The morning call., 1890-06-24
CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.
Conference Report on the Dependent Pension
Bill Agreed To.


Bill Agreed To.
WASHINGTON, June 23.-In the Senate
to-day ingalls, offered a resolution, which
was agreed to, instructing the Committee
on Privileges and Elections to inquire as to
the date when, under the law and prece-
dents, the salaries of the Senators from
Montana, Washington, North and South
Dakota began.
The Senate resumed consideration Of the
Agricultural College Aid Bill.
Morrill, offered substitute for the vari-
Gus amendments pending Saturday as to
divisions of the fund between colored and
white schools.
Pugh withdrew his amendment Nor
rtlPs amendment was then adopted, and
the bill as passed in committee was taken
up and Berry spoke against it.
The conference report ON the Dependent
Pension Bill was then considered, and
Berry took the floor in opposition to it.
"The practical effect of it would be-"
Berry said, ito put 80 per cent of the Union
soldiers on the pension-roll, which would be
S200,000000, and the cry would still be for
more, and yet no Northern Senator or Rep
resentatve dared to stand up in opposition
to the Pension Bill. Northern Democrats
and Northern Republicans contended with
each other as to which will go the farthest
to satisfy these demands. II any Southern
Senator or Representative dared oppose
the Pension Bill he was told on one side
that he would injnre his party, and on the
other be denounced as traitor who had
no right to announce any opinion on the
subject of pensions"
German also opposed the conference re-
port. The expenditure under the bill ag-
gregated S7S,673, 054. and this added to the
S115, 100000 under the existing law would
leave the Treasury bankrupt in 1891
Davis. Chairman of The committee said
that Berry had been consistent opponent
of pension legislation for the benefit of
Union soldiers, and what he said to-day
was on direct line with what he had said
on other occasions. Davis denied the cor
rectness of Gorman's figures and said the
expenditures under the bill would be about
S40,000000. He denied that the bill was 4
service pension bill and asserted that it was
disability bill pure and simple.
German said If the bill became a law there
would be deficit of S100,000,000 in 1892,
and even il it did not become law there
would be a deficit of s40,000,000 He called
attention to what the Republican leader
(Alr. Blaine) "the greatest leader that the
party had had in his day and generation"
had said as to the extravaganza of the ap-
prOpriations and the unthoughtful md un-
wise legislation in the matter of revenue.
He complimented Davis for the courage
with which he had stemmed the tide of
demagOgues and claim agents and pre-
vented the reporting of bill that would
have cost S150.000,000 year.
ingalls, advocated the conference report,
This was an obligation just as sacred as
that under which the soldiers were paid.
And yet the Senate was asked to postpone
it; to higgle and hagg!e about it. For HIM
self, he was in favor of the removal of the
limitation in the act granting arrears pen
sions. He did not care if it cost
S1,000000,0OO.
Vest spoke of the monstrous abuses that
had grown up under the pension system,
and declared his belief that the pending
bill was being pressed for personal and
political motives. He asserted that the
pension list was undnly swollen in Indiana
because 1t was pivotal State and its vote
necessary to elect the President and he
prophesied that the people in the United
States would revolt against the pension
system and its abuses.
Turpie said that he had not heard of any
charges in Indiana against the Administra-
ton Pension Bureau, and be was not pre-
pared TO say that political bias had any
thing to do with granting or refusing pen
siOns.
Hawley expressed the hope that the SOL
ders would not get an idea from what had
been said to-day that the Senate was favor
able to the payment of arrears pensions, or
to the equalization of bounties or the pay
ment of the difference between paper money
and gold. He thought altogether too much
was said about what the nation owed its
soldiers. The feeling in his State was that
needy soldiers should not suffer, but
that nothing should be wasted on the man
who did not need a pension for his support
The true soldiers did not want the money
wasted. They wanted their suffering COM
rades aided, and they wanted the glory of
having fought for their country without re-
spect to money consideration.
Finally, the discussion closed, and vote
was taken. and the conference reD0rt was
agreed to-ayeS "a, noes 49,
A conference was ordered on the Fortifi-
cation Bill, and Dawes, Plumb and German
were appointed confrerees on the part of the
Senate. After an executive session the Sem
ate adjourned.