Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-01-26
WASHINGTON NEWS.

Democrats Seek to Modify the PEN
sion Law-Mr. McComas' Nominal
ton for Associate Justice Confirmed
by the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The democratic
members of the house sub committee en-
appropriations, In framing the annual
pension appropriation bill for submission
to the full committee, have made vigorous
onslaught on the dependent and disability
pension act, passed by the republican con-
gress in 1890. They have adopted num-
Der of amendments changing that law.
The following are the principal changes
made: That no widow shall receive PEN
sion under the act of 1890, unless married
to the soldier prior to 1870; that no person
shsll..receives pension under the act of 1890
unless disabled In the service from manual
labor and in receipt on an income of less
than 5000 year, and that no non resident
of the United States shall receive q
pension unless he was actually disabled in
the service. Another amendment provides
for the appointment of a commission to
consider necessary notifications In the
pension laws and to report at the next
congress. Most of these amendments were
ohOICu ny " 4Ncll VI MASSACHUSETTS,,
who stated that they were framed 30 as not
to exclude persons actually dependent, but
would require all persons to prove that
they were in fact disabled and dependent,
as contemplated in the title of the act of
1890 They were adopted by a vote of 3 to
2, the democratic members, Messrs. Mulch
ter, O'Neil and Livingston, voting yea, and
Messrs. Grout and Bingham nay. The
fight against the amendments will be car
ried by the republican members into the
full committee on appropriations, which
has yet to act on the bill.
For the first time this session there was
a protracted struggle in the execud g ses-
sion of the senate over a nomination, that
of Louis McComas, ex.eecretary of the ma
tional republican committee, to be 1850
ciate justice of the District of Columbia
court. Within a few days after
the reception of the nomination opposition
began to develop in the shape of the more
or less vague charges touching the bust /
ness integrity of the nominee. The Judi
ciary committee sifted each of these and
declared in its report that there was moth
ing in any way tending to show that Mr..
McComss was not fitted for the place The
opposition WAS then transferred from the
outside to the eenate chamber itself
To-day at l O'Clock the senate went
into executive session with the de-
termination on the part of the re-
publicans to confirm the nomination
The case was in charge of Senator |
Mitchell of Oregon, who moved that the |
nomination be confirmed. The opposition,
however, desired to be heard aud more /
than four hours were consumed in debate. |
The opposition to the nominee was based |
almost entirely upon the ground that Mr..
MoComas was not a resident of the district. |
The republicans replied on this point by
to the presidents set by Mr.. |
Cleveland in his district and territorial sp- /
and asserted that Mr.. Cleve-
land might feel disposed to again ignore
platform declarations in that respect and /
select the best fitted man for federal sp-
regardless of residence. When /
i came to a vote there was nc attempt to
flibuster and the result was decisive, the
Fote standing 38 to 10.
The amendment of Senator Hale in
,reasing the naval establishment by
twenty one vessels fixes no limit of cost,
out appropriates SO, O00, 900 towards the
of the vessels, 1000, 600 to-
wards armament and 5000, 900 for torpedo
experiments and trials.