The Portland daily press., 1893-09-26
And Accuses the President Of Misdc.
meanOrS.
CONGRESSMAN : MORSE ATTACKS,
THE PENSION BUREAU.
A Great Day for Oratory in the Two
Houses--More Maine Postmasters-
Some Presidential Appointments.

Some Presidential Appointments.
Washington, September 25.-The at
tendance of Senators today was unusually
small. The resolution offered last Satur-
day by Mr.. Stewart. Rep, of Nevada,
that the coordinate departments of the
government, the legislative, executive
and judicial, must be maintained, and
that the use of the power and influence
of one department to control the action
of another is in violation of the constitu-
tion of our form of government was
taken up. Mr.. Stewart charged that the
President, in disregard of his oath of
Office to execute the laws, had permitted
the Secretary of the Treasury TO violate
the law of January IA, 1880, which made
the purchase of 4, 5OO,0 600 ounces of silver
bullion per month mandatory. In proof
of this charge he presented letter from
the Secretary of the Treasury showing
that in the month of July last 6,O6o, 600
ounces of silver bullion had been offered
and only 1892, 618 ounces purchased; and
in August, 4, 783, 900 ounces were offered
and only 8, sS7, 500 purchased. He under
took to say that at no time since the ex-
ecution of Charles I. had any king or
President either in England or in the
United States Overtly or deflantly dis
obeyed statute which he himself had
declared mandatory, or nad allowed his
subordinates to disobey it, Mr.. Stewart
said he had reliable information that at
the time the Secretary of the Treasury
was refusing to buy silver bullion in this
country, millions of it was being bought
in New York and shipped to England at
prices higher than the treasury refused
to pay.
Mr. Stewart yielded the floor to Messrs.
Cameron and Bates, who both opposed
the repeal bill, and then resumed his
speech. The Senate then went into
executive session.
In the House.
After some discussion of the report of
the committee on accounts, granting the
committee on naval affairs an additional
clerk, the House proceeded to the consid-
GRAFTON of the routine business. The
pending bill was then taken up after
several amendments had been offered
and rejected, Mr.. Morse, Rep, of Massa-
chusets, took advantage of latitude
allowed in committee of the whole to
make some remarks on the present con-
duct of the pension bureau He charged
the commissioner of pensions (apparent--
ly with the approval of the Secretary of
the Interior) of assuring legislative as
well as judicial power in overriding the
laws of the country. He declared that
there was no authority in law for sus-
pending soldiers pensions In the alb
sence of any evidence of fraud, neither
had he any authority for reviewing the
acts and decisions of his predecessor.
Such conduct on the part of the Presi-
dent would subject him to impeachment.
He charged the pension bureau with
issuing pensions to applicants known to
be dead in order to swell the list Of
pensions granted and which cost the
present practice Of the pension bureau in
employing secret agents or spies, who
approached pensioners in the garb of
friends and elected from them state
ments which were made a pretext to stop
their little pensions. He said such con-
duct was unworthy of great depart
ment Of the government and was DIS
slightest doubt but that when the loyal
and patriotic people Of this country were
heard from in the coming election they
would rebuke the administrator for it's
unkind, unjust and unpatriotic conduct
towards defenders of the flag and to-
wards men who sprang to the defense of
the country when the life of the nation
hung trembling in the balance and who
saved us as nation among nations of
the earth.
without disposing of the bill the
House adjourned.
Maine Postmasters.
The total number of fourth class post
masters appointed today was 81, of which
19 were to fill vacancies caused by resig-
nation and death. George A. johnson
has been appointed postmaster Canaan
vice T. B. Barrett; J.H. True at North
Fayette, vice T. F. Palmer.
Presidential Nominations.
The President today sent to the Senate