The National tribune., 1886-01-28
TIE 10TH CONGRESS.
An E2itOme of lis Proceedings The
Past Week.

prominently brought forward are silver and
justice to the soldiers.
PENSIONS rOE WIDOWS.
In the House. on "Wednesday, Mr.. Natson
Und.l called up for consideration bill 5fo, to
increase the pensions of widows and dependent
relatives. Ii provides that from ana alter
the passage OF this act the rate OF pension for
widows. minor children. aud dependent re!a-
tiyes now on the pension-roll, or hereafter to
he Tlaced on the pension roll. and entitled IT,
receive less rate than hereinafter provided.
shall be cl2 per month; and nothing herein
shall be construed to affect the existing allow
auce OF - per month Tor each child under the
aye of l6 years" The bill had been favOrably
reported by the Committee on InyaiId Pen
sons. The consideration OF the bill occupied
the most Of Wednesday aud THURSDAY. No
final vote WAS reached. bat The debate gave
strong assurance that tho bill would pass. The
trouble WAS with the amendments that were
offered. Several members desired 20 lucorpo-
rate IN the bill the repeal of the arrears linli-
tailon and other matters apPcT,aining to pen
sions. These were strongly opposed by many,
who said they were heartily in favor OF the
measures proposed aud woald support them
most earnestly whenever they came up aS sep
aratc bills bat they dfi not think it wise TO
load down this bill with amendments covering
wide range lest the passage oi the bili itself
be put in Jeopardy.
ON molion of Mr. Ma;son the House went
inio Committee OF the Whole for the considcra-
1ion OF tie bill, Mr.. WeiiboGn Tex. in the
Chair.
Mr.. Matson made 4 speech urging the passage
Of the measure, in which lie said:
Iap2rehend ihe proposition in reference 10 which
this House wishes TO he informed TO what this l.
going to cost The people and the Government. \
very careful estimate made JOS than TWO year,
since based upon thc number oi this class OF pen
soncI> upon the roll. anu upon the number OF APP
plicaious OF this kiud pending. by gentleman
thoroughly familiar with the Pension Office,
ans, hc fixed at between >3i=N.t51 and
SiO000GO tho amount that would have TO hc adde.
the appropriation for pensions 10 meet this
increase Here i 4 proposition 10 add 4
a month to the pension OF widows and of Old men
and old women OF this countTy-to those who have
lost their husbands and to those who have los; their
age. This ! a very moderate proposition.
In reply to questions from several members
Mr. MatsoG said the bin embraced also widows
of the war of 1872 and the Mexican war, all
who are on the rolls, whether the husbands and
fathers lost their lives during the war or from
disease contracted in the service. It did not
enlarge the number OF those entitled to pen
sions.
Mr. Henderson Iowa said he was warmly in
favor of the bill. and would like 10 see the
amount further increased 10 Sl6 per month.
Nh Natson said this had been urged in the
Committee bu they had thought best to recon-
mend 3I2 * z compromise between those who
wanted it made SIG and those who were op-
posed TO any increase. He hoped no amend
ments 10 the bill would be offered, except those
relating TO its subject-mattor.
MIR Browne Ind. offered al amendment re-
pealing the Limitation clause OF The arrears OF
pension act
Nr Grcsyeaor Ohio opposed the amend
ment. He said he WAS strongly in favor Of it
on its merits, but he did not want it put in
this bill. He said:
lay the gentleman from Indiana, which involves
the rcpcal Of the pTovso 70 the act IT i
possible Tor inc or for any other Member on this
floor 20 feel. For years as a Member OF the Pen
sion Committee of lle Crane Array of the RepGb-
lie have bccn laboTing 20 bring about this legis-
latiGn But want TO say simply this a. this time.
The bill under consideration j. bill about which
fhere seems TO me 10 be controversy whatever.
II has been embodied substantially in every propo-
s:,ion bringing about lie needed reform OF the
defective and blundcTn9 legislation of the country
that has been submitted Congress for the past ten
years. IL stands alone. 1t j. part of system,
necessarily. Everybody i an favor OF its p ssfe
who i iD favor OF afordin;s remedy aud some
relief to this class Of pensioners % the country.
