Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
Debate in the Senate on
Army Nurses Pensions.
A NUMBER OF BILLS PASSED.
Labor Topics Discussed in the
House-ImpOrtant Com
mittee Work.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, March 2l.--In the
Senate to-day, Blair, in reference to
the bill to give preference to civil
service appointments to wounded ex-
soldiers of the confederacy before men
who had been disloyal, said that
several Senators on both sides had
requested him to have the bill lie
over still further. He therefore asked
it's postponement till next Tuesday,
when he would ask the Senate to dis
pose OF the question Of the second
reading OF the bill. The bill was laid
over as proposed.
The Senate then proceeded to act
UPON bills on the calendar. Bills
passed to establish a United States
court in the Indian Territory; to al
low soldiers and sailors who have lost
both hands or the use Of both hands,
500 per month; the House bill to
facilitate the prosecution OF works pro-
iected for the improvement Of rivers
and harbors with the amendments on
which conference committee was
ordered and Senators Dolph, Frye and
Vest appointed granting the Wash
ineton and Idaho Railroad Company
right of way through the C@ur
d'Alene Indian reservation; granting
to the Newport and Kings Valley
Railroad Company the right of way
through the Seilets Indian res
eryation in Oregon; to grant
to the State Of Oregon
certain lands in that State for
a public park; amending the statute
as to the disposition of the property
of the United States, such as laEds or
property acquired from sureties Or
under the revenue law; granting GAO
acres OF the public land of Wyoming
for a hatchery, ETC.; to authorize
juries of the United States Circuit and
District Courts to be used inter-
changeably, and to provide for the
drawing OF talesmen; regulating fees
for exemplification Of land patents.
Senator Cullom, on behalf Of the
minority of the Committee ON Ter
ritories, to-day presented report
opposing the annexation of the
panhandle of Idaho to Washington
Territory, and favoring the admission
into the Union of the Territory Of
Washington with its present bound
ary.
PENSIONS FOR NURSES.
The bill reported by Blair allowing
a pension of $25 month to women
enrolled during the war as army nurses
and who rendered six months SER
vices having been reached, report
was read in which it was stated that
the beneticiaries under it would not
average more than six or eight to each
State.
Beck called for the ayes and nays,
remarking that Of course if this bill
would pass it would apply to every
colored woman who had cooked for
soldiers during six months, and ac-
cording to the report just received,
such women were entitled as "Roman
matrons."
Edmunds did not see on what prin-
ciple the bill proceeded. The Asso.
citation OF nurses, whose memorial
had been read had rot asked for it.
They only asked apparently to be
placed on the footing of soldiers vino
had been disabled in the service. No
pensions were yet given to soldiers
not so disabled and, as friend of
women's rights, he did not believe in
making such an invidious distinction.
Beck objected to the further consid-
Grafton of the bill, and hoped that the
committee OH pensions would call on
the secretary Of war for the number Of
female nurses enrolled during the war,
so that the Senate might know within
at least a million of dollars, what the
bill was to take out of the treasury.
If the Senate was to give $25 month
to every woman, white or black, who
had cooked for soldiers six months,
them there we're.
Under objection the bill went over.
OTHER PUBLIC BILLS
On the calendar were then passed, as
following: The House bill to divide
the great Sioux Indian reservation
ultO StpdIdtc suudllcI IcocIVdIlOuS Will
a substitute, being the Senate bill
TO divide portion Of the reservation
of the Sioux nation of Indians in Da-
kota into separate reservations and
secure accomplishments Of the Indian
title to the remainder; to provide
for the sale of the site Of Fort Omaha,
Nebraska, and for new site and con-
struction Of suitable buildings thereon.
Frye reported back the House bill
authorizing the President to arrange a
conference for the purpose of promot-
ing arbitration and encouraging recip-
rocal commercial relations between
the United States and Mexico, Cen
trail and South America and Brazil.
Placed on the calendar.
The Senate then adjourned.