The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-14
prNsIoN AUTHORIZATIONS.

The total amount Of the appropriations
which have been granted 80 FAR by Congress
for the erection or enlargement Of pubic
buildings. which was referred 20 in TIE
TINES Of Yesterday, is Of an extremely M
significant character as compared WIN
the enormous appropriations for PENSIONS
which it is proposed 20 make before Inc
close Of the present session.
II is stated that the House Committee Oh
Pensions, either have now or have had under
Amusement during the present session. TWO
hundred general and two thousand ana
forty special pension bills. The general
hills may. with some exceptions, be ranged
under three leading heads, the dependent
pension bill. appropriating $50, OOO,OO0per am
mum: the service pensions bill appropriaiins
500. OOO. 900 per annum, and the arrears OF
pension bill which, by the most conscrFa-
live estimate, would necessitate an outlay
ofSl75. O0O.OO0 As the scope Of both the de-
pendent and the service pension bills extends
over seventeen years, the expenditure TOT
that period Of time. under the operations Oh
these bills, would be S2,29j,0o0,ooo, whicn
added 10 the amount that would be paid out
Of fhe Treasury 20 cover the outlay required
for the arrears Of pensions, would bring the
sum total Of the moneys to be appropriated
under the provisions Of these three meas
ures. to the stupendous figure OF S2''V'-
100000.
During the last twenty-five years Sl,V"'-
OOo. 600 have been expended in the form Oh
penslons. and 5000, 100000 are yet TO be paid
under the provisions Of bills that have ai'
ready been passed, which are entirely inoe
pendent of the bills 10 which reference NAE
been made, which are still nndef ADVISE
,,or+ 7, ie NOT su,s.ising that i'm the light
oe the nov. IA legislation Of the past, and
..~l which is now proposed, the CONNER
cial Advertiser Of New York, should
seriously suggest that ipefo~. reg
in,, ont o.. l. 7uuhe, the whole OF the
amount that will be due under the arrears
Of pensions bin, and the sum total of the
annual amounts of seventeen years appro-
prated by the terms Of the dependents and
service pensions bills if all three measures
are passed either at the present OF at some
future session Of Congress, the Government
shall raise the whole amount S2,770'000,O0o,
by the sale Of United States bonds and turn
this over at once TO the benedciarics
Of these various pension bills.
These bonds would only impose upon the
American peoplelan annual addition to their
national expenditures Of So2,500,00O, "a
small amount when compared with the an
nual outlay made necessary by the Service
and dependents, pensions bills alone. There
is considerable doubt as TO whether the
arrears Of pensions bin will be passed,
even if The Republican party re
mains in control. but there is exc
cellent ground for. thinking that the
dependents, and service pensions bills, will
become laws if the Republican party can
carry out its purpose. ltsrctenton Of power
rests entirely upon its ability TO keep alive
the bad feeling engendored by the war, and
the most effective means which they possess
for accomplishing this object is TO appeal
both to the self interest and the partizan-
ship Of the survivors of the conflict.