There are a great many o;lter propositions, Mr..
sfairIIan, that have already been submitted to
tas House, and there many to he submit
ted ad the = iiolc Of ttIyni or large majority OF
them, al least. will ultimately bscninc a sort of
code Involving If intelligent legislation is to pre-
vail, change cf the whole system upon which
pensions hitherto have been granted. Among
these are ihc equalization OF b2unt!es and The re
peal of te p:ol i>o 10 ic act; but they stand
la sacb position, the one to the other that Il Is
necessary and proper that ultimately the Commit
tee on Invalid Pensions shall evolve oct of the
niass OF legislation some systematic scheme or
proposition. / know not what their purpose is
ht Il i enough Cor me 10 know that here Is "A siii-
gle proposition everybody i III favor of. which
comes "a such form that it bc adopted
and ia such form that, il passed ia the House, il
WI; speedily be passed in t!le Senate and become a
laG OF the country.
Mr.. Bragg Wis opposed Mr. Browne 5
amendment and also the bill itself in the form
reported by the committee. he said, speaking
Oi the incquaiit ties OF our present pension laws
Eor instance. Mr. Speaker, "tolsl disability OF
soldlcF-3sld what can be greater than that's
l'ensiOned at 5 2 month. while have cassiiicl-
tions OF pensions for private soldiers that up
high 30 a. month. Many o! those VINO are draw
ing suc pension. although disabled 10y the loss ot
leg aTI.l, still able to n livelihood and
many Cf them do earn Q livelihood But The poor
soldier wo shot through the body and totally
disabled, rendered unable 10 do day ork, whai
does ic 90" Eight dollars a month. Total dis
ability stands graded al the highest notch and
draws tic !oUe@t pension! How comes this? Ii
grows out ot thc tact that legislation precisely like
tins which j. now proposed has been enacted from
time 10 ;Etc IoT tie Deaet OF special classes Some
10 pcTsons apply loF a special for pariicti-
lF kind G! -OiiId and state that there ore
than 100 such eases aud they ask pension OF IS OF
20 InUitn. Another class apply, and there are
only perhaps 10 of them. and they want 81 q
month. Nobody wants TO vote against tie soldier
and the claimants 20 on the roll Ht that rate.
Another class have applied and ti!cy are allowed
SIS month: aoi her class have applied and they
get N5h month another class !Iegc applied and
they get 80 mouth; while The poor, broken.
down veteran, - o lid not happen 10 be injured III
the exact place al,d manner that these special ac:.
describe gets only = Il month. sir, Il is a shame
and disgrace tins people that such inequalities
pension exist. Ii would be better for to pass
general Gil! repeating ali existing laws upon liic
sHbeei and ti-c.i 10 pass acl that would grade
these pensions and make theHl they ought to he
IN accordance with t!4c disability that the soldier
has received Another objection have to this bill
! that II provides FOR ali widows the pen
siou-Eoll @; Hbo may hereafter 20 upon the pen
sIOu-roll. ! A.. opposed to that We are still pay,
InS pensions to the widows Of the soldiers OF ISi
and afteT time we shall reach a like point in re
gard 10 tts widows Of thc soldiers the last war
For example, you find a widow OF a soldier of tn,
of 1872 ou The peusion-rCil. and when you lool
ito IElc facts Sad that old man 20 or q
year. Ci age, married young girl who took car,
"f iitsn during the last two three weeks of hi
life, and then got herself placed the pension Toi
the NidO" of "a soldier Now this bill Shout,
killed ia action. on If should be further extended
u should Jr 3i!!y 10 those cases where th. vvouIaI
was married L. the man before lie or the verg
Of the grave.
AIr steele ind) VIII the gentleman from Wis
cOHsin yield ..T a question?
DIR. Bragg. fvTtaIiliy. sir.
Ir. steele. desire to ask thc gentleman wlethe
he .las aisy objection to Old veterans nIarryiuj
young girls? Laughter
air- Bragg. 30 sir: 40. sir II shows n aualit'
thai every good soldier !lable for love
The But, sir, have objections to these youD
misses becoming soldiers widows TO such an e.xt.
10 Glsten themselves as pensioners upon Tn
Treasury Of the United States A young girl ma
marry old man. and tisinIS very much of Ie
Mhei she marrIes lim for love; bat when she mai
Iies him FOR duclts. then all nay respect for her
gone. Laughter and applause