The National tribune., 1886-04-01
TIE 18TH CONGRESS.
A. Dull Week Among the Law
glVerS.

Last week in Congress was unusually dull
and undressing The Senate spent nearly
the whole time debating the issue with the
| Administration on the Presidential prerogative,
| and bill to promote the efficiency of the Army.
The House devoted itself chiefly to the Indian
and Post Office appropriation bills.
PENSION MATTERS
A bill granting pension of s., 900 year to
| the widow of Gen. w. S. Hancock passed the
| House by ayes 158, noes AZ, not voting 118.
| The negative votes were all from the South,
| except Hill (Ohol, Morrison, Niece and Wor-
thington Ill.), Murphy Iowa, Price wis.,,
Peters (Kan) and Winans (Mich.) The bill
was sent to the Senate and Immediately passed
by that body, without opposition. This is the
same amount of pension that was voted by the
last Congress to the widow Of Gen. George Ill.
| Thomas.
The House debated at some length a bill to
pay the widow of Rear-Admiral HARDWOOD a
pension of $50 per month. Admiral HARDWOOD
! died in 1854, after continuous service in the
navy for the almost unexampled period of 81
years. The bill passed by ayes &c, noes 81, not
voting 1873. 1t was passed the next day by the
| Senate.
The House refused, by ayes 63, noes 102, not
| voting 153, to increase from $50 to $50 a month
| the pension of the widow of Capt. +. G.. Hentig,
| 9th IT, S. Cav, who'was killed in 1884, during
fight with Indians in Arizona.
! The House also rejected-ayes %, noes 100,
not voting 131-a bill to increase from $50 to
$50 month the pension of the widow of Gen.
was reconsidered, and the bill passed-ayes
| 1T, noes So, not voting 121 The bill had
already been passed by the Senate.
Mr.. Howard Und.) introduced a bill extend
! ing the provision of the act of March 9, 1873,
granting pensions to the soldiers and sailors of
a. = III. +i,a
soldiers of the Tippecanoe campaign of 1911,
and to their widows.
Mr.. Sewel On. j., from the Senate Commit
! tee on Pensions, to whom the subject was re-
ferred, reported bill increasing the rate of
| pension to minor children, and extending the
pensionable period therefor. This is the propo-
| stion which il was attempted to pass as an
amendment to the widows increase bill.
Mr.. Wilson Iowa presented to the Senate
| Joint resolution of the General Assembly of the
| State of Iowa, favoring the enactment of legs
lation granting pensions to soldiers of the
! Union army of the late war, who were, during
| that time and while in the discharge of duty,
| captured and confined in Confederate prisons.
| A similar memorial was presented III the House
| by Mr.. Henderson, Mr.. Fuller, and Mr.. Fred
| ericll, of Iowa.
Mr.. Thomas wis., introduced bill (H r.
| 1850 to amend section 2 of an act entitled
| "An act to relieve certain soldiers from the
| charge of descrtion," approved July 5, 1884;
| which was referred to the Committee on Mill
| tary Affairs.
| Mr.. Logan (1ll.) presented petition Of ex-
Union soldiers of Windsor, ILL.,, praying for the
| passage of a bill to equalize bounties.
SYMPATHY FOR THE CHINESE.
| Mr.. Sherman presented to the Senate petit
| ton signed by 800 citizens of California, adj
| dressed to the President of the United States,
and to the Senate and House of Representa-
| tives in Congress assembled, setting forth that
| they feel greatly aggrieved by the outragcs re-
Gently committed i'll various places against I'M
| offending persons, in contravention of law and
| treaty stipulations and right, at Rock Springs
and other places, belonging to the Chinese pop
| ula.ion, and they pray for relief and indem-
nifty.
| SENATE AND PRESIDENT.
! The long debate in the Senate on the issue
! between that body and the Administration re-
garding information relative to appointments
| TO and removals from Office, closed on Friday.
The session WAS protracted till nearly 10 p. m.
