The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-10
THE HOUSE.
All Pension Vetoes Finally Referred to Mr..
Matson's COMMITTEES.


Matson's COMMITTEES.
WASHINGTON. July 9.--Immediately after the
reading of the journal the Speaker announced
that the regular order was the demand for the
previous question on the motion to refer to the
committee on invalid pensions the message of
the President vetoine the bill granting pension
to Sally Ann Bradley. Amidst a great deal of
confusion, Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan. on the
part of the Republicans, and Mr.. Matson, of In
DANA representing the Democrats, endeavored
to come to some arrangement to prevent the
time being frttered away with roll-calls It was
finally agreed that the demand for the previous
question should be withdrawn, and that Mr..
Grosvenor, of Ohio. should be allowed fifteen
minutes to oppose the motion to refer, with per-
mission to some Democrat to reply, if so desired.
Mr.. Grosvenor said that he desired to heap no
recrimnation or condemnation upon the Presi.
dent for his veto messages. They were caused
by a total misapprehension the part of the
President of his relation to the administration
of the government. He Mr. Crossword had
read all the vetoes coming from that polite
source of vetoes. and he thought the trouble was
that the President understood it was his duty to
examine carefully every act of Congress, and if
he, as member of Congress, would not vote fol
the bill, he gave sort of consideration or
weight to the fact that the legislative branch Of
the government had acted afirmatively upon it.
The President acted upon the idea that the ex-
ecutive had a right, and it was his duty. to de-
eide absolutely on every question. Another idea
of the Presidents was that no private act should
be approved unless there was law authorizing
it. wholly oblivious to the fact that Congress was
the law-making power, and had right to confer
pension on anybody. Mr.. Grosvenor detailed
the facts of the special bill under consideration
ard commented on the fact, as he asserted, that
the President had approved the Fitz John For
ter bill on the very day that he had vetoed the
bill granting pension to Sally Ann Bradley.
the mother of four sons, two of whom had died
on the battlefield and two of whom were in the
hospital, disabled. Fitz John Porter would
60 on the pension roll, while Sally Ann Bradley
would go to the Door house-and this was the
government which undertook to say that
e.v was with dsa it's aoSsrs The and Hon S
paralyzed and terrified by the
veto of single man, pro position tyrannical,
in the direction of absolute usurpation, in the
direction of turning from its normal position the
Congress of the United States and turning over
the administration of the generosity of the gov
eminent to one man. Applause on the Repub-
lican side.
Mr.. Matson merely remarked, in reply that
he had just learned that in the Forty seventh
Congress a Republican committee of the Senate
had reported that the woman ought not to be
pensoned for the same reason the President said
he thought she ought not be pensioned. lap
plause on the Democratic side
Mr.. Long, of Massachusetts, suggested that at
that time the woman had husband living who
was in receipt of pension.
The bill and message were then referred
yeas 122, nays Ill
When the veto message of the bill granting a
pension to Francis Deming was reached the Re-
publicans demanded aud were accorded half an
hour for debate.
Mr.. Boutele, of Maine, arraigned the Presi-
dent for what he characterized as his crusade
against the veterans Of the country. The time
had come, he said, when the Democratic party
felt itself sufficiently firmly seated in the saddle
to utter its defiance and hostility to the men
who went to the front to save the Union.
Mr.. Brumm, of Pennsylvania, denounced the
Democrats rs poltroons and towards. who exon
Grated their President whenever he chose to slap
them in the face and spit upon them The
action of the House reminded him of the play or
Hamlet" Laughter He would substitute
for the young prince the President, and for poor
old Polonius the poor. miserable towards of the
Democratic party. Laughter.
Mr.. Hill, of Ohio, made argument to show
that the Democratic party had the credit for
much of the pension legislation Of the country.
Mr.. Curtin, OF Pennsylvania, said that this
vituperation and abuse of the President was all
rity of the President and in his desire to do his
duty.
After further debate the message was referred
without objection.
The next and last veto message upon the
Speakers table was then laid before the House.
1t was a message vetoing the bill granting pen
sion to Joseph Romeiser, and as this case is re-
garded as presenting specially strong features,