The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-17
FORTY.NTETH CONGRESS.
THE WIDOWS PENSION BILL
PASSED THE SENATE.
The Relations Between the President
aud Senate-Speeehes by
CulIOm and Maxey.

ter from tue OcCiOAoig VI tu0 Nefy
Transmitting information. copies OF
drawings and reports OF recent sur
yey of the Nicarauguan route, made
nv Civil Engineer A. Q. Menocal OF
the Navy" Referred.
Also a letter from the Secretary Of
the Interior. transmitting information
in regard to land grants to railroads in
Ksnsas. Referred.
The Chair announced as members Of
the committee on the part Of the SEN
ate 10 escort the remains OF Represen-
tative Hahn 10 Louisiana: Senators
Eustis, Vance aud Butler.
Senator Morrill,, from the Commit
tee on Finance, reported adversely
ebill introduced by Senator Malone
10 allow drawbacks on imported tobac-
co when manufactured in this country
and af.erward exported. Placed on
the calendar.
Senator Allisou, from the Joint
Commission Of Congress 10 examine
into the scientific bureaus Of the gov
eminent, reported the testimony taken
by the commission, and asked to have
ii printed. II was 80 ordered. Sem
ator Allison eaid the commission
would shortly make report on the
subject.
Among other reports from commit
tees was one by Senator Blair, fiom
the Committee on Pensions, being a
bill for the relief OF soldiers OF the
late war honorably discharged after
six months service, who are disabled
and dependent on their own labor for
support, and the dependent parents OF
soldiers who died in the service, or
from disabilities contracted therein.
The bill was placed on the calendar.
On motion OF Senator Van Wyck,
the House bill increasing the pension
of soldiers widows was then taken up.
An amendment offered by Senator
MandeIson at the request, he said, OF
Senator Hawley, was agreed to pro-
vidinC that the Acknowledgement OF
States may be recognized as represent
ing claimants under the bill, when the
laws OF those States require those
officers TO do so, without expense TO
the claimants or the government.
Senator ingalls,, in order, he said, to
avoid delay in the passage CT the bill
as II came from the House, moved to
disagree with the amendments made
in committee. This motion was disa-
greed TO.
Senator Ingalls, then said that as the
bill had to 90 back to the House for
action on Senate amendments, it
might as we'll be amended with such
further provisions as were germane 70
il. He therefore offered as an amend
men. the provisions Of his arrears Of
pensions bill.
Senator Butler moved to amend
Senator Ingalls's amendment by add
ing the substance OF the Mexican ser.
vice pension bill.
After debate by Senators Butler,
Logan, COCkrell, Van Wyck, Iugalls and
Jackson, the fear being general that the
widows increase Of pensions would
be indefinitely postponed by sending
the bill 10 the House with 80 many
amendments that would involve de-
bate, a motion was made by Senator
Wilson TO reconsider the senate's
action in amending the bill, The mo-
ton was agreed to.
All amendments were disagreed TO
and the bill was passed as II came
from the House. 1t now needs only
the Presidents signature to become a
law, II increases the pension OF
widows and dependent relatives from
IS to $l2 a month.
At 2 o'clock Senator Cullom took
the floor in the Senate to speak upon
the Edmunds resolutions, but gave
way 10 Senator Morrill,, who then ad-
dressed the Senate upon these resolu-
tons, I a.
His, remarks were very brief, and
when he concluded Senator Cullom
took the hoor. lie said the refusal OF
the Attorney-Gener to furnish the
papers called for by the Senate was q
denial OF the right OF the Senate to
inquire into the management OF a
pubic office. The Attorney General
was an officer OF the law. His duties
were defined by law, and 1t was his
duty to obey the law whether it cost
him his Office OF not. The prominent
fact was that when either branch OF
Congress bad called for any informs-
ton Il had usually been furnished,
and that in the exceptional cases in
which it had not been, refusal was
not based on the constitutional pro.
rogative OF the President. When the
President suspended Dustin he did
il under the tenure Of office act. So
the case stood that the President pro-
posed to obey the law in getting men
out OF office, but questioned its con.
stitutionality, when tho Senate, un-
der that, said it had right to inquire
into his act OF suspension, aud TO do
that intelligently needed all the
papers on file. The President used
the law in suspending men from
office, a9d then, in a vol
unteer message, intimated that the
Senate was attempting to interfere
with his high aud mighty prerogstive
as chief executive. Verify, con.
sistency was not jewel conspicuously
worn in these days OF "Jefiersonian
simplicity" Replying TO the remarks
of the Senator from West Virginia
Senator Kenna) as TO what oonsti.
iuted public paper, Senator Cullom
bdAN us ltupOIlhnCe OF relevancy oil
papers must be judged by their cub
stance, The irrelevancy of the nv.
po,hetical letters suggested by Senator
kenns was apparent. Following tina;
Senator's idea, Senator Cullom sug.
ges.ed probable communication 10
a public officer, which would be a
public paper. Suppose, he said, some
Democra, should draw up a paper
bearing the semb'snce OF an informa.
ton or true bill Of indictment oharR.
ING the Republican incumbent of an
Office the Democrat desired with all
sorts OF oHenses. This was probably
sworn TO and then forwarded to the
President, by whom it was filed
IN the proper department. This
paper was perhaps followed
by its authors replication
Tor the otlice-it might, perhaps, be
assumed that the President has the
right, az he claimed, to consider such
communications "a private papers
but after be forwarded them to a de
partment, and placed them on thu
files, they certainly became publ,
pa oers. Ii the President has removed
officers except for cause, some sucf
papers must have been filed. Indeed