Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-22
.FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 1886.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 1886.
 SENATE-Mr Butler introduced an ''enab- ling act'' as a substitute for the Dakota bill now pending. It applies to the whole territo- ry and enables the people of Dakota to form a constitution and State government re- ferred.
 resolution by MT. Hoar was agreed to, calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for information showing the character and amount of the claims paid under the treaties with France of 1903 and 1881, and the treaty with Spain in 1S19 together with the names of claimants.
 MT. Van Wyck introduced bill to prevent the demonetization of American coin by eer- tain persons in the United States. He claimed that there is an organized attempt to-day by capital to demonetize silver.
 Bills on the calendar were then considered Speaking to a bill which proposes to divide part of the Sioux reservation in Dakota Sen ator Teller protested against the treatment of Indian tribes as independent nations and said that treaties should not be made with them.
 Debate ensued, during the course of which Mr. Dawes said if we made no more treaties with Indians we should not violate those al ready made.
 The bill went over, and consideration of the bill to provide for the counting of the electoral vote was then resumed. MT. Sher man opened the discussion. He said the bill, which had once or twice passed the Sen ate, came before it again at the beginning of an administration when no party advantage could be derived from decision-when the Senate was clearly on one side of party politics and the House of Representatives clearly on the other side. Now if ever this matter should be settled on some basis of principle. In most of it's features the bill was not objection able to anyone. There is no provision in the constitution for the settlement of any dispute relating to the legality of the votes of the electors-whether the electors had conformed to the law or the constitution, whether one set or another set of electors had been elected, and no provision pointing out any authority, any person or body to de- eide which of the two sets of returns should be counted. Eleven cases of dispute over electoral votes had arisen in the past. For tunately the two houses had been able to avoid serious difficulty by saying that, however the disputed votes were result until in 1877 point was reached that did nearly threaten the very oc- currence of civil war or might have done under circumstances where the votes dis puted did change the result, where a change even to the extent of a vote might have changed the result ''That,' said Mr. Sher- man, twas happily averted by the contriv- ance of the electoral commission-because I cannot call it much more than contrivance, and I suppose Senators will not call it anything else-I did not support it at the time-by which solution was found for the difficulty without strife. I think this is vital question that we ought to decide. We ought to approach it without regard to party afGiiation and try if to decide this most difficult question of American politics." The objection he had to the bill under considerat on was that it did not solve any of the questions: did not settle single one of the questions that are likely to arise in the future. He was satisfied that the bill as it now stood was not proper solution of the difficulties involved in the presidential count nor would he now vote to confer the duty of the count on any one man. He thought no human be- ing alone should be trusted with that power. MT. Sherman closed by offering an amend and House go into joint convention and majority vote per capita shall decide
 MT Edmunds in a vigorous speech opposed the idea, holding that the Senate would be swallowed up in the operation.
 Mir. Hoar said with all due respect to the honorable Senator from Ohio who had ad- dressed the Senate it seemed to him that his probosition to solve the grave constitutional was precisely Mir. Pick wlck's advise to his followers, Always shout with the mob" and when Mir Tupman suggested, Suppose there are two mobs," MT. Pickwick repled ''Then shout with the largest" Laughter l
 At 4:10, motion of MT. Edmunds, the Senate went into executive session and at 5 o'clock the doors were reopened and the Sen ate adjourned uutil Monday next.
 HoUsE.-A number of executive commit nications were laid before the House by the Speaker and appropriately referred. Among them was one from the Secretary of the Treasury submitting an account of the in- of the sinking fund of the Union and Central Pacific railroads and recommend ing such a modification of the act of March :, 1878, as will authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to invest the sinking fund in other han government securities.
 No bills of any importance being reported under the call of committees, the House rs- sumed in the morning hour the consideration 0f the bill to increase the pensions of soldiers widows. Mr. Wolford, of Kansas, made an speech in favor of the bill, and IS there was much confusion in the House. he members crowded around him as he stood in the ceRter aisle, to listen. He ad- vocated the repeal of the arrearages limita- jon.
 Mr. Reagan, of Texas, took the ground that only soldiers who ha l been disabled in he war, or widows who had been wives of
  cured, should receive pensions. He criticised 5he manner ill which special pension bills | were passed by Congress and stated that he | would drive the petitioners to the pension l office and make them give the proofs required l oy law. He would not allow them to come here | with ex=parte evidence and secure pensions s1r. Reagan said he had occupied seat in the 1 House when the arrears bill was passed and l lad seen Democrats urging Democrats to l vote for it because it would give them the l oldier vote and Republicans urging Repub- | jeans to vote for it in order to get ahead of | he Democrats. No one would doubt that, 1 instead of the supreme and sole motive for | his legislation being to secure jus | ice to those who served their country, mother motive was to secure political | supremacy. He warned members that the | point might be reached when public | opinion would revolt against voting | way the money of the toiling millions in | his way. He asserted that there were num- ,ers of men-he might say thousands-who were receiving pensions who had no more fight to them than he had.
 MT. Watson spoke in favor of the bill urg- ng that it be passed without amendment
 The bill was then read in sections for amendment. MT. Townshend, of Indiana, ,ffered an amendment providing that when pensioner shall die his widow or minor hildren shall be entitled to an original pen ion without being required to prove that the Ieath of the pensioner was due to his militia V or naval service. MT Townshend thought 1 he amendment was meritorious and ,justifa- l ,le from every standpoint. If a soldier who lad incurred Q disability in the service hould die it was nothing more than human l nd just that the widow and children should ,e furnished with means sufficient to keep | hem out of the poorhouse
 MT. Cutcheon, of Michigan, speaking in upport of the amendment, denied the right f the gentleman from Texss to impugn the notive and integrity of every gentleman who oted for an increase of pensions to the sol- iers
 ''I hope the gentleman feels better, Mr. was MT. Reagan's only reply 7hen MT. Cutcheon sat down.
 MT. Townshend's amendment was rejected, 5S to 115.
 On motion of MT. Snowden, of Pennsylva- ia amendment was adopted making it