The report of the Judiciary Committee deny
! ing the right OF the President TO withhold in
| formation asked for, was adopted by strict
| party vote-Rcpublcans voting "aye" and
| Democrats "no.' The accompanying resolu-
tons were also adopted, as follows:
| Reso,red That the Senate hereby expresses its
condemnation of the refusal OF the Attorney Gen
eral under whatever influence to send to the Sen.
the 18th of january and set forth in the report of
| the Committee on the Judiciary, i'll violation of
| his official duty and subversve of the fundamental
principles of the Government and of good admin
| stration thereof
| RcsoIred That it is, under these circumstances
the duty Of the Senate to refuse its advice and con-
| sent to proposed removals of officers the doctI-
ments and papers III reference to the supposed OIL
| cial or personal misconduct of whom are withheld
| by the Executive or any head of 4 Department
! when deemed necessary by the Senate and called
| for in considering the matter.
ReSoIred That the provision of Section 1854 of
| the Revised Statutes declaring: THAT persons
| honorably discharged from the military
| naval. service by reason of disability resulting
| from wounds sickness incurred in the line
! of duty shall be precrred for appointments to
civil Offices, provided they found to possess the
| business capacity necessary for the proper dis
charge of the duties of such office, ought to be
faithfully and fully put in execution; and that to
remove, or to- propose 10 remove any such soldier,
whose taithfulneSs, competency, and character
above reproach, and to give pl lace to another who
has not rendered such service is II violation of the
spirit of the law, and of the practical gratitude the
| people and Government of the United States owe
to the defenders of constitutional liberty and the
integrity of the Government
Both parties united in adopting the last rcso-
luton, there being but one negative vote
Morgan (Ala.)
Mr. Morgan offered the following resolution,
which, on motion of Mr.. Edmunds (Vt.), was
| laid on the table by party vote:
ResolUed That nothing in these resolutions con-
tanned is to be construed as declaring that the
impeachment, and the Senate disclaims the right
power to punish him by imprisonment other
| wise than by impeachment for the offense charged
| against him i'll the second resolution, which the
| Senate has just adopted.
PRIVATE BILLS.
The House passed the following private pen
! sion bills: Adam CASTOR, Co. ID, 10th Ind,
| restoration children of Alfred M. Owen, Sur
| geon U. S. N; David Mckinney, Capt. Boone's
| company, mounted rangers, Black Hawk war
| David T. Elderkin, Co. X Tooth H.; Robert
Monahan, Co. B, 23d Wis; VIM. III. Nevil, Co.
| A, 198th Pa; Elizabeth, widow of John w.
| Luce. Co. E, LIST Ohio l.. A; Thomas Alcock,
Co. f, Sd U. S. Art, Florida war, increase to
$50; AlgernOn S. Flagg, Co. ID, 37th Mass; Per-
! META, widow of Capt. Israel Hendley, killed in
| the Mexican war, restoration; Mary T., widow
| of John w. Johnson, Co. G, 10th N. j. Parme-
| liza, daughter of Brevet Brighten. Joseph r.
| Smith, S25; Frank Manhart, Co A, ID Mo- Art,
| John III. McClelland, Co. b, 29th Iowa; Simon
j. Fought, Co. ID, 10th Ohio, increase to $50;
| VIM. L. Miller, Co. b, 10th U. S. Inf, increase
| to $40; Abel j. Lewis, Co. +, 22d Wis; Charles
| E. BolleS, Vineyard Haven, Mass, seaman, u.
| S. n; Peter Faulkner, Co ID, u. S. Engineer
| Battalion; Isaac Carleton. Co. L, 18th Ohio
Nat. Guards; Josephine DaCosta, widow of
| Evan Thomas 18th IT, S. Art, increase to $50;
| Eliza A., widow of VIM. H. Fisher, Co. H. 6lst
| Pa; Hugh Niuho!and Co. III, list Pa; John
| III. Snyder, Co c. l06th N. Y; Geo. Schafer, Co.
| X, 99th H.; Walter A. Phillips, First LiGuten-
| ant, Sd Vt: Battery; Mary Hill, volunteer