Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-05
PENSIONVETOES IN THE SENATE
Agricultural Appropriation Bill.
THE LAND FORFEITURE BILL
Under Consideration in the House
The Senate.


A message from the President vetoing a bill
granting pension to Mary Anne Doherty was
presented and read 1t states that large share Of
(adopted also by the House committee) consists OF
the petition In which the woman says that her
| husband (who had served in a New Jersey regi-
menD left her in 1865 and has not been heard OF
SINCE. She had received a pension as the widow Of
Daniel Doherty until it was discovered that he
was alive and living in Philadelphia, and was
hlliiseL craving pension there. She
mad succeeded in getting The pension in the first
instance by much false swearing. The police
records Of Washington (where she has been living)
showed her TO be a woman OF very bad charcter,
and that she had been under arrest nine times for
drunkenness. larceny, creating disturbances, and
other misdemeanors. The theory seemed to be
established (the President says that no man who
served In the army could be the subject OF death,
or OF impaired except as the result OF Army
service, medical theories being set at naught
Even suicide was traced by devious and wonder
| fully curious ways to service In the Army, and the
adjudlcations OF the Pension Bureau were over
ruled In the most peremptory fashion by special
acts OF Congress. The President would yield to
who had defended the Government literally
treated. The unfriendliness TO the veteran
soldiers was charge easily and
good citizen and would be satisfied with generous
fair and equal treatment. The pension list OF the
indiscrimlnate alms-giving. He had attempted to
stem the tide OF imprOvident pension enactInents
but he still felt share OF responsibility in letting
too many OF them become laws. The bill and mes
sage were referred to the committee on PENSIONS
as were two other pension vetOes-One on the
ground that death had no connection with service
In the Army, and the other on the ground that the
records did not show that the soldier In question
(sald to have been oflcer killed In the custer
maSSacre), was in that expedition.
THE AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
The conference report on the agricultural appro-
pration bill was presented and explained In detail
by Mr.. Plumb.
On one point the committee had been unable to
agree, that was the item inserted by the Senate
making an appropriation OF 500. 900 tor continu-
Ing the experiments In the manufacture or sugar
from sorghum. In his (Mr. Plumb's) belief that
| item was worth as much, he was going to say,
as all the remaining portions OF the bill Perhaps
| tina statement would DO TOO strong, but he would
say that the work, heretofore carried on in that
direction (although extravagentiy. improvidently
and with somewhat unnecessary delay had been
OF the greatest possible value Very great progress
had been made; so great, in fact, that there were
to-day erected and IN process OF erection in
Kansas fOurlarge sugar factories, having aggre-
gate capacity or ), ,OOO 600 pounds, and 1t con-
ndently believed that the result OF that work
would still further develop the fact that the
United states could, in very short period OF time
supply all the sugar that Its people consume from
that very common and very valuable plant lvalu-
The conference report was concurred In, and a
further conference was asked on the sorghum item
Mr.. CAN offered resolution, which was adopted,
Calling on the Secretary OF the Interior for tnfor-
| nation as to improper and unlawful selections Of
swamp and overhowed lands.
THE p. o. APPROPRIATION BILL
A conference was ordered ON the Post office ap-
preparation BILL and senators Plumb, Allison and
Beck were appointed. The Senate then, at 40
p. N instead OF adjournng, took recess till 80
10 give time Tor the enrolment OF certain bills
curing the signature OF the presiding officers Of
Doth houses.
House Of Representatives.
On motion OF Mr.. O'Neill tPa.) the Senate joint
resolution was passed authorizing the District
commissioners to designate a site for statue OF
Benjamin Franklin, presented by StilsOn Hutchins
BILLS REPORTED.
Bills were reported as follows: By Mr. Herbert
(Aa-), from the committee naval affairs to au-
thorize the appointment OF an Assistant Secretary
OF the Navy.
BY Mr.. Crisp (Ga.) from the committee on COM
merce, the Senate DILL to perfect the quarantine
service OF the United States.
THE FLORIDA CLAIM
The House then went into the committee OF the
whole the bill for the settlement OF the claim
OF the state Of Florida on account of expenditures
Incurred In suppreSsing Indian hOstilites and for
other purposes Mr.. DOugherty (Fla) spoke briefly
upon the merits OF the BILL setting out the emer-
gency which had called forth The expenditures
and maintaining the Justice and equity OF the
measure.
Mr.. Wh1tthorne (Tenn.) and Mr.. Davidson Fla-)
also advocated the passage OF the BILL pointing to
the precedent in the case OF the payment OF the
similar claim OF the state OF Texas and declaring
that there could be no question OF the liability OF
Mr.. Kerr Qowa) did not believe that the Govern
ment should pay interest on the money expended
as was proposed by the bill. 1t had not done so
heretofore In such cases and any rule should be
general
Mr.. jackson Pa.) said that parties seeking equity
tives Of the state OF Florida had obstructed the
passage OF the bill to refund the direct to other
states and deserved no equity here.
The bill proposed the Appropriation OF an az
gregate sum that could only be wildly guessed at
The morning hour having expired the bill went
over without action.
THE LAND GRANT FORFEITURE BILL
Mr.. Holman Qnd.) called up the Senate land
grant forfeiture bill, with amendments made by
the House committee.
AS amended by the House committee the bill
which, as it came from the Senate, proposed 70
forfeit grants applying to lands lying opposite
portions the aided roads not now Completed de-
clares forfeiture OF the lands lying opposite those
portions OF the roads not completed at the time
specified In the granting acts.
After the substitute had been read various
amendments were offered
sition before the House coming from the com.
mittee, and pointed out the difference in effect
between it and the Senate bill. He said
forfeiture Of 5,627. .436 acres, while the pending
bill would work the forfeiture OF 5432aO98
| acres subject to bona tide sale to settlers
AS he was arguing that the railroads had no
right to sell lands along the uncompleted portions
OF their lines, Mr.. Payson Interrupted him to ask
laid down the precisely opposite doctrine.
Mr.. Holman declined to Ue Interrupted and con.
unueu QlS eXplanatlOn VI the features OF the bill
Capitol Topics.
TIRED OF TARIFF TALK.
In the House Tuesday afternoon Mr.. McKfnley's
motion to restore the existing rates on bar iron led
to sharp political debate and after it had run on
for some time Mr. Bland, Of Missouri, appealed In
behalf OF nine-tenths Of the members of the House
who wanted TO proceed with the business and get
through with this bill before the dog-days and
were tired OF hearing these political discussions
The appeal proved nenectual, and for an hour the
discussion ran on as 10 the position OF the two par
ties on the tarin question. Finally Mr. McKinieys
motion was voted dOwn-56 to 40. Having COM
peted the consideration OF four pages OF the bll
the committee rose, a conference was ordered on
the river and harbOr appropriation bill and the
House adjourned until to-day.
AN AGREEMENT FOR AN EARLY VOTE ON THE MILLS
| BILL.
The leaders on the republican side of the House,
after q conference with their colleagues have no
tined Nj. Mills that they will do nothing to delay
unnecessarily the vote on the tarin bill The
policy on both sides will to do as little TALKING
as possible, tie republicans making merely formal
protest from time to time against items they on
pose. According TO this Arrangement vote Is ex.
pected in about ten days.
| His Skull CruAhed
| A YOUNG NAN KILLED BY THE FALL or A DERRICK
| Thomas Ware, colored, nineteen years OLD was