Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-02-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Previously Proposed Pension Patch
ing Possible.
Enormous Expenditures Of the Present
Session Of Congress.
IFrom our Regular Correspondent

W uiOtuVo lCBioldtiOu W Uue present
Congress. There is good reason for the
assertion that the proposed radical
amendments to the pension laws, which
were when first offered voted down by
the House Committee on Appropria-
tions, and this week adopted by that
committee, are the result of direct Or
ders from him. Mr.. Holman Joined
the Republican members of the COM
mittee in protesting and voting against
these amendments, which are to be Of
fered to the Pension Appropriation Bill
when it comes up in the House, but
they were outvoted. These amend
ments are, first For the transfer of
the Pension Bureau to the War Depart
ment and the detail of army officers to
serve as Commissioner and Deputy
Commissioners ; second, to suspend all
pensions paid to pensioners not disabled
by wounds who have an annual in
come of six hundred dollars a year +:
third, TO suspend all pensions paid to
widows of soldiers who were not mar
ried to them within five years after the
close of the war ; fourth, to suspend
all pensions except those for total disa-
bility, now paid to alien non residents.
Whatever may be done by the next
Congress, it may be set down as certain
that these amendments will never be
adopted by this Congress- 1t is believ-
ed that the purpose in Offering them is
to feel the pulse of the public on the
pension question.
Even the gall of Tammany Congress-
men has to give way to universal pub
lie sentiment. This was shown when
the Quarantine Bill, as originally pass
ed ny the Senate, came up in the House
this week. The bill was passed, not
withstanding the attempt of Kilgore
and Antony, of Texas, to fillibuster
against its being voted upon, and has
now gone to the President, whose ap-
proval it will promptly receive.
A majority Of the House Judiciary
Committee has at last agreed to the re.
port OF the Homestead investigation
which was prepared by Representative
Oates, Chairman of the subcommittee
which made the investigation. This
report will not make enjoyable readil G
for Democratic editors who made the
Homestead troubles the basis for parti-
san editorials during the late campaign,
for it says that the tariff had nothing
to do with the troubles, and that the
strikers were the aggressor. 1t also
condems the use of the Pinkertons and
says that such agencies should never
be employed without consent of the
State. There are two minority reports,
one condemning the use of the Pinker-
tons and the other an argument IN ia
vor of compulsory State arbitration
laws.
The ease with which two or three
men tie up the House whenever they
are so disposed, has created senti-
ment which makes it certain that the
rules adopted by the next House Will
permit the majority of the next House
to do business when it wishes to, and
to squelch fillibustering. In fact it is
a common thing to hear Democrats in
the House abuse the present rules and
wish for few days of the much cursed
Reed rules of the Fifty First Congress.
| 1t is now certain that the appropria-
tions of this Congress will be at least
$50, 100000 in excess of those made by
the last Republican Congress, which,
by the way, is no longer sneeringly re-
ferred to by the Democrats as the ''Bil-
lion Dollar Congress. Now these gen
tlemen see that Secretary Charles Fos-
ter was right when he said "This is a
billion dollar country"
Senator Chandler had little fun
with his Democratic colleagues this
week by twitting them with their fail
ure to live up TO their platform. The
only reply came from Senator Harris,
of Tennessee, who declared that he was
not, never had been, and never would
be the slave of National platform.
Extra session talk is now heard ev-
erywhere, and unless Mr.. Cleveland
made his threat to repeal the silver law
for bluff, one of his first official acts
will be to issue proclamation calling
an extra session. A prominent Demo
crat is authority for the statement that
it will depend upon poll of the House
and Senate of the next Congress, which
the friends of Mr.. Cleveland are now
trying to make. If the poll shows a
majority for repeal an extra session
will be called ; otherwise, not.
Both the whisky trust and the Pana-
ma Canal Investigations are in that
condition thatmay be called the prom.
Using" stage; that is, they promise
startling revelations, but SO far none
have been made.
In accordance with the Constitution
joint session of the Senate and House
was held on the second Wednesday OF
J February, aud the electoral votes cast
by the forty four States were officially
counted and the result announced
: There were no disputes, and the event
r passed off very quietly.
! The Hawaiian negotiations are still
going on, but as they are secret there
is nothing new to report.