Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-04
VET0ES PROVOKE WRATH
THE SENATE PENSIONS COM
MITTEE VERY SORE.


tsrized as AN Insult to- Congress-Fhe
Senate Charges Discrimination Against
Its Measures as Compared with the
HOuse-Where The President Gets His
Facts
WASHINGTON, July 3.-The Senate
Committee on Pensions, in It's report
recommending the passage over the Presi-
dents veto of the bill granting pension
TO Mary j. Nottage, says: $50 great has
become the number Of such vetoes inter-
posed by the present executive, all within
a few weeks past, and so extraordinary
the censure, sometimes rudely expressed,
and in nearly every instance surely i'm
piled, of the action OF the two houses of
Congress and of their committees, upon
which has devoved the wearisome and
generally unappreciated labor OF lnvesti-
eating these claims, accompanied in
many cases by such ridicule of the evil
dence and disgust with the claims them
selves that your committee feel that they
are justified in a bret review of the cir
cHmstance involved.
RESTRAINING ITS WRATH.
'In doing this a strong effort will be
made to restrain the not unnatural feel
ing of Indignation which. if permitted to
assume the proportions which the provo
cation justiies, would wholly destroy
those respectful forms OfeXpression which
must be maintained in otticlal Intercourse
between the different officers and depart
ments OF the government. This becomes
more necessary in proportion as it Is rem
dered more difficult by reason of the un-
just and uneXampled style in which some
of the messages of the President are ex-
pressed. 1t shall be the effort of the COM
mittee to get on in this difficult matter
without violating the courtesies of official
Intercourse by Initiating an example
which, so far as we are aware, is without
precedent and which SO far as we are
concerned shall remain So"
FURTHER GRIEVANCE.
The committee then proceeds to show
that 26 per cent. of the Senate bills and
only 81 per cent. of the House bills SUBJ
mitted TO the President nave been vetoed,
and says it is not insensble to the special
condemnation which this disparaging
contrast inficts. Much criticism" the
report continues, ''has been INDUCED in
by tfe President Of the methods OF legIs-
lation pursued by the two houses OF Con
gress, and however uuInformed be may
be upon the subject, aud however unin-
tentiOnally, by reason of want of
sented TO the country the methods
of legislation which have been pursued in
like cases ever since Congresses and Par
Iiaments have existed, and which have
since ParlIaments became free been safe
from kingly and presidential interier-
ence, all the same people are misled by
the unwarranted statements of the Presi-
dent as to the manner in which legisla-
ton upon pensions claims and the like is
and of necessity must be conducted.
CONSCIENTIOUS WORK.
"The pension business of the senate has
never been better done than during this
session. Those members of the commit
tee who have performed the most have
been as careful as any, and the derision Of
their patient considerations and exhaust
ing labOrS to help along these nObiest
and best portions OF Gods poor and the
country's beneiactOrs can originate only
in wise and noble nature which Is mis-
led, or in one that, il informed, sadly
needs reconstruction or recreation" The
report embOdies a copy of the instruc-
tions by the Assistant Secretary of the
Interior to the Commissioner of Pensions
as follows: "Please cause the same to be
critically examined and report TO this de-
partment whether In your opinion any
objections TO their approval are known to
exist. In cases where objections exist
they should be specially set forth"
RELYING ON THE COMMISSIONER.
This indicates, the committee says, un-
mistakably that the President relies upon
the Commissioner for his facts. The re-
port continues: "Why the President
should initiate this game of shuttlecock
and pelt coordinate department of the
government with vetoes based upon a re-
view of the action of Congress by some
subordinate of the Commissioner of PEN
sions, is a topic which will bear thought,
but perhaps may be lett without discus
sion. Why the finding Of the two houses
of Congress should be discredited and
attributed to unworthy motives, inditier-
ence or incapacity while a reassertion by
pension clerk that he is right and Con-
gress wrong Is accepted as the basis of
tact IN these numerous vetOes, 1t is hard
to perceive.
AN ALLEGED FALLACY.
"Butall through these vetoes there seems
to run the tallacy that the power OF Con-
gress to grant pensions is limited to wnat
may already be done by the Pension
Office under the general law. 1t Is ditii.
cult to write in that rudimentary way
upon the nature of pensions, aud the
various grounds of compensation, charity
and public policy, which is necessary in
order TO remove this Impression. 1t is
sufficient to observe that the jurisdiction
Of the legislative power of this govern
ment is larger than that OF the Commits
sioner Of Pensions, and that sooner or
later, although it may cost the country a
prolonged and steady effort, this truth
will become apparent.
COMMITTEE EVIDENCE.
''But it should be remembered that in a
very large number Of these bills passed
by Congress important original written
evidence is filed with the committees or
presented verbally as in TIE hearings be-
fore other committees upon ali public
questions which come before legislative
bodies, and often the applicant is present
with his statement ana hts palpable dlsa-
bilities. Tbls evidence is not available
to the executive, at least without asking,
and never has been IN possession OF the
Pension Office. Consequently, in nearly
every case, the Congressional statement
stands upou stronger proof that the find
ing of facts which the President sets up
in disapproYal of the bill.''
THE BUNDY VETO.
The President to-day vetoed the Senate
bill for the rellct Of Martin l.. Bundy. In
mis- veto message the President says that
the claimant, wno was a quartermaster,
after the settlement OF his accounts was
found to be indebted To the government.
rhereupon he put I'm claim Tor forage
for horses more than sufficient TO offset
his Indebtedness. There is no suggestion
that he bad or used any horses, and II he
did and failed to make the claim for forage