Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-16
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
Mr.. Blair Comments on the Presi-
dents Pension Vetoes.
THE TARIFF BILL DISCUSSION
Dir. Vest Makes an Attempt to Explain
the S57, 100000 Deposit-The
Adjournment Business
in the House.


Senate.
WAsBrSGToN, Oct Is The message Of tho
president vetoing the pension bills of Mrs.
Sarah Woodbridge on the ground that her
second husband was still living, and that
such precedent ought not to be established,
was laid before the senate. The bill and
message were referred to the committee on
pensions.
Mr.. Hoar called attention to the Union
Pacific funding bill and suggested that, in
view of its great Importance, it should be set
down for hearing for the first Tuesday in
December. Agreed to.
Mr.. Blair, in connection with the veto mes
sage, proceeded to discuss pension vetoes
generally, and the case of Mary Ann Dough
erty particularly. His remarks brought
forth reply from Mr. Cockrell of Missouri,
who warmly defended the course of the
president on the pension vetoes. In reply to
that, MIR. ltlair characterized the president
rs ian Infamous libeer" in having used his
great power''to defame and libel this woman
Dougherty unnecessarily. Mary Ann Dough-
erty. he asserted. was a woman of ire
proachable character, while there was mo
proof of the character of the assailant."
At the close of Mr.. Blair's remarks the
presidents message vetoing the bill granting
a pension to Mary X. Richards was laid be-
fore the senate, the ground of disapproval
being that the beneficiary would receive
under the action of the pension bureau
much larger sum than she would receive
under the bill. Referred.
Another message from the president, re
turning without his approval the bill
shaw, was laid before the senate.
Tho ground of dsapproval is that
the disability was not contracted in the mill
tary service. Laid on the table.
Mr. Hale introduced u bill authorizing the
secretary of war to protect the Washington
aqueduct tunnel Passed.
Mr.. Brown presented petition of the
Women's Christian Temperance union of
Georgia for q repeal of the internal revenue
laws, and addressed the senate. He referred
to the fact that there was no quorum Of
either house in the city of Washington, and
that no business could be lawfully done in
the face of Il single objection. There was,
therefore, he said, but one thing left to be
done, and that was to adjourn at the earliest
day possible. He asked MIR. Allison to say
whether there was any possible chance Of
passing the tariff bill at the present session.
MIR. Allison said that he did not see a pos
sibilty of passing it in the senate under the
surrounding circumstances, and even If it
were passed by the senate it was impossible
to have the amendment considered in
the house before next December. 1t was
a fact that with the tariff bill
entirely and absolutely out of the question,
congress was not at this day and hour ready
to adjourn. The general deficiency bill had
not yet received the signature of the pres-
dent, and was only sent to him last Friday
or Saturday. Delay had arisen out of the
fact that the appropriation bills had not
come to the senate in the early period of the
session If he had his way he should push
the tariff bill to the exclusion of all other
business.
The discussion Of the adjournment resou-
tion stopped here, and the senate proceeded
with the consideration of the tariff bill.
MIR. Vest said that the tariff issue had been
| made up and had gone to the country. What
he desired to submit would be on some
questions, that had arisen in the current
debt The first matter which he discussed
was the charge made in the senate and on
| the stump that 100000, 900 of public money
had been placed in national banks for pur-
poses of favortlsm. He repelled that charge,
claiming that the money was distributed
fairly among the national banks in the vari-
Gus cities, and that the officers of only one
of such banks belonged to tho democratic
party. On the other hand, he claimed
| that the First National bank of New York,
in 1879, in connection with the exchange
| of per cent bonds, made enormous profits.
| This pet of the republican administration. he
| said, from 1864 to 1857 made $40 0OO, 900 of
| clear profit on capital of $4,000 Its prof
| it's for 1873 had been II per cent, but in 1879,
| when it was the fiscal agent of the treasury
| in the exchange Of per cents, its profits
| were l20 per cent. Concluding, he said that
in the increased duties of the senate Substl-
| tute for the Mills bill could be plainly seen
| the eyer-present hand of New England.
Mr.. Allison said that as to the fayoritism
shown the First National bank of New Gork,
Mr. Sherman then secretary of the treasury,
! had explained that matter over and over
| again. 1t had arisen out of the exchange of
! per cent bonds for per cents, but that was
| not like the present case. The crit
| icism made on the present administration
was that instead of using this 1000, 900
| for the purchase of bonds, thus saving 2 per
| cent interest, it had put it into national
banks, without interest. What would be the
| condition if this were October /, 1891, when
| xI, dc Innl IA
secretary could not pay them because the
calling in of that S57, 900, 900 from the national
banks would create panic. That was the
objection which he had to that loan or de-
| posit In addition to this $57 900 900 there
was further amount of S3SOoOO 600 on de-
| posit in national banks to the credit of the
| disbursing officers, and the senator from
| Missouri Vest could not get away from
that criticism by alluding to the treasury
operations in 1879, which were necessary and
| proper.
| MIR. Teller obtained the floor, and the
| tariff bill went over till to morrow, and the
| senate adjourned.