Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-10
HOUSE.

On motion Of Mr.. Wise va Senate bill was
passed authorizing the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company to renew its bridge across
the Big Sandy river.
Mr.. o'Neili (Pa) presented resolution Of
the legislature of Pennsylvania favoring the
passage of the service pension bill and protest
ing against legislation that will prevent armless
and legess veterans from making exchange Of
their artificial limbs. Referred.
Senate bill was passed granting to the Colo
RADIO River Irrigation COMPANY right OF way
across the Una Indian reservation in Cali
forria.
On motion Of Mr.. sipe pa a bill was passed
authorizing the construction Of bridge across
the Monongahela river at West Elizabeth.
THE PENSION BILL.
The House then proceeded in committee Of
the whole (Mr. Wilson, WA, in the chair TO
the consideration of the invalid pension appro-
priation bill.
Mr. Mutchler pa }, in charge Of the bill
stated that the appropriation recommended
was Sl66, 400, 900. Ii was proposed TO amend
the measure SO that amount would be reduced
to sl66, 100000. The bill carried about "a .o00.-
900 in excess of the amount that would be ex-
pended during the current fiscal yeaR This
was the heaviest appropriation bill that had
ever been before an American Congress. Only
three years in the history Of the government
were the expenditures for a single year greater
than could be the expenditures during the next
fiscal year.
The committee on appropriations had come
to the conclusion that there should be some re-
trenchment; that reform in the granting of
pensions must begin somewhere, ard that the
time had come when that reform should be in
augurated. 1t was not the desire OF the COM
mittee to deprive a Union soldier who de-
serving Of a pension Of any pension that he
now received. There was nothing in tho bill
that would take penny from any pension that
had been gran ted so deserving soldier. The COM
mittee had recommended several amendments
which it thought would institute q reform. The
first-and he thought the most important-was
that providing for the transfer of the pension
bureau from the Interior TO the War Depart
ment. Such transfer would lessen the amount
of money appropriated for pensions. and would
not deprive single deserving soldier Of the
pension which he now had or which he might
hereafter obtain. The pension bureau could
not be taken out of the arena of
politics until it was put where political inhu-
ence did not count.
NOT A POLITICAL BUREAU.
Mr.. O'Neil pa protested against the state
ment that the pension bureau was political
bureau. and he also protested against the propo-
sition to lessen the number OF disbursinR Off
GERS. He called the attention of his colleagues
to the exhaustive letter OF Gen. W. II. Davis Of
Pennsylvania, formerly pension agent, upon
the subject.
Mr.. O'Neill also spoke Of the great ability Of
the surgical examiners appointed by the COM
missioner Of pensions.
Nh. MUTcHLrR's ALLKoArIoSa
Mr.. Mutchler then proceeded to argue in sup
ort of the changes in the pension laws recon-
mended by the committee on appropria-
tious. There were, he said, thousands
- and many thousands OF men who
were on the pension rolls today who
had made more money during the three months
OF their enlistment than they had ever earned
before or since, and yet who had never
heard the whistle Of the bullet or the
roar OF artillery. As to the proposition
that no pension shall be paid to q nom
resident who is not q citizen Of the United
States, except for actual disabilities, he said
that he did not desire to see any pension re-
fused to foreigner who had been injured in
fighting for the preservation of the Union.
But a foreigner who had never gone into
battle, but who had gone home with his pocket
full OF money, ought no. to be put on an
equality with the American citizen. To sup
port such q man abroad was an outrage.
OPPOSED TO THE TRANSFER
Mr.. Grout (vt } admitted that the amount Of
money required for the payment Of pensious
was q large one; but it must be re-
membered that the bulk Of IL was for
invalid veterans or for widows Of men who had
laid down their lives for their country.
He was opposed 10 the transfer Of the pension
bureau as proposed by the bill He did not
think that such . transfer would take the
bureau out Of the domain Of politics. But he did
believe that an appropriate amendment could be
framed In that line which would Be beneficial 70
the pensioner.
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS-.
Bills Considered Fsverabiy by tAs ssnaas |
Committee Today.
The Senate District committee had ssasisu |
this morning at which . number Of bills were |
considered The members Of the committee |
present were Senators Mcmillan, Hansbrough,
Perkins, Harris, Vance. Gibson and Hunton-
The bill giving 70 the Commisuionsrs the con-
troll Of the schedules and others details Of the |
running Of the street car lines Of the Distrses |
was reported favoably. Ths full bill vzp b |
found in anothsr column Of THH sfAn.
Iha blu to authorize IL Waahingtou, Aszr /