The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-26

WASHINGTON, d, o., JAN 26.-For the
frat time this session, there was a pro.
trac.ed struggle in the executive session
Of the senate over a presidential noml-
nation, that Of Louis Mcoomas, ex.sec.
tsry Of tho national Republican COM
mittee, to be associate justice Of the Dis
,rict oil Columbia supreme court, With
in n few days after the reception Of the
nomination the opposition to the con.
frmation began to develop in the shape
Of various more or less vague charges
touching tho business integrity of the
nominee. The judiciary committee
siited each Of these and declared
in its report TO the senate that in It's
Judgment there was nothing in any way
lending 10 show that Mr.. McComas was
mot fitted for tho place 10 which the
President proposed to appoint him.
The opposition was then transferred
from the outside to the senate chamber
itself. To-day ut l o'clock the senate
went into executive session with a de-
termination on tho part OF the Republl-
can senators to confirm the nomination
before adjournment More than four
hours were consumed in the debate.
The opposition to tho nominee in the
senate was based almost entirely upon
the ground that Mr.. McComas was not
resident Of the District Tho Repub-
leans replied to the Democrats on this
point by referring to the precedents set
by Mr. Cleveland in his District and ter
ritoriai appointments, and asserted that
Mr. Cleveland might feel disposed to
again ignore platform declarations in
that respect, and select the best fitted
men for federal appointments regard
less OF residence. When it came to
vote there was no attempt to filibuster,
and tho result was decisive, the vote
standing "a for confirmation to Is for
the opposition. Because OF q failure to
adopt tho usual resolution notifying the
President Of the confirmation the re-
suit was not formally announced at the
conclusion of the session.
NEW PENSION LEGISLATION.
The Democratic members OF the
house subcommittee on appropriations
have adopted amendments changing
the law Of 1890. The following arc the
principal changes made:
That no widow shall receivea pension
under the act OF 1890 unless married to
the soldier prior to 1906 that no per-
son shall receive q pension under the
&C. Of 1890 unless disabled In the SER
vice from manual labor and in receipt
Of au income OF less than $500 q year,
and that no nonresident Of the United
States shall receive a pension unless he
was actually injured in the service. An
other amendment provides for the APP
pOintment OF commission to consider
necessary notifications in the pension
laws aud to report at the next Congress.
Most Of these amendments were offered
by Mr.. 0'Neill, OF Massachusetts,.
Representative O'Neill, speaking for
the majority members and their rea.
sons Tor making the proposed changes,
Haid: "Thore is no disposition on the
part Of the majority OF this house to
take pension away from q man who
deserves 1t, from any man who became
disabled while in the Union army. The
country wants the pension list reduced,
butt does not want q single worthy
pensioner stricken from the rolls. II
seems to the committee that certain
persona were entitled to pensions.
First, the wifc who patriotically allowed
her husband to leave her behind to
battle for his country; second, the
father and mother who. dependent on
their sons support, allowed him to go
to the front; third, there were many
men between tho ages OF sixteen and
twenty-five who went to the front who
left tho girls they were engaged to be-
hind them, and those women who
patriotCally allowed their lovers to go
TO the war and married them after
they came home seemed to the commit
ice to be entitled to pension. But 1t
should stop there.
Mr.. Gront, OF Vermont, one OF the
Two Republican members Of the sub.
committee, said: "The Republican
minority arc against these amendments
and will oppose them in full committee
and in tho house. The proposition to
do away with examining boards and
have the work now done BY thom done
byexaminors will be practically impos-
sible."
The amendments wero adopted by q
vote Of 8 TO 3, the Democratic me,nbers,
Melsrs Mutchler, o'Neill and Living,
stone voting yea aud Mesars. Grout aud
Bingham nay.