Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-21
Elftieth Congress.
THE HOUSE.

THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, April 20-On motion OF
Mr.. McRae Of Arkansas, Senate bill
was passed authorizing the Kansas City,
Texsrkans and Gulf Railroad Company to
construct bridges over Red and Little
rivers in Arkansas.
The House then resumed consideration
Of the Inciin appropriation Dill, the pend
ing question being on motion OF Mr.. Rsn-
dali of Pennsylvania to strike out the
Choctsw judgm Mt section. The motion
was lost Snd the bill passed.
Mr.. TownShend Of Illinois, from the
committee on military 6ffairs, reported S
bill placing General W. + (Bsldy) Smith
on the retired list, with the rank OF M jo--
ger<sal.
A private calendar motion to proceed to
consideration of private business was de-
feated by the managers of various appro.
priat on bills.
On motion Of Mr.. Blanchard, chairman
Of the committee on rivers and harbors,
the House went into committee Of the
whole on such measure.
Tn first bill on the cslauder was the
pension appropriation DILL, and Mr..
Blanchard showes aGisposition to object
TO its consideration in the interest of
the river and harbor bill, but in view
of the statement by Mr.. Foran Of OHIO
that 1t could be disposed of In an hour,
he withdrew all obi scdons and the PEN
sion bill wss taken up.
Mr.. Henderson OF lows, in speaking
to the bill, alluded to the recent action
of the House in regard to the purchase
of bonds with the surplus in order
to dispeI doubts in the mind of
the President as to his authority
to purchase bonds, such authority having
been conferred in an appropriation bill.
In examining the arrears of pension acts
1t would be found there was no limitation
as to the time when claims be fled. The
only Limitation ever placed upon that act
WAS found in an appropriation bill. He
felt 1t to be his duty to csll the attention
of the administration 10 this fact, for if
the Pres dent had trouble in buying bonds
with the surplus he should have equal
difficulty in not allowing arrears Of pen
sions. II the President could not without
an expression of opinion from the House
go into the market and buy bonds,
he had no right, II he was
logical and consistent, to Withhold
errearages Of pensions. He appealed to
the President to be consistent Come up
like s little man and allow arrears of PEN
sions to the boys who filed their claims
within the provisions Of the act. That
should be done until q declarstory act
was passed saying that he must be gev-
erned by the provisions Of the appropria-
ton bill. He then referred to the admin
istration of the Mexican pension law by
the pension Office. So rspid was the
pension bureau, ne said, in recognizing
claims under this law that pensions were
allowed before the Claimant ever put in
his claim, and certificates were issued
when the beneficiary did not know he was
8 claimant. In proof OF this assertion he
sent to the clerks desk and had read an
article in q Chicago paper to the effect
Commissioner Black hsd issued pen
sion certificate to ex Congressman Col.
W.R. Morrison, notwithstanding he was
informed Mr.. Morrison's name did not
appear on the list of applicants, and that
Colonel Morrison had returned 1t stating
he had never applied for pension.
Mr.. Mcdonald OF MISUNDERSTANDING
Mr.. Morrison have refused it II ne had
been Republican,"
Mr.. Hennerson-"I do not know how
that might be, but this 1 do know, that
Col. Morrison never asked for 3 certih-
cate, and II my friend were SO sensitive
about the administration of the pension
office IS he is esger to be smart, he
would give attention to the matter before
the House."
Mr.. McDonald-"I sm smart enough to
say thst 1t is nottIue."
Mr.. Henderson-"I am smart enough
to say thst it is true and l ask the clerk
to read the copy of tae letter from Col.
Morrison"
The letter wss from Col. Morrison to
Chicsgo pension ngeas returning the GER
tifcate of pension aud stating that he was
at loss to know how 1t had been issued,
as he had taken no steps to ootsin 1t and
did not contemplate taking any steps. ~
Mr.. Cultivate Of Ohio-s'You say that
the pension certificates were issued. You
used the plural. VIII you prove another