Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-29
! CONGRESSIONAL.
wHAr rHR sATroNAL LAWMAKERS
DID YESTERDAY.
work In the House and the ssnats-An
Animated Discussion on the
Pension Bill.
tBy telegraph to the Disps,ch.l
WASHINGTON. February %, 1888.

70 have taken place IN ltANS t'n euC pS-
tition OF Stephen Hackworth and otbers)
was reported back from the Committee
on Contingent Expenses aud agreed to.
Among the hills introduced and re-
ferred TO committees were the following !:
By Mr.. Sherman: Authorizing the
issue of circulating notes 20 national
banks to the par value OF the bonds
deposited therefor.
The Senate Committee on Finance
has ordered a favorable report on Sen
ator Sherman's bill for the investment
OF certain funds in the Treasury. The
hill has been amended. and Is now as
follows:
Re il enacted 6y the Senate and
House of Representatives ofthc United
States of America ia Congress assem-
blcd. That the Secretary of the Urea.
sury is hereby authorized and directed
from time 10 time TO invest not exceed
inc so per centum of the fund held IN
the Treasury for the redemption Of the
notes OF the national banks failed, IN
"liouidation," and in reducing the cir
culation by purchase in the open market
of anv bonos of the United States bear
ING interest. That whenever money on
hand TO the credit of said fund shall
fall below 90 per centum OF the
fund deposited, the Secretary OF the
Treasury is hereby authorized and di-
rected from time to time to sell in open
market any portion of the bonds pur-
chased for said fund as may be neces-
sary, in his opinion, TO enable him to
nav as presented any notes OF national
banks for the redemption of which said
fund is held, the purpose of this section
being to maintain in the Treasury Tor
such redemption not less than 20 per
centum and not exceeding 30 per centum
OF the money deposited.
On motion of Mr.. Eustis the Senate bill
for the purchase of site and the erec-
ton of a building for post office, United
States courts. and other Government
uses in New Orleans mot to exceed in
COS. 81 200, 0O0) was taken from the cal
endar aud passed.
The Senate then resumed considera-
ton of the bill granting pensions to ex-
soldiers and sailors who are incapacitated
from the performance OF manual labor
and providing for pensions to dependent
relatives OF deceased soldiers and sail
ors-the question being on the adoption
of Mr.. Calls amendment making the
bill apply also TO those who served IN the
war with Mexico or for thirty days III
any of the Indian wars. The amend
ment was agreed to.
Mr.. Blair offereda resolution changing
the phraseology of the second section,
and In explaining it ne said that the con-
struction given in the debate yesterday
TO the word incapacitated would make
the bill one of the most far-reaching OF
any pension bill yet passed. inasmuch as
the minimum pension for the slightest
incapacity would be Sl2 a month. He
did not believe that with that cOnstruc-
ton given to it the bill would ever cross
successfully the wide waste lying be-
tween the Senate and the statute-book
He thought that the Senate had to hesl-
tate before inserting IN the bill Prov.
sions for Indian and other wars, and
should provide in it exclusively for ex-
soldiers of the war Of the rebellion.
Mr.. Henderson appealed to the Senate
to pass the bill as it had been formu-
lated by the Pension Committee OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic. He
would be glad to see bill passed in the
nature of service-pension bill, but he
did not think it well to cucumber the
pending bill with that idea.
Mr.. Davis. who has charge OF the bill,
conceded with Mr.. Henderson in the
opinion that all of the amendments
adopteded yesterday should be struck
out and the bill left as reported unani-
mously from the Committee on
Pensions. 1t had been prepared, he
said, by committee representing 4OO,-
900 members of the Grand Army OF the
Republic who knew the wants to be
remedied and the needs to be supplied.
They had said "We will be content
with this. We ask no more for the
present. We trust to the future for the
further relief to which we are entitled. "
Mr.. Plumb intimated that there was
something of "juggle concealed in
the bill The effort seemed TO be to get
no bill not TO meet the wishes Of Con-
gress, but to meet the wishes OF some
body else. He repeated his belief that
the Grand Army OF the Republic did not
endorse the bill as it stood. But whether
il did or not, he was in the Senate to
leeislate and TO consider what was due
10 ex-soldiers of the Union and to an
enlightened public opinion. In conclu-
sion he called on the Democratic mem
bers of the Committee on Pensions 10
express their views as to the bill.
Mr.. Faulkner, member of that COM
mittee, said that after careful analysis
and examination of the bill he had given
1t his support in the committee and
would give il bis support In the Senate
unless the amendments now In 1t were
retained He declared that if the bill
passed with the amendment of the Sena.
tor from Kansas, striking out the word
"totally" before the word "inca-
pacitated" the annual pension list
would exceed S150,000,0O0. II the bill
was defeated the responsibility would
not rest on the Democratic side OF the
chamber. 1t would rest on those sena
tors who had put amendments into the
bill with the certain knowledge OF its
being vetoed who had done IL with
their ewes open and with the understand
ing that not only consistency, but con.
scious sentiment Of duty, even although
an election was coming on this year,
would require the same to be done now
as was done last session with q like bill.
Mr.. Plumb asked Mr.. Faulkner
whether, under the bill as reported by
the committee, person who could per.
form any manual labor would be entitled
to its benefits.
Mr. Faulkner replied in the negative
Mr. Plumb inquired whether there
would be any grading OF pensions under
the bill.
Mr.. Faulkner again replied in the
negative.
Sir. Plumb asked whether he believed
the President would veto the bill.
The presiding officer (Mr. ingalls,
here interfered and said that it had
always been held to bea breach OF order Il
refer in debate TO the action of the Execn
tive.
Mr.. Plumb expressed his regret tina
the Chair had not thought so when the