Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-14
FIGHTS ON THE VET0ES.
TWO REPORTS SUBMITTED IN
THE HUNTER CASE.

The Democratic Members of the Com.
mittee Sustain the President While
the Republicans Want to Override His
DisapproVaI-A Recommendation that
the Romiser Bill be Passed.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-in the case Of
Mrs. Maria Hunter, widow OF Gen. Hun
ter, for whose relief the House passed
bill granting pension of $50 per month,
which was vetoed by the President, Chair.
man Matson, of the Invalid Pensions Com
mittee, to-day presented a report to the
House in which he sustains the veto. He
says the effect OF the bill would be to give
the claimant $40 per month more than the
sum allowed by the original law, that 10
is not alleged that the widow needs any
increase, and that the committee has bare<
ly tolerated an increase OF pensions for
the widows of officers. 1t is also true
that the claimants application for the
legal ratio OF pension has been allowed by
the Pension Office.
The minority report, signed by the Re-
publican members OF the committee, re-
quest the passage OF the bill over the veto,
holding that IL has been the invariabIo
practice TO pension at $50 per month
widows Of officers of rank similar to that
held by Gen. Hunter; that the President
has signed number OF such bills during
this session, aside from the case OF Gen.
Hancock's widow, and that there is no
reason for not making an exception iP
this case.
THE ROMISER CASE.
The report presented to the House by
Representative Morrill,, from the Commit
tee on Invalid Pensions, on the Presidents
veto of the bill granting a pension To
.Inaanh RnufGnV mapda a IA
bill do pass notwithstanding the veto.
The report says the files OF the Pension
Office, upon which the committee based
It's favorable report OF the bill, was not
sent TO the President through the care.
lessness OF some clerk, so that he was
under the impression that no application
for pension had been filed. Several
afiidavits are attached to the report to
SHOW that Romiser received his wound
while resisting a threatened attack on
Cumberland, Md, being a member OF o
volunteer company.
IGNORING THE LETTER OF THE LAW.
The report says that 1t has never been
held as an insuDerable bar to q pension,
that "A claimant had not been regularly
mustered into service, the established re-
quirement being that 1t must be shown
that the party was wounded while rem
dering service in defense OF his country
in a legitimate way and under direction
of proper officer Precedents are cited
to support the allowance OF the claim,
and 1t is SAID: "Alt OF these bills met the
hearty approval OF your committee, for
their rule has been to recommend the
passage OF bills granting pensions to per-
sons who were wounded or injured while
honestly defending the flag OF the coun-
try. even though by some technlcality
their cases did not come within the scope
Of the general law"
PRECEDENT.
AS one Of the precedents the report
then touches upon the case of Catherine
Waters whose son was shot while serving
in a provisional company, defending the
town Of Cumberland from attack. aud for
whose relief a bill was passed this ses-
sion, and il is said: s|fbe question pre-
sented to your committee is not whether
under the existing law be is entitled TO
pension. II be was there would be no Oc-
casiOn for a special enactment, but
the point presented is did this man
render such service TO the United States
as to entitle him TO receive from it favor
able consideration of his claim. Your
committee believe be did. Voluntarily
he responded to it's call for aid, and 10
doing 80 received terrible wound from
which he has ever since suffered, and the
effects Of which will follow him to his
grave" In conclusion the COMMITTEES
express the opinion that had 1t not been
for the failure Of the clerk to submit to the
President proper papers there would have
been no occasion to make report in the
Romlser case.