Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-28
Fiftieth Congressional Session.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 81


SENATE.-Among the memorials and petit
tions presented and referred were the fellow
ing: To repeal the limitations to the act
granting arrears of pensions; for the passage
| of the per diem rated service pension bill
against the repeal of the oleomargarine bill
| for cheap and efficient telegraph service
open to all without discrimination; for the
repeal of the internal revenue tax on alco.
holic liquors.
A bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to permit the Edward Libbey post,
Il. A. R., to erect a soldiers monument on
vacant lands adjoining the custom house at
Rockland, Me-, was reported from the COM
mittee on public buildings and passed.
On motion of Nh. Edmunds the Senate resum-
ed consideration of the bill to incorporate the
Maritime Canal company of Nicaragua. The
several amendments to the Nicaragua bill re-
ported by the committee on foreign relations
were agreed to-
Mr.. Edmunds offered resolution declar-
ing that nothing in the act should be deem
cd or construed to restrict or impair in any
way any right of the United States under
any treaty in force with the republic of Mica
ragua; agreed to.
MIR. Vest offered a resolution declaring
that nothing in the act should be held or
construed to involve in any manner the
United States in any pecuniary obligation
except as to the payment of tolls. The
amendment was rejected; yeas 81, nays %.
Mr.. Vest offered another amendment pro-
viding that no part of the capital stock paid
in shall be at any time withdrawn or
returned to the stockholders. or be in any
manner diverted from the pepper uses of the
corporation. The amendment was rejected;
yeas II, nays 26.
Mr.. Vost also offered an amendment that
if stock to the amount Of $4,000, 900 be not
subscribed and ten per cent. thereon actually
paid within two years, or If the work of con-
struction shall be not actually commenced and
be in progress at the expiration of four years,
the corporation then shall be deemed to have
expired by limitation; rejected, yeas Is,
nays 25.
Mr.. Vance offered an amendment requir-
ing that all laborers employed in the work
should be either native or naturalized citizens
of the United States; rejected, yeas 10,
nays 80.
The bill was then reported back from the
committee of the whole and the amendments
agreed upon in committee were concurred in.
Mr.. Vest again offered his amendment that
the United States government should have
no pecuniary obligation in connection with
the work and it was again rejected; yeas 90,
nays 26.
The bill was then passed; yeas 38, nays Is.
The bill Incorporates Frederick Billings Charles
L. Hotchkiss, Edward F. Beale, Hiram Hotchkiss,
G. Ridgely Goodwin, A; c, Cheney, j.. F; O'Shaugh-
gss MTayo charles ae as Tar
son GarFett John 4 Aldige Mills
DeSTss E. TIop
Sen Wh te and p nay
body polite in deed and in law by the name, style
and title of THE Maritime Canal company of Mica
ragua,' for the construction. equipment. manage
ment and operation of ship canal from the Allan
tory Of the republic of Nicaragua, or in part
through the territory Of the republic of Costa
canals as may be necessary to connect Herewith
and to exercise such other powers as have
been conferred by the government of Nicaragua by
the concession of that republic to the Nicaragua
Canalsassociation through Mr.. A. 6. Menocal, its
rseites the various rights and privileges given and
also the restrictions placed upon the company The
city of New York. The capital stock is to consist
of not less than million shares Of one hundred
stock to two million shares Of one hundred dollars
each upon the vote of twothrds of the stock of the
company.
The Senate then took up the bill granting
pensions to ex-soldiers and sailors who are
incapacitated for the performance of manual
labor and providing fos pensions to depend
ent relatives of deceased soldiers and sailors.
Mr.. Berry moved to amend the second sec
ton by adding the words 'and who are de-
pendent on their daily labor for support"
Mr.. Davis (who is in charge of the bilD
move to strike out of the amendment the
word ''daily."
Mr.. Platt suggested that the amendment
would exclude class of persons dependent
upon charity for support.
Mr. Blair suggested to Mr.. Berry the sub
stitute for his amendment the words "and
who are without other adequate means of
support"
MIR. Berry accepted Mr. Blairs suggee-
tion-except that he objected to the word
MISUNDERSTANDING it simply without 9th
er means of support"
Mr. Blair moved to insert the word ''ade-
quate" and said the committee on pensions
had tried to do in the bill as nearly as pos
sible what the G.. A. r. desired SO as to get
around, or under, or outside of the presiden-
tial veto 1t was undoubtedly a service pen
sion BILL but the amendment offered by the
Senator from Arkansas would bring the bill
decidedly within the purView of the Presi
dents veto in the last Congress
Mr. Blairs amendment (adding the word
Adequately was agreed to; yeas 30, nays %.
Mr.. Berry's amendment was further
amended, on motion of MIR. Bvarts, by in
scribing the word "self" before the word
Support" and as thus amended the amend
ment was agreed to. It reads, "And who
are without other adequate means of self
support"
s'totally" before the word ''ineapacitated"
and gave notice that if his motion prevailed
he would move to amend further by provid
ing that the pension should be from 81 to
$12 month according to the degree Of inca
pacity.
Mr.. Frye confessed he did not like the
bill. He did not regard it as liberal enough.
It might be construed that the parent of a
dead soldier who had farm worth 81, 900 or
a 81 900 bond from which he drew $40 a
year would be excluded from the benefits of
the bill. He preferred bill (such MS the
Senate had passed four or five years ago. pro-
viding that all soldiers of the Union army
who were then disabled, no matter how, no
matter where, no matter when, should re-
ceive 8 pension He did not believe in giving
to any pensioner less than $12 month under
sny circu instances and he believes the pen
sion for total disability should be very much
more He would vote for the pending bill,
but it was not in response to his own feel
ines of Justice to the soldier or to the de-
pendent parent. A good deal of talk had
been heard for the last four or FIVE years as
to Congress going too fast and too far with
pension bills. He had no sympathy with any
such talk and was confident the time was
not far distant when every soldier who had
served in the army would be pensioned. That
would come from the presumption that age
had incapacitated these soldiers from earning
their living. They would all unite in such a
measure. Perhaps the time fer it had not
yet come and he did not now advocate SER
vice pension.
Mr.. 1latt Goclareu nlLuselI ready TO VOl6
for the best possible bill for the soldiers that
it was practicable to get. He believed that
no person would receive any pension under
the pending measure who was not utterly,
absolutely and completely incapable OF per-
forming any manual labor whatever. It
would relieve but a small proportion of
those who ought to have relief.
After further discussion the amendment
was agreed to-yess 81, nays 23-and the
word "totallV" was struck out.
Mr.. Plumb moved to strike out. the words
sin the degree herein specified. Agreed to;
yeas 26, nays %.
Mr. Plumb also moved to insert the follow
ing: "An pensions granted to widows under
this or any other general law shall take effect
from the date of the death of the husbands
of such widows respectively, but not dating
back of the passage of this act" Agreed to
without division.
Mr.. Call moved an amendment to make the
bill apply to those who served in the Florida
war, but accepted modification of 1t moved
by Mr., Morgan by making it apply to those
who served in the war with Mexico and for
thirty days in the wars with the Indian
tribes.
Without disposing of this amendment the
bill was laid aside and Mr.. Blair proposed an
amendment in order to have it printed pro-