Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-20
BLAIR STEMS THE TIDE.
THE PENSION RAID HELD DOWN
TO THE 81 CLAUSE.

WASHIEGToN, May l9.-The pension
bill was again placed before the Senate
this afternoon, the pending question being
on the motion OF Mr.. Mcpherson to recon-
nit the bill to the committee, with in
structions to submit to the Senate an esti-
mate of the expense that would be incur
red by its passage.
Mr.. McPherson's motion to recommit
was rejected by vote of IA to %. The
question REQUIRED on Mr.. Blair's amend
ment to Mr.. Van Wyck's amendment.
Mr.. Van Wyck's amendment is to add to
the bill section providing that no soldier
under this act should receive pension of
less than S. a month.
Mr.. Blair's motion is to make the pro-
vision read: mo pension paid under any
law to any soldier hereafter shall be rated
at lie IS than $4 month"
SAILORS AND MARINES INCLUDED.
Mr.. Blair modified his amendment so as
to include, sailors, marines, ETC., and it
was agreed to.
Mr.. Logan moved to make the minimum
pension So. This was lost by a vote OF 90
to 81.
Mr.. Van wyck's amendment, as
amended by Mr.. Blair, was then agreed
to.
The amendment offered by MIR. Logan,
extending the provisions Of the bill to
men who had served three months, was
agreed to.
At Mr.. Ingalls, suggestion the bill was
amended so as to apply to men depend
eat upon their own "exertions." instead
of upon their own ''labor," so that there
might be no question as to its application
to men who earned a livelihood by intel
lectual labor.
ATTITUDE OF THE SOUTH.
Mr.. Brown said that inasmuch as the
people OF the Northern States had sent
here Senators and Representatives of both
political parties, who favored the passing
of laws increasing pensions, he did not
believe the people of the South would OBJ
ject TO it, though some people of the North
thought Congress was going too far; yet
the Senate saw that the Northern con-
stituencies of both parties sent to Con-
gress men who favored these pensions,
and we must therefore conclude that a
majority of the tax payers OF the North
approved their action. 1t was to be sup
posed that if the people of the South had
been in the Union at the time OF the war
and the army had been their army, and the
war had been with foreign nation, the
people of the South would have gone as
far in granting pensions as had the peo-
pie OF the North.
THE MEXICAN AND INDIAN WARS.
He Mr.. BROWN would, therefore, vote
for the bill, but pressed on the Senate the
prOpriety and duty OF passing as soon as
possible the Mexican pension bill and
also the bill to pension the few surviving
soldiers of the Indian wars, some of
whom, he said, resided IN Georgia. IN
less something were done for the Mexican
soldiers Mr.. Brown would have to with
hold his assent from future pension bills.
The bill was then passed by a vote of "a
yeas to IA nays. The vote was as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Aldrich, Allison, Blair.
Bowen, Brown, Conger, Cullom, Frye, George,
Gibson. Hale, Hampton, Harrison, Hawley,
Hoar, ingalls,, Logan, Mcmillan, Malone,
Henderson, Miller, Mitchell of Oregon, Nor
rill, Payne, Plumb, Rlddleberger. sawyer,
Sewell. sherman. spooner, Van Wyck, VoOr-
Ndys-Messrs. Beck, Berry, Black burn.
Call, COckreil, Eustls, German, GRAY, Jones Of
Arkansas, MCPHERSON, Morgan, Salisbury,
Vest and Whitthorne-l4.
TEXT OF THE BILL.
The full text of the bill as passed is as
follows;
Be it enacted, ETC., That every person spec
flied in the several classes enumerated in sec
ton 1888 of the Revised Statutes of the United
States. and the amendments thereto, who
served in the military or naval service, as
mentioned IN said section, for a period of
LuTet iuOubhs uuIluk bllc W at OF the FcDtItlOn,
and has an honorable discharge therefrom.
and who ID or shall become disabled from any
cause not the result Of his own fault, and
shall also be dependent upon his own eXer-
tiOns for support, or upon the tributiOns
OF others not legally bound thereto,
shall upon making due proof of the
facts, under such regulations as
may be prescribed by proper authority be
placed upon the list 0f pensioners Of the UnI-
ted States aud be entitled to receive pen
sion during the continuance OF such disability
and dependence at a rate pTOportiOnate TO
the degree OF such disability, and sucn pen
sion shall commence at the date OF filing a n
application therefor. The highest rate Of
pension granted under this sec ion, which
shall be for total incapacity 10 perform any
manual labor, snail be 81 per month, which
is hereby made drVisibie upon that basis fJr
any less degree OF di5ali ity, provided that no
person entitled 10 or receiving AN invalid pen
sion under the existing laws, or such as may
be hereafter enacted granting pensions for
disabilities contracted in the military or
naval service OF the United States and in
line Of duty greater than that provided for
herein shall receive the benefits Of this act:
but any applicant for such invalid pension
having an application therefor pending, or
who shall hereafter do his application for
such pension, may By declaration over his
signature a. any time elect O. prosecute his
SAID claim under this act or under the general
laws, and his pension, when allowed. 10 prC g -
cuted under TINS act, shall commence from
the date o. such election; provided. further
that no pension PAID under any law hereafter
shall be rated Al less than 81 per month.
SEC. p That m considering the claims OF de-
pendent parents. the TACT and cause Of death
and the fact that the soldier left no widow or
minor children having been shown as required
by law, 10 shall be- necessary only 10 show bg
competent and sufficient evidence that such
dependent parent Is without any present
means OF comfortable support Than his or her
own manual labor or contributions of Others
NOT legally bound for his or her support, aud
such as may be- found TO Do entitled 10 s. o
month under existing laws.as modified by this
section. shall receive IN lieu thereof az per
month from and after the approval Of this act
SEC. 3. That ia al applications under the
general pension lave, including this act,
where % appears by record evidence that
TIRE applicant was regularly enlisted and mus
tered into the service, that fact shall be con-
elusive evidence Of s0unduesH &C the time Of
his enlistment except no case Of fraud.
SIC. Z. That no person shall be entitled 20
more than one pension go The same time UNI
der any or All the laws ~ the United states,
whether such pension shall have been already
obtained or shall be hereafter obtained. unless
the act under which such pension IL claimed
shall specially 70 declare.
The bill now gees 70 the House Of Rep
resentatiYeG for concurrence.
Tho Raukr.unfpy RiIl