Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-01
TIME FLEETS AWAY
And Senate and House Awake
to the Fact.
FOUR IMPORTANT BILLS DONE WITH

And Ready for the Presidents Signature
Among Them the Pension and Car Coup
Ter Bills-Indfcations That the Senate
VIII Not Insist on Sherman's Bond
Administrations nings from the Talk
in Both Houses-H Honor Paid to Morton
/ by Senators-CapEtaI Notes.
WASHINGTON, Feb 2S.-There was great
deal of talk in both houses yesterday, and
also good deal of business done.
About the first thing that raised
debate in the senate was bill Call wanted
| referred, the object of which was to head
off railway grabbing of swamp lands in
Florida. Reference was opposed and de-
feated. During the debate Wolcott said
that he had no knowledge of the subject of
the senator's bill. He did not know the
| names of the railroad companies which it
affected. He did not know the location CT
the lands. He had never been in Florida
but once; and if tie Lord forgave him he
would never be there again. Laughterl
He understood, however, that there was a
sort of quarrel between railroad companies
in Florida and some gentlemen who want
ed to come to the senate from that state
But he knew that the proposition was an
| interference with the due and intelligent
administration of law, and without any
sort of Notwithstanding but the
| vaguest statements.
Call Was Sarkastikul."
Call replied to W'olcott and expressed
his regret (sarcastically) at the loss which
Florida had sustained by that senator's
visiting the state only once and threaten
| ing never to visit it again. The people of
that state, he said, would have to bear the
| ills of life as best they could He thought
| they would survive without the presence of
| any senator who defended fraudulent con-
| spirators and unscru pulous spectators.
Talked Awhile of Pensions.
Then the pension bill was taken up and
German solemnly called attention to the
| scarcity of senators n the chamber. The
| roll was called and sixty-seven responded
and then the Mary land statesman, with
great 'empressmen5," stated that there
were SIC, 100 names on the pension roll, and
| that the commissioner of pensions had nc
| idea, as fact, of how many would be
| added this year, while it was beyond doubt
that there would be a deficit of S. OOO, 900 tc
| $50, 100000 June 80 next The commits.
|
year would he $3.50, 900, 600 probably, with
| 200, 900 names on the roll.
Remembers the House Action.
| He then Vent on to say that reduction Of
| pension expenses by change in the law was
great question which he did not care TO
enter into now. 1t might come hereafter.
He suggested that there should be provis-
ion for the employment of skilled actua-
ries in the pension Office. Mcpherson
asked what better time was there than the
present to start in that matter. German
said he could not fai to take notice of the
fact that there had been an overwhelming
vote in the house against any change in
the pension laws. The fact was las had
been stated last weel. by the senator from
Illinois. Palmerl thai there had been a RI
valry between the two great political par
ties to see how far they could go in the
matter of pension legislation. All that he
tGormanl desired to do was to call the at
ton of the senate and the people to the fact
that with the present condition of the pen.
sion laws congress would be powerless at
the next session to reduce the pension ap
preparation to any extent.
Views of Palmer of Illinois.
| Palmer said that there was growing
anxiety that pensions should be paid only
to the deserving; and he thought that the
old soldiers pensioners as well as non-pen
sioners) would favor any proposition that
would tend to eliminate from the rolls
those who did not deserve pensions. There
was no disposition to deprive the meritori-
GUS of their pensions, but there was a de
sire to reform the pension laws so that thu
annual payment might be reduced. HI
trusted that the new administration would
find man FOR pension commissioner who
would comprehend the gravity of the sub
ject and who would have the courage t.
do right.
Game Not Worth the Candle.
Platt expressed the opinion that tn,
elimination of fraudulent pensioners would
amount to a very slig ht saving-not enough
to pay the expense of examination-anC
that the only way in which any importan
reduction could be made would be the repea
or modification of the pension laws them
selves; but he did not suppose that Their
would be such repeal or modification. Ali
son expressed similar views.