Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-09
WASHINGTON.
Saturday sessions-The Military Appro
priation Bill-Congressional Cranks.
Prices Hobby--Personals and Briefs.
From our ResuIer Correspondent. |

from Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, May S.-The busi-
ness Of the House on the Saturdays OF
the present session up to date has
been so utterly devoid Of interest that
but few members as rule have az
tended the sittings. To-day, however,
it was expected that the Committee on
Territories would have the right Of way
with its bill to organize the Territory
of Oklahoma. General Wheeler knocked
out their calculations by calling up the
military appropriation bill, and the
House took another stride toward
closing the session by passing it. After
the reading Of the journal the pension
case of Loren Burnett came over from
Fridays nights session to be con-
sidered when a quorum should be
present. Burnett receives pension
Of s72 month, and ais friends wanted
to raise it to 800, thus establishing a
very bad precedent, as he does not even
fall within the limits Of the law where
s72 is allowed, which requires the loss
of both eyes, or both arms, or both legs,
while Burnett has all his members in
tact, but is totally helpless by reason
Of paralysis, which afflicted him long
after the war closed, but which an ac-
commodating Doctors certificate as
cribes to his wounds. The bill was
reported adversely from the Pensions
Committee, but it passed the House on
an aye.and.nay vote nevertheless. 1t
has been enormously stated that Com
missioner-of-P Pensions Black is the only
man who receives pension OF 500
per month. There is one more
. man living in Minnesota-and
should the bill above referred to
pass the Senate and become q
law there will be three and a
clear road for q thousand. 1t is said
the President is to give his personal at
tention to pension cases before he signs
them. Should he do so with single
ness Of purpose to discover fraud, veto
messages will fall upon Congress like
leaves IN the autumn in Virginia forest.
Two veto messages have just arrived
from the President against bills Of this
character, which caused decided sem
sation.
The House, after passing the Military
Academy bill, took up the army-appro-
priation bill, and Messrs. Price and
Bragg, of Wisconsin, gave an exhi-
bition Of the bad blood existing be-
tween them-General Bragg wishing to
limit the debate, while Price, because
it was Bragg's bill, wished opportu-
nity to assail it in every possible way.
Friends of the two statesmen patched
up a compromise and debate was limit
ed to one hour.
1t has been claimed that Washington
is the Mecca for cranks." This may
be true, but the human Imagination
does not do violence to itself in reach
ing the conclusion that a vast number
of these intellectual freaks" come
here in o representative capacity, with
q constituency Of voters behind them
An accentric genius in the House is
William 7. Price, Of Wisconsin, Re.
publican of the most Radical type, and
o fanatic upon the temperance question
Price was not warrior, but stayed al
home and made fortune out Of the
appurtenances appertaining thereto. He
is still Engaged in putting down the re-
belliop, however, which in his vocabu
! lary means annihilation Of both people
and property on the opposition side
whether North or South. Yet this il
the man who voted solitary and alone
against pension for General Grants
widow. lie is just Communist enough
to maintain that the Government
has no right to do more for a gene
raj than it has for private
and while be is the father of a measure
to pension every soldier Of the Union
army, he has uniformly fought every
attempt to distinguish between the
officers and soldiers in the amounts
granted. Like General Wolford, he
never misses the Friday night session,
but, unlike him, he seldom makes a
speech. He is quite wealthy, and in-
variably replies to an application for a
loan OF money with a wild tumult OF
abuse supplemented with the sum re-
quested. There are very few employees
about the Capitol with skins Of ebony
hue who have not felt the lash Of Bill
Prices tongue and benefited by his
loose purse-striDg.
Mrs. Edward @. Wilson, nee Carson,
of Baltimore, formerly Of Virginia, and
a graduate of Montgomery Female Col
lege, is visiting the daughter Of Colonel
Trentlen, in this city.
Senator Wade Hampton has been
summoned to the bedside Of his elder
brother, Christopher Hampton, at Co.
lumbia, who is dangerously i'll.
Judge Schenck, general counsel OF
the Richmond and Danyille railroad, is
in the city.
Colonel Winstead, Of Roxbury, n.
4 IL do;nO the canital