The National tribune., 1886-01-14
TIE 18TH CONGRESS,
An Epitome of its Proceedings the
Past Week.

Congress reassembled last Tuesday after the
| two weeks holiday recess. The members were
| nearly all in their seats and ready to plunge
| into business. In the House the call of States
| for the introduction of bills was resumed where
| it was broken off by the adjournment before
| Christmas. This occupied nearly three days,
every member having from six to 80 bills ready
| to throw into the hopper. Thus far in the
| House over 5000 bills have been introduced,
| and in the Senate nearly 1000. Fully two
| thirds of these are private bills to grant
pensions and relief of various kinds to in
| dividual soldiers of the late war. large
| number of bills have been introduced relative
to pensions, bounties, and kindred matters.
! AS yet, of course, nothing has been done
! with them except to refer them to the various
| committees to which they belong. Those in
| troduced last week were as follows:
| GENERAL PENSION LAWS
Mr. Lowering (NIass.l, II. r. 1896, granting
pensions for services in the army and navy Of
| the United States during the war of the rebel
lion. Mr.. White pa, Fl. r. 21S5, for the re-
lief of soldiers of the war of 1861 and their de-
| pendent relatives. Mr., La Toilette (Wis.l,
granting pensions to disabled soldiers and SAIL
| ors of the National army in the war for the
! Union. Mr.. Price (1owa), to equalize and IN
crease pensions in certain cases; also, to !grant
pensions to survivors in the army, navy, and
marine corps of the United States Mr.. Ander-
| tions of the Revised Statutes of the United
| States relating to pensions, and certain laws
relating to PENSIONS enacted since the revision OF
| the statutes and for other purposes. Mr.. Price
| Gowa), to extend the benefits of the pension
laws. Mr.. Curtin pa, II. r. 2035, to increase
| pensions in certain cases. Mr. Brown pa. }, IL.
r. 2149, to amend the pension laws of the United
States.
THE LOSS OF LIMBS AND EYES.
Mr.. Mckinley (Ohio) providing that every
officer, soldier, seaman or marine who lost a
| limb for the Union in the late war, and who
has received or was entitled to receive an arti-
fetal limb from the War Department since the
18th Of June, 1870. shall be entitled to a new
artificial limb, or Communication therefor, at the
| expiration of every three years from that day;
| also, II. L. 1882, granting a pension of S72 per
| month to soldiers who have lost an arm and
| leg by amputation, or paralysis, in the line of
| duty. Mr. Sessions IN. Y. J, III. Il. 1916, to al
| low certain soldiers and sailors in the United
States service increased pay where they have
lost both eyes, both arms. both legs, or who are
totally disabled. Mr.. Mitchell (Pa.l, S. 927, to
extend the benefits of the act approved March
3, 1879, and the act of March 3, 1885, to certain
| pensioners whose disabilities are caused by am
putation, and increasing the rate therefor, and
for other purposes. Mr.. Miller IN. ", S. 1913,
to increase the pension for loss of both arms, or
both legs, or the sight of both eyes, or other in
j
con Mich, II. r. 1165, to increase the pensions
of soldiers and sailors who have suffered ampu
tation of an arm or leg. Mr.. Logan Ill.) s.
95S, and Mr. Wait Comm, to increase the pen.
sion of ex-UDion soldiers who have lost the
sight of one eye.
FOR DEAFNESS.
Mr. Wait Comm, to increase the rate of pen
sion for deafness.
THE AGED AND HELPLESS.
Mr.. Cutcheon (Mich.), 81. r. 1853, granting
pensions to certain soldiers and sailors of the
United States in the late war who have at
tanned the age of 62 years and who arc disabled
from gaining Livelihood or who are depend
emit. Mr. Bayne (Pa.) II. r. 20O6 providing
pensions for Union soldiers of the war of the
rebellion who are or shall become disabled or
dependent on their own labor for support, and
the dependent widows and minor children and
parents of Union soldiers of the late war. Mr..
Curtin {Pa), III. r. 2036, to equalize the PEN
sions Of ali "utterly helpless " pensioned sol
diers and sailors. Mr.. Grout (Vt.), granting
pensions to all invalid soldiers Of the United
States in the late civil war who are dependent
unon their daily labor for their support Mr..
La Toilette (Wis.), to amend chapter l36 of the
laws of 1880, relating to certain pensioned sol
diers and sailors who are utterly helpless from
injuries received or disease contracted while in
the United States service.
DEPENDENT RELATIVES.
Mr.. La Toilette (Wis.) increasing pensions of
all pensioned widows, granting pensions to
widows, granting pensions to widows OF PEN
sioners, and granting pensions to certain wild
ows of persons who die with applications for
pensions pending, upon such widows complet-
ing proof in husbands case, without requiring
widow to show that husbands death resulted
from disability contracted in service. Mr.
TOwnshend Gil. }, granting pensions at the rate
of SIP per month to all widows and minor chill
dren of soldiers receiving pensions at the time
of their death, without requiring proof that
they died from disability incurred in the mill
tary and naval service. Mr.. Warner (Ohio),
II. r. 1880, extending pensions to all widows
and minor children of deceased pensoned SOL
| diers. Mr.: Gcddes (Ohio), II. r. 1890, to regu-
late the granting of pensions to dependent rela-
tives. Mr.. Weber On. W, II. r. 1881, relating
to claims for pensions by dependent parents.
Mr.. Cutcheon tMich.), IL. X. ll61, to increase
the pensions of widows and orphans of soldiers
and sailors. and for other purposes. Mr. Brown
(Ohio) to restore to the pension roll widows of
the late war, who have been dropped from the
roll by reason of remarriage, in cases where
they have again become or may hereafter be-
come widows.
PENSIONS FOR PRISONERS OF WAR.
Mr.. La Toilette wis., granting pensions to
certain disabled soldiers and sailors of the war
for the Union, who were confined in so called
Confederate prisons and also granting certain
per diem to the widows of such soldiers and
sailors as died in said prisons. Mr.. Ezra B.
Taylor (Ohio) II. r. 1913, granting pension
to soldiers and sailors confined in Confederate
prisons Mr.. Anderson Kan, granting PEN
sions to certain Union soldiers and sailors Of
the late war of the rebellion. who were con-
fined in so-called Confederate prisons.
OTHER WARS.
Messrs. Anderson (Kan.), Houk (Tenn.)
Reid IN. CO., Negley Pa.), Atkinson (Pa.),
Barksdale Miss, Viele IN. W, Neal (,Tenn.),
Richardson (Tenn.) and Throckmorton (Tex.),
bills granting pensions to survivors of the war
of 1912, the Mexican war, and tbs Florida,
Black Hawk, aud other Indian wars.
THE ARREARS LIMITATION.
Mr. Mckinley (Ohio), II. r. 1881, to repeal
the Limitation proviso Of section 2 of the act Of
March 3, 1879, making appropriations for the
payment of arrears of pensions. Mr.. Gros-
venor (Ohio) II. r. 1891, to remove the limi-
tations in pension cases, to increase certain
pensions, and for other purposes. Mr.. Ballen-
tine (Tenn.), Fl. R. 2259, to allow arrears of
pension to certain invalid pensioners whose
names were dropped from the pension roll and
by act of Congress subsequently restored. Mr..
Rowell Ill), to change the date of filing GER
tain pension claims. Bills to repeal the limi-
tation clause of the arrears act were also in
troduced by Messrs. Price lIOwa), Grout (Vt.),
| Geddes (Ohio), and Laird (Neb)