Charles of this provision would have been receiving
the benefit of it. The trouble was that the House
chose rather to spend its time in contcsted-eec-
ton case and was determined to make no Conces-
sion FOR any legislation, however wise and provi-
dent. and the only concession made was when they
relinquished long enough TO allow bill to pass 10
place Gen. Grant upon the retired list
The Senate anxious one year ago, and 1T Is
anxious to-day that this bill shall speedily become
| law and whatever amendmentst the Senate places
upon this billone has been placed upon 1t already
| it will be more delayed by putting these two
features upon the bill, which will be but little
pense TO the Government and will be the recogni-
ton OF q correct and proper principle. Their in
sertiOn will make further delay, because will
say 10 Senators that propose after this disasSee
ment, as has been done in other cases, to ask at
once that n committee of conference may be APP
| pointed, which will make this privileged ques-
ton i'll the House ana secure prompt action. If the
House refuse to accede then certainly il will be in
! the power of The Senate to withdraw the amend
! ments and pass the bill simply rs it came from the
| House.
| Mr.. Sewel On. j.:
| The proposition coming from the House was
! simply an increase of the widows pension from
! IS TO 81 a month. The committee, recognizing
the analogy of the child to the widow thought that
! it would be germane to the bill to increase the
pension to the children, which has been subject
mooted for time; and the committee and
think the Members of the Senate generally, recog-
nze that il Is act of justice that the present pen
sion of s. month shall be increased as is proposed
by the committee in this bill, to 81, and that the
time during which it is enjoyed shall be extended
| from IS to Is years of age.
The propositions that tho Senator from Nebraska
desires to add to this bill considered by the
committee; and while they would be willing to re-
port and probably will report them in another bill
| they not willing that they should be attached
to this one. Delay may be occasioned by that
course. think the passage of this bill is an act of
! justice to the widows and children, and it ought
not to be delayed by lacking on TO it any propo-
! Sition. hope the Senate will not entertain the
amendments.
| Mr.. Logan Gll.):
! ! snid when this bill was up before that hoped
it would pass the Senate it came from the House
My object then was merely to suggest that a fear
existed that something might be:l it in going back
again, and the amendments might not be agreed to.
But the committee have agreed TO increase the
of pensions of children TO 81 q month shall make
no opposition to that far rs / am individually
! concerned, although think it would have been
better TO pass the bill just it came from the
! House, and report these other propositions i'll
| separate bili but this amendment having been
adopted, hope the Senator from Nebraska will
not cucumber il with others. j know his interest
in people OF this kind who are unfortunate and his
desire to promote their comfort and it isvery COM
meDdabe in him bat trust he will not offer these
amendments; not that am opposed to them, for
ready to vote for them in a separate bill, and
will do anything can individually 10 promote their
passage if they are so reported but | hope thew
will not be offered To this bill This bill having
been amended once the Senate pass il as amended,
and then ask for Il Committee of Conference on
that particular subject. may get the bill through
soon; but if amended in several respects as to
go TO the other House presenting various questions
some doubt may arise as to whether 1t Will finally
pass not
hope that neither House will be responsible for
the defeat of this bill at this session. l do not
mean to say that either the House or the Senate
desires such Il thing; but it is unfortunate some
times that bills defeated without intention on
the part of either House by amendments which
delay them and embarrass them that they
not be agreed to. know that bills have been lost
i'll that way in both Houses where both Houses
were for the body of the bill and the principle in
VOWED in it, So trust the Senator will not offer
any further amendment, with the understanding
that these amendments that he now proposes (at
least will say so FOR myself are not Objectionable
in u bill that may be reported from the committee
and doubtless will pass the Senate and then go to
the House and they can take il up as well as take
b at Inc pTpE
raised.
Mr. ingalls, (Kan.):
Mr.. President, the prime mistake, as it appears
to me, has been in agreeing to any amendment
whatever to this bill l desired that this PROPOSE
ton submitted 10 us by the House, cOnfcssedy just,
to which there can be no objection, should be
promptly agreed to by the Senate and thus have an
end of 1t. That was distinct proposal to increase
the rate of widows pensions from 81 TO SO month.
The committee have seen fit to report, and the
Senate has seen fit 10 adopt ia Committee of the
Whole an amendment which is Germane, but that
has done all the mischief that is anticipated from
delay We had 1t III our power this morning by
simple vote OH the bill AS ii came from the House
to confer unspcakablc happiness upon thousands OF
widowed women III this country simply by agree
ing to this bill as it from the House of Repre-
sentatiyes without any amendment, and then it
would have gone forward for signature TO the Prcs-
dent and would have been approved and that
would have been the end of IL so far concerned
as. Now by agreeing TO that amendment the
bill goes back to the House. The Senator
from Nebraska says that there is To he a
committee of conference asked for, which makes
1t privileged. Very true; but it still renders
1t liable 10 delay. There still remains the difficulty
of the consideration of the BILL the possibility of
want of agreement between the committees OF the
two Houses, and therefore the postponement of
what is admitted by everybody to be a measure
that ought to pass, that has the concurrence of all
men of both parties in both Houses of Congress
Now, where Is the wisdom in amending this bill
at all? But, II having been amended how is il
logically possible now to reject any amendments
which appropriate? Why should not the Senate
having amended the bill by the addition Of a new
feature, add those now proposed by the Senator
from Nebraska, which are equally just and a,!van-
tageOus? 1 cin see no objection To thatiAnd the
bill having been amended, am not able to Justify
should be glad to do so if the opportunity could he
offered to vote against all amendments to the bill.
After further debate, the amendments were
agreed TO by ayes 25, noes 90, not voting %.
Several other amendments were offered, in-
Guiding one to pension all survivors of the
Mexican
Gen Logan said:
Mr.. President, | have n word TO say on these
amendments. j WAS very anxious when the bill
came from the House and so stated, that it should
be taken up and passed as the House passed it. The
Senator having ii in charge, however, DESTROYS
TO have certain amendments made TO il for the bet
termcnt of the bill; ! presume that was his inlcn-
ton; and he persisted III offering them against the
protest of quite number of Senators who were
very anxious for the bill to pass IL from the
! House.
find no fault whatever with that sir; but if one
| amendment can be agreed to hy the other House
! another amendment which Is right should be add
| ded; and if any amendment that has been offered
to the bill is of itself entirely consistent with the