Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-07-15
CONGRESSIONAL.
Tho Work ef the Senate and House
of Representatives

THE Committee ON Pensions presented a re-
port to the Senate ON the Sd inst, recommend
ing the passage over the Presidents veto OF the
bill granting pension to Mary A. Nottage. The
report condemns the President for his yetoes OF
private pension bills, asserting that he acts up
ON lack OF information that some OF his mes
sages are expressed In unjust and unexampled
style; and that derision Of the committees
labors "can originate only In wise and noble
nature which is friisled,. or In one that, II In
formed sadly IN needs reconstruction or
the Senate his veto OF the bin for the relief of
Martin I. Bundy. In the veto message the
President says The. claimant, who was
Quartermaster, after the settlement Of his ac-
counts was found to be indebted to the Govern
ment. Thereupon he put in a claim for forage
more than sufficient to Offset his indebtedness.
There is no suggestion that he had or used any
horses, and II he did and failed to make a claim
for forage at the time he settled his accounts,
then he presents case OF inccedible ig-
norance OF his rights or a wonderful lack OF
that disposition to gain every possible. ad-
vantage which is usually found RRong tho7e
not allowed on the ground that 1t would set q
precedent which could hardly be ignored, and
which, IL followed, would furnish another
means Of attack upon the Treasury quite as
effective as many which are now in operation.
Mn. INGALLS,, at the request Of the Social
Purity Alliance Of the District Of Columbia, In
troduced three bills in the Senate on the 9Th
inst. for the protection OF women and children
In the District A very large number OF petit
tions gotten up and signed through the exertions
OF the knights OF Labor, praying for the passage
were presented. bill was introduced
by Mr.. Cockren to regulate the pay
Of army and navy officers who refuse or neglect
to provide for their families. The Senate spent
some time In discussing an item of Sl500J0 in
the river and harbor bill for the purchase OF the
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, but reached no con-
olusion The President nominated Fitz John
Porter to be Colonel on the retired listof the
army in accordance with the terms or
the act recently passed for his relief. The
the end OF the general deficiency bill, and re-
ported 1t back to the House. The President
transmitted to the House messages announcing
In vetoing the bill granting pension to Fran;
els Deming, who claims that he contracted
blindness, the result Of rheumatism in
cured in the service, the President ,sy says
showing the soldiers condition from the
time Of his discharge to 1880, period
h,ssen a Stssa ysss tSs. sar
Of the facts in this justifes the statement
that the bill under consideration can rest only
upon the grounds that aid should be furnished
to this ex-soldier because he served In the
army, and because, long time thereafter,
he became blind, disabled, and depend
ent. None of us is entitled to credit for
extreme tenderness and consideration for those
who fought their countrys battles; these are
sentiments common to all good citizens. They
lead TO the most benevolent care on the part OF
in private life. The blatant and noisy self-as-
sertion OF those who, from motives that may
well be suspected, declare themselves above all
others the friends Of the soldier, can not dis
credit nor belittle the calm, steady, and affec-
tionate regard of a grateful nation. Legislation
has been at the present session OF Congress
perfected which considerably increases the rate
Of pension In certain cases. Appropriations
have also been made OF large sums for the sup
port of national homes where sick, disabled,
or needy soldiers are cared for and within a
faw dava n liharaI has haan aDDrODri-
nted Tor the enlargement ana Increased NO.
commodation and convenience Of these in
Btitutions. All this is no moro than should
be done. But with all this, and with the
blunders OF special acts which have been
pushed, granting pensions In cases where, for
my part am willing to confess that sympathy
rather than judgment has often led to the dis
covery OF relation between injury or death
and the military service, am constrained by
q sense of public duty to interpose against es-
tablishing principle and setting precedent
which must result in unregulated, partial and
unjust gifts OF public money under the pretext
of indemnifying those who suffered in their
means Of support as an incident OF military
service"
In considering the river and harbor bill, on
the 7th inst, the Senate adopted an item appro-
priating $4,000 to make the Sturgeon Bay
Canal free Of toll to commerce. A Presidential
veto was sent to the Senate Of the bill author1z-
ing the construction OF railroads through the
indian reservation in Northern Montana The
Speaker laid before the House of Representa-
tives twenty-one pension veto messages from
the President. Mr.. jackson, of Pennsylvania,
attacked the veto policy OF the EXecu-
tive, who, he said, was not actuated by regard
for the worth and merit Of private pension bills.
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
a majority of the Committee on Invalid Pen
sions. Whenever, in the exercise of his
Legislation to see Whether or r. not It was
provident and wise, It was charged that
he had perpetrated an outrage on the
American people. He (Mr. Bragg was glad to
find that ut last there was o man in the execu-
tive chair who had the nerve and courage to
place his hand upon legislation when he
railroad Legislation. Congress- had gone alto
gether too far In the way Of pension legisla-
tion. Before the House went further in
It should make some provision for the
men who went to the front in 1861. Mr.. Browne
Qndianal criticised the action OF the President,
heart TO Veto a bill for the relief Of the T widow
OF man who died In the line of duty
to his country. His Excellency belonged
70 that class .d q men Tho during the
Mr.. Cannon Qlll read in the vetoes the story
that while Cleveland was President there would
be no further pension Legislation. There were
great questions in this country calling for the
attention OF the executive, yet the President
brushed them all aside, and appeared anxious
% cater to nobody except. that little solid
There no stood, looking through a gimlet-
hole with magnifying glass, hunting for ex-
cuses and heaping derision upon the heads Of
the poor men who lost their health in the
service of the country. He assured the gentle
men on the Democratic side that they would
have to defend the Presidents actions before
November. Mr.. Matson showed that nearly all
pension Legislation of importance had been en-
acted by Democrats and that nearly all of
these bills had been vetoed by Republican
Commissioner OF Pensions years ago.
THE Hennepin Canal amendment to the river
and harbor bill was taken up in the Senate on
the sth inst. Senators Logan and Cullom both
made speeches In it's favor. bill was intro
duced authorizing the Secretary Of War TO have
published additional volumes OF -The War Of
The Rebellion" sufficient TO supply all Grand
Army posts. The resolution for open ex-
ecnttve sessions was made the special
order for Wednesday, December 8, thus
zion. The Senate passed the bill TO establish a
Forest reservation ON the headwaters Of the
Missouri River and on the headwaters OF Clark'a
Fork Of the Columbia River. Resolutions I'm
luiring into the authority under which q
'o-called State Legislature had been organ
zed in the Territory of Dakota were indefi-
litely postponed. The Commerce Committee OF
he Senate reported unfavorably upon the nom-
nation Of Captain III. II. Beecher, son OF the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, 70 be Collector of
Port Townsend, w. Il. IL n charged that no
appropriated TO his own use funds insrusted TO
him for others. The House met but immedi-
ltely adjourned. on account OF the death of
representative Cole, OF Maryland.
PREJUDICE turks in hidden corners