The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-21
MRS. PARNELrs PENSION.

OF Information and not little curiosity
as to why Mrs Parnell was granted /;
pension, the following from the Congress
sional Record of May 10 may be of inter
est:
Mr.. Cummings-Thisp pension bill is fol
the benefit of the daughter of Admiral
Charles Stewart and the fact that she is
the mother of Charles Stewart Parnell
has nothing to do with it.
Born in Philadelphia, he entered the
navy as lieutenant on March 9, 1879
He served in frigate in the West In
dies, operating against French privatees
| On July 10, while in the command OF
the Experience, he captured the French
| schooner Deux Amis. He was afterwarG
chased by two French vessels. By skill,
! fully avoiding them he afterward caught
them separately and captured the
schooner Diana before her sister vessel
| could assist her. On November 16, 1900
| he took the privateer Louisa Bridger. In
| December he rescued sixty women and
! children, who had been wrecked while
| flying from the revolution in San Do
mingo.
In 1902 Stewart served as executive of
the Constellation, blockading Tripoli. In
1903 he was placed in command of the
brig Siren, in Preble's squadron off
| Tripoh. There he conveyed Decatur in
the Intrepid to destroy the Philadelphia.
He participated in all the attacks on
| Tripoh and was included In the vote of
thanks in congress on March 3. 1905, to
Prebie's officers. He took command of
the Essex and went with the fleet to
Tunis, where he convinced his cOmman-
der-in-chief that it was illegal to make
war except by declaration of congress.
In 1906 he commanded the COnStella-
ton and was promoted TO captain April
%, 1906. He superintendent the con-
struction Of gunboats at New York in
1S06-07. With cambridge, at the out
break of the war of 1912, he dissuaded
the cabinet from the proposed policy of
not sending the navy to sea against the
British. He was appointed to command
the Constellation in that war. In going
to Norfolk he met the British fleet, which
he sllillfully avoided. He afterward
participated in the defense of that city.
In the summer of 1918 he took COM
mand of the Constitution. He destroyed
the PictOu, an armed ship, and the brigs
Chatharine and Phoenix. He chased
several British ships of war and the fri
gate La Piqua, and narrowly escaped
two British frigates near Boston. With
new sails he left Boston in December,
1914. He captured the brig Lord Nelson
off Bermuda, December "a, 1914 and the
ship Susan off Lisbon. On February %,
1915. he took two British ships of war,
the Cyane and Levant, after spirited
engagement Of fifty minutes. While at
anchor at St. Jago, Cape de Verde
Islands, a British fleet approached. He
ran out of the harbOr and adroitly es-
capped with the Constitution and Cyane.
The Levant was recaptured by the fleet
in the neutral harbor.
For this exploit Commodore Stewart
received from congress a vote of thanks.
a sword and a gold medal. The Penn
svlvania legislature gave him a sword,
and he was presented with the freedom
of New York.
Like the famous frigate Constitution,
Stewart received the appellatiOn of "Old
IrOnsideS." He commanded the Nedi-
terranean squadron in the Franklin in
1Sl6-'20, and the Pacific squadron in
1S20-'24. On the Pacific coast he caused
a paper blockade to be annulled and
indicated the rights of American COM
navy in 1890 %. commanded the Brook
lvn navy yard in 1854, and III 1911
was mentioned as candidate for presi-
dent, but was not nominated. He had
charge of the home squadron in 1928,
commanded the Philadelphia navy yard
again in 1916, and from 1854 to 1851. He
was retired as senior commodore III 1856
and flag officer in 1850, and on July Is.
1 oil
after which he was on waiting orders uu-
til after his death. He was in the service
seventy-One years, and was senior officer
in the American navy for seventeen
years.
Such, Mr.. Speaker. is the record of this
officer. The retired list Of the
navy today costs the government
81 .650. 900 yearly. Since this list was
established the total aggregate cost has
been SIG, 331 ,000. The records, Mr.. Speak
er. of all the naval officers on the re-
tired list today-and do not say in the
way of diSparagement-wlll not compare
with the record of this one American
admiral. They We're educated at the
expense of the government, and were re-
tired on three-quarters pay when %
years old. He was actively on duty
over seventy-one years. Many Of them
received prize money; he got not cent
from the Levant, although cut out of a
neutral port. His patriotism was so
great that he never claimed prize money.
If the country had returned him his
due his daughter today would not be
suffering for the necess aries of life. She
is "A years old. sick. infrm and destitute. (
Not two weeks ago you passed pension
bill here granting 70 the widow of Adj (
niral Nicholson 800 a menth. 1t was
money well bestowed. How. in view Of
your action then. can you cut the pro |
posed pension of the daughter Of "Old /
Ironside5" down to $50 a month, sur
passes my comprehension. | appeal 20 |
your manhood and patriotism to restore ,
this pension to what was proposed in the /
original bill.