Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-01
NATIONS CAPITAL.
The Dependent Pension Bill
Passes The Senate.
The Urgent Deficiency Bill Nearly
Ready to be Reported.

wAsuISGros. Mar. 81 The dependen
pension biii vas taken up, the first saes
tion ,eing on Piumb's amendment removlu z
the Limitation as TO arrears of pensions
making pensions on accounts of wounds
/ injuries or diseases, commencing with death
or discharge of the soldier.
| Faulkner "a member Of the committee
argue. that the amendment was OF too
! great importance TO be acted upon by the
4 Senate without frat being considered ia
com mittee.
! Coesrell declssed that if the estimate of
the commissioner Of pensions was S47s.-
| 900 Geo, it would cost $500 900 600, and
/ half Of that sum would have TO be paid out
at the first quarterly payment
| Blair favored the principle Of Plumb's
amendment. and argued that il should be
brought forward as an independent meas
! ure.
Frye regretted the amendment before
the Senate, not that il placed him ia posi-
| ton where he had to vote for it or against
il, but because he should regard its adop-
tion as terrible menace to the soltiers of
the country. He had held for long time
land had undertaken to show il in his ad.
dresses TO the soldiers of his own State)
that it vas pace too rapid altogether for
their welfare and good. and was in danger
of Overlapping in the matter of pensions.
When Cleveland commenced to veto the
pension bills. the democ ratio party ratified
" hat he did, and many of the business men
in the republican party did too. He .aid
to the Senators sho were pressing the
amendment, that they were imperiling the
truest interests of the soldiers. and creating
prejud ces against pensions. II the amend
ment was adopted and the bill enacted into
a law, the soldiers who looked forward TO
tie .ervice pension bill would look in vain
lie dared not vote for a proposition that he
believed Was absolutely destructive to the
best interests of the soldiers, and should be
COMPEL ID to vote No" on the amend.
ment
Ha~ley expressed his personal obligation
to Frye for telling the serious truth Of the
matter. He did not believe that Anne ricaB
soldiers asked for the amendment. The
American nation certainly had not been
stingy. The pension expenditure neIs
year would amount to nearly $3.50 ,o00, coo
He asked the Old soldiers 10 r. mt mter that
those enormous sums of money came gu,
of the pockets very largely of people As
poor = the mse'ves. He quoted Grant as
say ing thai he would not vote one dollar to
able bodied men. The theory of a pension
is that il takes care of a man today, a SUI
ferer by reason of his service in the army,
not that it shall 20 bsck ten, fifteen or
twenty yeirs, hen the man did not apply |
for a pension, and pay him five, six or ten
THOUSAND dollars.
Teller said be intended to vote for the |
bill as it came from the committee.
After further discussion, Plumb amend |
ment was rejected yeas, .; NAYS, 4G;
Frye voting nay, Hale not voting.
Call offered an amendment 10 include |
these wh1 served in the Indian wars PRIOR |
to 1870. r. R4jecsed, yeas 20, nays 2s.
Vest offered an amendment providing |
that the none :ecesssry to meet the appro- |
prlation un Ter .is bill be raised by incnmr |
tsx of ) per ce' on income between 81 |
600 and 5000, "A per cent between So. 0'0
and $40 900. ard & per cent ever $40 900 |
Davis moved to lay the amendment on
the table. Agreed TO, yeas 20, nays IL |
A strict party vote.
Plumb offered an amendment to pay a
pension of s8 a month to all who served |
ninety days IN the lste war and who are
sixty-two years of ago or a, they attain that
age.
Davis and Pierce objected to the amend
meDt.
The amendment was rejected, yeas 10,
nays 80. Frye voted yea.
The bill wa. passed, yeas AZ. nays l2.
The bill provides pensions allo osel de-
pendent parents nnder this act, shall com
mence from the date of fling of application
hereunder ard continue no longer than the |
existence of thei. dependence. All per
sons who served three months or more in
military or naval service, of the United |
States during the late war of the r bellion
and honorably discharged therefrom, now
suffering from mental or ply seal disability, |
not the result of their own vicious habits. |
Vhich renders them una Die to earn their |
support shall be placed upon the list Of in
valid pensioners entitled to receive Sl2 per |
month, such pension to commence from date |
of filing of the application in the pension |
Office, upon proof that disability then exis
ted shall con,ihu, during existence of same
any officer or enlisted man who served |
three months or more in the army or navy |
of the United StStes during the WIZ and was
honorsbly discharged, who has died or shall |
hereafter die, leiviQg widow, or minor |
children under Is years of age, or q d.
dependent father or mother, such depend |
ant shall be PLACED upon the pension roll at
rates established without regard to cause of
death of such officer " enlisted man. pro |
vid, d the cau'e f the death OF such officer
or man was not due to the violation of civil
or military larsr the result of vicious
habits. and that faid widow was married to
the deceased fffer or enlisted man prior
to the passage dthis act. All pensions
grant TO widows un Ter this act shall take
effect from the ta,e of the death of the
husbands of suci widows, not dating back
of the passage o. this act. The increase
of tho pensions or minor children shall be |
at the rate of - month. II the case of
minor children insane or Otherwise help
less, the pension ,hail continue during the
life of said child or during the period of
su h disability.
No person engaged in prosecuting any
claim under the PROVISIONS of this act shall
demand or receive for such services sum
greater than $40, the sum to be payable
only upon an orrier on the commissioner OF
pensions by the Pnsion agent making pay
ment of the penson sl.wed. Any VIC ator /
of the provsi nsof tbs section, or who |
shall wrorgfnlly withhold from the pen
sioner or clsimsn the whole or any part or
pension or clam under this act. shall be |
deemed guilty of mi.Jle me amor and uppn
conviction shall be fined not exceeding
$500. or IMPRISONMENT at hard labor not
exceeding two years, or both.
The Montana aection case was taken up
to make it unf1i.iei bu.iness. After an
executive session he Senate at 5 50 al
jonrned.
Houss Takes Lction on the Army
ApprooIiation Bill.
On motion of Carlisle of Kentucky a res
olutinn VA. aHnnfeI al ling on the Sacratary