Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-27


month.
II is asked that this man be given on the
ground of deafness alleged TO have been con-
tracted more than thirty years ago pension
IS more a month than the highest rate given
TO cases of totally disabled soldiers of the
Union-with the sole exception of Pension
Commissioner Black, who got 500 by
special act that was not vetoed-and through
out the papers submitted in the case there Is
not a suggestion that this man was ever any
other than a faithful officer OF the United
States Navy. Aud yet We find in the records
of the Navy Department, the official tran
script of which | hold in my hand, and will
make part of my remarks. we find the facts
to be that on November &c, 1861, Lieutenant
Van Zandt rendered his resignation to the
Department as follows:
As can not take the required oath of allegiance,
hereby respectfully tender my resignation OF the
commission which hold as lieutenant in the nifed
States Navy.
On December "a, 1861, Lieutenant Van
Zandt was dismissed from the naval service.
The Speaker pro tempore Mr.. Crisp)
The me of the gentleman has expired.
Mr.. Boutelle. A confederate naval regis
ter, now in possession of the department,
shows that Mr.. Van Zandt was commissioned
a first lieutenant in the Confederate navy
December 7, 1861. This man was dismissed
from the service
The Speaker pro tempore, who had been
rapping with the gavel. said The chair calls
on the gentleman from Maine TO submit to
the rules of the House.
Mr.. Boutelle. Another minute is yielded
to me.
Mr.. Ely. am to De recognized, and yield
my five minutes 10 the gentleman from
Maine (Mr. Boutelle.)
Mr.. Boutelle. l thank the gentleman, and
will endeavor not to occupy the whole Of that
time.
l can hardly understand the indsposition
manifested on the other side to listen to these
matters of public record. Here is bill in
troduced by leading democrat of this House,
a man who long since reached the years of
maturity, leading lawyer on the democratic
side of the House. The bill is now pending
here to tell you that this measure introduced
here, and which this house is ask. d to pass,
giving this man SO more month than is Civ
en- to the men who have lost both eyes or both
hands or both feet in the service of their
country, is for the benefit of q man who, as
am credibly informed, deserted the service of
the country before he sent in his resignation.
He resigned, as the record shows, in Novem-
Der, 1861, in the face of the enemy, and was
dismissed in December, 1861, from the Navy
of the United States. Within eleven days OF
the date of his resignation he enlisted and
was commissioned as an officer in the confed-
crate navy. This is the class of men that the
democrats of this House of Representatives
ask that we shall pass pension bills for, not at
the rate of Sc or 80 or Sl2 month, but at
the rate of $75 month, to pay them for
their dastardly treason to the Government In
the hour of its need.
Extract from the record of Nicholas H. Van Zandt,
late lieutenant in United States Navy.l
1861, July 20. Detached on account of ill health
and placed on waiting orders.
1861, Nov. 26 Lieutenant Van Zandt t, ndered his
resignation to the department, as follows:
"As can not conscientiousiy take the required
oath Of allegiance, respectfully hereby tender my
resignation Of the commission which l hold as
lieutenant in the United States Navy"
1851. Dec "a. Lieutenant Van Zandt was dismissed
from the naval service.
A Confederate navy register now in the possession
of the department shows that Nicholas II. Van
Zandt commissioned first lieutenant In the
Confederate navy, Dec 2, 1891
true abstract from the recordsof the depart.
ment. JOHN w. HOGG, Chief Clerk.
MIR. Speaker, l want to say word about
the manner in which votes have been divided
in some striking cases on this floor. Of the
rs votes that were cast March 3, 1885, against
putting ULYSSES S. Grant upon the retired
by democrats who on February |, 1884, voted
to put Fitz-John Porter on that list.
Of those 70 democrats, IS were
from the States that were engaged IN
the rebellion; unwilling to pay tribute TO the
great chieftain of our armies, eager to re-
ward the man to whom they were indebted for
confederate success Fitty-one of those
democrats are members OF this House, and
every one of them who WAS present voted
again at this session to bestow upon Fitz-JOhn
Porter the honor which t ey had refused to
Ulysses S. Grant.
Of the II votes cast against Porter in the
House only one was cast by a democrat, and
his constituency put him promptly under the
guillotine. Thirty-four of the democrats
who in the Forty-eighth Congress voted to
restore Fitz-John Porter to the honors and
pay of colonel in the United States Army,
voted in this Congress that they would not
allow the widows OF Union soldiers, many of
whom lost their lives through, Porter's recre-
ancy, to have their pensions increased from
IS to $l2 month. Of &C votes and two
pairs announced against the increase of the
widows pensions all but two were cast by
representatives from the States lately in re-
bellion, the two exceptions being the gentle
man from New York (Mr. Hewitt) and the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Bragg and
nobody will want to dispute with them the
glory of that vote.
MIR. Speaker, want to put the responsible
ity of that vote against the widows pension
bill where it belongs. l find by the Congress
sional Directory that it was a remarkable re-
preventative vote of the late Confederate
States. 1t embraced:
One ex-Confederate Postmaster-general
and acting Secretary OF the Treasury;