The Portland daily press., 1886-02-26
xLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.

| OuSO PdooCO.
By Mr.. Hoar, from the committee on privileges
| and elections, was reported back with amend
ments Dlll, the ono which had been recommitted
| by the Senate to the committee, fixing day for
! the meeting OF presidential electors
1t was ordered printed and placed on the
| calendar. Mr.. Hoar said that he would call
| it up at a later day.
| BY Mr.. Frye, from the committee on commerce,
bill authorizing the construction Of J. bridge R
same as post road, vas reported fayoraby.
| This bill was placed on the calendar.
Among the bills introduced and referred
| was one by Mr.. Edmunds, providing for the
| inspection of meats for expectation; and
/ against the importation of adulteTated arti-
| cles of food and drink; and authorizing the
| President to make proclamation in certain
4 cases.
| The Senate, on motion of Mr.. Dawes, re-
| sumed consideration of the bill to provide
l for allotmentS of land In severalty to IN
| dians.
After considerable discussion the bill was
| passed
| MI. Hale gave notice that after Mr.. Georges
| remarks on the education bill hewould move
| for an executive session upon some matters
/ of Importance that would probably occupy
| the remainder Of the day. 1t is understood
| that Mr.. Hale referred to the nominations OF
| Messrs- Pillsbury and Chase to be collectors
| of internal revenue respectively at Boston
| and Portland. which are reported adversely.
/ At 2 o'clock the education bill was laid be-
1 fore the Senate and Mr.. George took the
floor to continue his remarks n: IN favor Oh tde
| had so much interest in the bill that he felt
| constrained to present some further views In
| advocacy of the measure. He called Mr.
| Morgan's attention to the resolution intro
| duced by him (Morgan) at former session
| of the Senate, moving month"; extra pay
! to congressional clerks, and said ke found
| no warrant in the Constitution for such pay
ment if Morgan's theory OF the constitution
| ality of the education bill was the true one.
| Mr.. Morgan inquired as to what had be-
| come of the resolution.
| Mr.. George did not know, but Mr.. George
! was for himself, and the senators who favor
| ed the bill distinctly disavowed that Con-
| gresS could constitutionally do anything III
| the States other than make an appropriation
| in aid of the States on that subject, and that
| was the meaning of the bill
| Mr.. Blair said the true theory was to trust
| the States, but If the nation should ind any
| discrimination practlced subsequent appro-
| priations could be withheld from the State
| discriminating.
| After remarks by Messrs. Allison and Ed
| munds, debate on the bill was closed for the
| day, and 4he Senate, at o'clock, adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr. Hewitt of New York presented the
| memorial of 122 savings banks of New York
State representing ,165, 900 depositors, ask
| ing for the repeal of the Bland act for the
| coinage of silver. Referred.
| Mr.. Reagan of Texas from the committee
| on commerce, reported bill to incorporate
| the Atlantic and Pacific Ship Railway. Re-
| ferred to the committee of the whole.
Mr.. Hewitt, from the committee ON ways
| and means, submitted report in regard to
the case of L. L. Lehman Of New York, and
| it was referred to the House calendar.
| The committee finds that Lehman has notl-
! fed the Secretary of the Treasury that he IS
| prepared to furnish proof OF fraudulent
I f,a4x mo on annr9icQT
| and certain custom house officer at the port
| of New York by which his invoice was
| fraudulently raised.
The committee recommends the passage OF
a resolution requesting the Secretary OF the
| Treasury to proceed to hear and determine
| the charges made by Mr.. Lehman and re-
| port the result to the House.
| The House then resumed in committee OF
| the whole consideration of the Hennepin
| canal bill.
Mr. Randall of os supported the bill.
| Pending his remarks the morning hour ex-
| pired and the committee rose. The House
| ehen again resolved itself into committee
| OF the whole on the pension appropriation
| bill.
