Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-12
RUSHING CLAIMS.
Mr. BLAIR cALrs IT "NEFARIous DIS
RKGARDoF DUTY"
The wastsful senate-kr. Blount. OF oeor-
gia, Appeals to the Democratic House
10 Reduce Expenditures.
m. ,0lnrranh @ ,he pisp.lch.l

rBy telegraph 20 tho Dispatch.l
WASHINGTON. September lin the
Senate to-day the House amendment 10
Senate bill for the pension OF the widow
of General Heintzelman, reducing the
amount from 500 10 $50 per month, was
non-concurred in and conference or
dered.
Mr. Sherman. from the Committee on
Finance. reported Senate hill TO declare
unlawful trusts and combinations IN re-
straint of trade and production. Put on
the calendar
House hill for the allowance Of certain
claims reported by the accounting OH
GERS Of the Treasury known a. the attn
of-luly claims) was taken from the cal
endar and passed.
MIR. Blair made formal motion TO re-
consider the vote passing the bill, ana
commented in a satirical manner upon
the rapidity with when $50 claims,
amounting to $3.50. 900, had been passed
by the Senate, occupying only hiteen
minutes by tia clock. lie alluded to II
as an instance of neiarious disregard OF
duty ON the part of Congress when iau
been properly stigmatized by announcer
department of the Government.
I'm the course OF the debate which FOL
lowed Mr.. Harris inquired OF the chair
man OF the Committee on Claims MIR.
Spooner) as e. another OF these claims
bills passed 10y the House many months
AGO and referred TO that committee.
Mr.. Spoouer replied that the bill IN
ouestion As il came from the House APP
propriatcd $3.50, 600, bat that amend
mepts had been offered TO IT by senators
until II now aggregated $i66, 900. The
Committee on Claims had referred
the bill 10 himself, and he had
looked into several OF the claims
~ passed upon by the Court OF
Claims and found that the findings
Of the court were not sustained by the
testimony. He could not therefore re-
port such claims TO the Senate. lie had
found that over 4j,0 600 claims for army
snpphos Ind been rejected by the Quar-
terinaster's Department, and over 10000
bv the Commissary Department, and
vast number 10y the Southern Claims
Commission. and many Of these rejected
claims had gone before the Court OF
Claims and had been reported favorably
upon and were embraced IN the bill he
fore the committee. He informed the
Senate that this was the first OF the
omnibus bills-the 0raHf courier OF
similar bills that would involve
from $1,000 900 TO $50, 0OO, coo. lie
understood that fourteen Of these omni-
lus bills had been favOmbly reported ID
the House and were ROW on the calendar,
So that Ii hehooved the Senate and Its
committees 10 act with great care on
euch bills. Nearly al Of the rejected
claims had found their way, or would
find their wav. under the Bowman act,
T. the Court of Claims tie desired 70
saw that unless otherwise ordered 10y the
Senate me would proceed. as he had been
proceeding. 10 examine each case on ITS
merits. aud If that examination were
not finished until the next session the
mll would not be reported till next ses-
sion.
The Senate then Mt o'clock resumed
the consideration Of the Chinese exclu-
SION bill. and was addressed by Mr..
Stewart ia advocacy of IT,
Ne,srs Teller, HoM and George also
spoke upon the bin. and then It went
over till tomorrow without action.
Nj Plumb offered q resolution (Which
was adopted requesting the President 10
transmit o. the Senate al correspondence
or communication concerning the recent
Chinese treaty between the State De
partment and the American Minister TO
China or any other representative or
agent OF the United States IN China or
elsewhere.
The Senate then, at 5:l5, adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
Immediately after the reading of the
Journal the House resumed the conside-
ration of the sundry civil appropriation
bill the pending amendment being that
relutiyc 10 the reclamation of ard re-
gIons.
Mr.. Blount, Of Georgia, made an
earnest appeal for economy in public eX-
peuditures, declaring that waste of the
public money and tie reduction of taxa
ton were utterly inconsistent The only
way to1educe expenditures was TO reduce
them, and unless the Democratic House
made its expenditures on a moderate
scale the Judgment of the country would
be of scorn and contempt.
Finally, after long debate upon the
motion Of Mr.. Bland, Of Missouri, the
appropriation in the Senate amendment
was reduced from $3.50 900 to 500, 0C0.
Mr.. Holman, Of Indiana, then offered a
substitute for the Senate amendment
providing that the necessary expenses
for carrying on the work of survey shall
bc paid from the appropriation for topo-
graphic survey OF the United States and
euspending the operation OF the desert
land law duringthe tendency in Congress
Of legislation looking to It's repeal. The
vote resulted yeas, 81 nays, %. Ma
quorum, and the House at 49, adjourned.