Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-13
IN LEGISLATIVE HALLS.
Measures and Subjects In Both senate and
House Yesterday.

| SECRETARY WINDOWS LETTER OK THE SURPLUS
AND PENSION PArNESrs-sESAroR ouAr's NEW
FEDERAL ELECTIONS BLL-rHK EXECUTIVE
MANSION EXTENSION.
In letter to Senator Allison. chairman of
the senate appropriations committee, on the
subject Of the surplus and pension payments
| Secretary Window saws: In response TO your
request have examined the draft OF an amend
ment submitted by the Interior Department
designed to carry out the Recommendation in
my report for a change in the periods when
pension payments are made and beg 70 return
the same with the statement that in my opinion
1t Will If enacted into law have the effect de-
sired.
Ii Is opportune to refer to the fact that the
principal reason which prompted the sugges-
tion for this proposed scheme is that the pres
ent system Of paying all the pensions upon the
| same day OF the month four times wear in
wolves the accumulation in the treasury Of large
| sums OF money during the interim between the
| oates OF payment. IL the periods Of payment
are increased to twelve the withholding of
| money from circulation will be avoided and a
more even and continuous fow of money dis
| pursed on account of pensions will be secured.
In addition to this the change would be of
great benefit to the assistant treasurers upon
| whom the checks are drawn in the distribution
| throughout the year Of the clerical labor in
| volved. In this connection / quote from let
ter from the assistant treasurer at New York:
| lhe recommendation on page 10 of your an
nual report just transmitted to Congress pre-
| sents the advantages to be gained by the pro-
posed change in the periods for the payment of
pension checks SO conclusively as TO justify the
belief that the law will be modified to carry out
| the suggestions. The change would further
more be of great value TO this Office as il would
| distribute the labor in connection with the pay
4 M to- ~hr--- A.
caused at the beginning of each quarter by the
| vast volume OF checks coming from the several
| agencies ali at once"
| regard the proposed change as important
IN Its relation to the fiscal operations of the
| Treasury Department and believe that there
can be no valid objection TO the plan suggested.
SENATOR oUAYs ELECTIONS BILL
| The elections bill introduced by Senator QUAY,
mentioned in yesterdays STAR, is entitled San
act to prevent force and fraud in federal cleo
tions and insure the lawful and peaceful con-
| duct thereof" The bill differs in many re-
srects from the elections bill on the Senate
| calendar.
| The first section directs the United States
| district or circuit judge on petition of ten or
more citizens of any city or county in his ju-
dielal district to appoint three qualified voters
board OF supervisors. not more than two TO
be Of one party. This board is to be empow-
| cred to demand of the registrar a COPY of his
| u
the polling place TO purge the books of persons
| not qualified 10 vote.
Other sections of the bill require the regis
| trar In advance of the election 10 register such
persons only as a board of supervisors decides
| to be qualified to vote for Representative in
! Congress. Provision is also made in the event
| OF the registrar s failure for the board to con-
duct the registration and TO deliver the books
to the judges OF election. During the election
| the supervisors are to see that the poll books
1 are rightly kent and the hallata
| ceived, and that unauthorized persons are not
admitted to the polling place They are also 20
examine suspected ballots, verify the count and
canvass, ana supervise the makeup Of the re-
| turns. delivering one copy to the chief SUPER
| visor of the judicial district and the other to
| the clerk of the board of canvassers of the CITY
or county appointed by the state. They are
also to attend the proceedings of the board of
city or county canyassers. supervise the can
| vass, make up the returns and see that the lat
| ter are delivered, one copy 10 the secretary of
| the commonwealth and the other 70 the clerk of
! the United States court. Authority il con-
| ferred upon tie board of supervisors to arrest
| and commit for twenty-four hours any person
| disturbing the peace OF the polls or attempting
| to influence voters. The United States circuit
judges are authorized to appoint for each Judi
cal district a chief supervisor and register of
elections at salary of GOO per annum. who is
| to receive and preserve the returns required to
! be made to the court. The above described
provisions replace fourteen sections of the
| original bill; the remainder of the bill is made
up of all after section I6 OF the committee bill
| to which is added the following section:
When 1t shall appear to the satisfac ton of the
| President of the United States that Tin any To-
| cality) the provisions of tkis Law cannot other
wise be executed, it shall be his duty, and he is
hereby empowered, to suspend there the writ
| of habeas corpus and TO employ the armed
forces of the United States, rava. and military
| for Its enforcement and for the protection of
| the officers whose duties are herein provided
| for.
| A MONUMENT To GEN. FARNswoRra
In the House yesterday Representative
ONeill (Pa.) presented resolution of the Gen.
Judson Fitzpatrick Camp asking Congress to
erect a monument. on the Gettysburg battle
HELD to the memory Of Brig. Gen. L. J. Farms
worth.
/ LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES.
| Senator Mcmillan yesterday introduced bill
authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury TO
suspend for one year the operation of the law
| requiring steamers to provide themselves with
line carrying projectiles and the means of pro-
polling them. The Secretary is also directed
to report to Congress as to whether the neces-
sity exists for such life saving appliances as
are now required by the regulations of the
| Secretary of the Treasury Department, and
what changes ne recon mends to meet the needs
Of life saving and the shipping interests.
TIE EXECUTIVE MANSION EXTENSION.
The bill introduced yesterday by Senator
Stanford for the erection of an extension 10
the Executive Mansion, description of which
was published in last Saturdays STAR. makes
an appropriation of $3.50, 900. the extension to
be made in accordance with the plans proposed
| by Mrs. Harrison.
| DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATION BILL
Representative Hit, from the committee on
foreign affairs. yesterday reported to the
House the diplomatic and consular appropria-
| ton bill
The approx ration act for this service for a
number of years has contained a provision
that there SHAH be estimated for specifically,
under classifi ed consulates. all consulaies and
| commercial a yencies where the fees collected
| or compensation allowed exceeds 81 900. Pur-
suant to this provision of law, the estimates
| submitted by The department included eighteen
commercial AGENCIES paid by fees and not by