Mr.. Townshend of Illinois, who had
| charge of the bill, explained its provisions.
1t appropriates, he said, $75, 754 200 or about
| $4,000 900 more than was carried by law for
| the current year. This increase was oc-
casioned by the accelerated work being done
! in the pension office, and for this work the
| commissioner of pensions and his employees
| deserved commendation and by the large
| number of cases that were now being dis
| posed of. He referred to the proposition to-
| repeal the limitation of arrears OF PEN
| sion act and advocated it as a measure de-
manded by good faith and patriotism
| Mr.. Henderson of Iowa denied that the in
creased appropriation was due to the ae
| celerated work of the pension office. II
| was not his purpose to attempt TO detract in
| the slightest degree from the good work Of
any officer of the government, but he did not
| believe the gentleman had stated the correct
reason for the increase. The gentleman had
failed to call attention to the fact that the
commissioner of pensions had stated to the
committee on appropriations that there
would be a deficiency of about Sc, 900 for
the current year so that $60,000000 which
had been appropriated for the fiscal year
1886, was confessed by the commissioner to
be insufficient to meet the requirements
of the law. The average appropriation Tor
pensions for the last six years was S57, ,449,
600, showing that the appropriation contain-
ed in the pending bill was $1,694, 800 below
the average. Passing on to discussion OF the
general subject of pensions he said there ap-
peared to be well considered effort on the
part of some gentlemen IN the House TO
| frighten the country with the idea that the
appropriations for pensions were now so tre-
mendous that halt should instantly be
| called. The country had lately been treated
| with very large amount of information In
the commissioner of pensions to the chair
man of the committee on appropriations
| giving an estimate as to what passage OF the
| limitation its repeal would pro badly cost.
| The New York Herald of the 9th of January
published the commissioners letter with
| startling headlines. He was glad there was
| gentleman in the House so patriotic and
| far-seeing as to rescue the country from the
| danger that seemed to threaten 1T. Why has
| the letter of the commissioner been indlted
| and given to the country "a hours In ad-
| vance of the knowledge of its coming to the
| knowledge of the humble members of the
| committee on appropriations?
| Mr.. Randall-lt did not come from the
| committee or from any member of the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Henderson, understand only two
| copies were given out one to the chairman
of the Senate and one to the President. The
gentleman disclaims it and the President is
| not here. 1t lies between the king and the
| eobbler-the President of the United States
and the commissioner of pensions
| Mr.. Randall-It did not go from my posses
| sion. i have no knowledge OF other per-
| sons.
Mr.. Henderson said the commissioners
| letter had not only been telegraphed over
the country but telegraphed with 93,OOO,OO0
| lies in it's stomach. When he (Mr. Henderson,
had examined the letter he had seen that IL
| contained ON its face repetition OF $00,00O,-
| 600 and he had written to the commissioner,
| calling attention to the fact and TWO days
afterwards he mad received leGLer from Ine
| commissioner, affirming the correctness Of
| his first figures. A day or two afterwards
| the commissioner had appeared before the
| committee and had changed front three
times until every member of the committee
| agreed that the point he (Mr. Henderson,
| had taken was correct and then the commits
| sioner had yielded and written supplement
tary letter, a tail to the first great battering
ram, to fix up the blunder he had previously
| refused to acknowledge The effect of the
| first letter had acted like magic and carried
horror to certain committee rooms about the
capitol, but whether it would be finally sue
cessfui in intimidating any committee from
meeting patriotic requirements remained to
be seen. He did not believe it would, but
the truth was finally developed that $222,-
100000 would be the expenditure arising
from the limitation of the appeal, and even
| that was mere speculation.
| Mr. Randall inquired what the gentlemen
| thought it would cost
Mr. Henderson replied he did not believe
| it would cost over $150,000,000. He then
| passed on to discussion Of the administra-
tion Of the pension bureau and quoted from
| Commissioner Blacks report in which he
condemned the political method in which