The National tribune., 1893-01-12

Much Is said here ABOUT ueseTtefs anu
the gentleman objected a while ago to bill
| which proposed to correct the record of SOL
| der charged with desertion. Mr.. Speaker, L
| have not a word to say in favor OF man
! who left his comrades-in-a arms and delioer.
| ately deserted the service of his country. 1
! have nothing to say in paiIatlon OF such an
offense rs that. But on the "deserters roll
there are thousands of cases where there were
palliaiing circumstances, where. for instance,
boys sick i'm the hospital were advised by their
parents to come home and then when they had
recovered their health were advised by their
friends that it would not be well to return to
the army because they had been reported as dc.
serters and would be punished. Then there are
cases where husbands with letters urging them
| to come to the bedside of dying wives or chill
dren left their commands. and under those cir
cumstances were reported as "deserters."
| There are thousands of such cases where there
were palliating circumstances. Again, IN NUM-
berless instances whore soldiers were reported
as deserters they re-enlisted and again entered
| the service. 1t seems to me that when 30 years
| have elapsed since the close of the war this
! Nation can afford in cases of this kind to show
sufficient magnanimlty TO remove the charge
of desertion.
/ think that Nation does not deserve to
exist if it will not take care Of its defenders IN
their old age. / believe that the people OF tins
country are not ready TO clasp hands with the
gentleman from Missouri in support of the
| doctrine that n soldier must be in destitute
! circumstances before he shall be regarded as
| entitled to q pension. / believe that such IS
not the sentiment of the country. 1 believe
| that the people of the country want careful,
wise conduct of the Pension Department. But
| believe they arc in favor of liberal inter
probation Of the general laws as they now stand
with regard to pensions, and think 1T would
| be disgrace to this Nation if we should accept
any snch proposition as that the defenders OF
| this country, now that gray hairs have come,
now that old age has overtaken them (they
having lost years from the active service OF lie
| in the army while others werc acquiring
competency, should now be regarded as not
entitled to pension except to save them from
| the poorhouse.
Mr.. Bland denied that he was opposed to the
! granting of pensions which were deserved, and
expressed disposition TO deal literally with
every man who had been disabled by wounds
| or disease in the service
The bill was finally defeated, after three
| quarters of an hour had been consumed in an
! effort TO secure quorum.
Mr.. Burrows r., Mich.) brought to the atten-
1 ton of the Honse the allegation that many war
claims have been improperly paid and many
meritoriOus claims have remained unpaid. lie
| introduced a resolution calling upon the Exec
| utive Departments and the Court of Claims FOR
| information as 10 the number and amounts OF
such claims now pending.
| By unanimous consent the House proceeded
! in Committee of the Whole to the consideration
| of the Notifications appropriation bill. There
was general debate on the bill, which was
passed without amendment. 1t apprOpriates
| $1.735,05.
The consideration of private pension bills
was resumed when the committee rose, and
| few of the measures were passed without oppo-
stion, because little attention was paid to them.
| At 800 o'clock, as there was no quorum, the
House adjourned
FRIDAY, JAN. 6.
The bill granting additional powers 10 and
| imposing extra duties uuon the Marine Hos
| pital Service. was taken up q special order In
/ the Senate and Mr.. Chandler spoke at length
upon the measure, saying that in view of
probable cholera epidemic the coming Spring,
something must be done to avert it, and he
| thought that immigration should be stopped
| for at least one year, as the best remedy Mr..
! Chandler was listened TO with attention by the
Senate and had to answer many questions pro.
! pounded by various Senator'S In the course oil
/ his speech Mr.. Chandler spoke of the incon-
sstency of admitting a. ten dollar Immigrant"
and of excluding seifsupporting, industrious
men under the labor contract Jaw, and Mr..
| Frye interposed the remark that the most
clearly people on the face of the earth-the
Chinese-were excluded by law.
Mr. Mcpherson opposed the bill on the
J
lodged with the Federal authorities aud no.
where else. and Mr.. Mills opposed il on exactly
opposite grounds from those taken by Mr.. Nc
/ Pherson, he believing that quarantine powers
should be exercised by the States and not by
the Federal authorities.
The bill was amended and went over with
! out action, and after short Executive session
| the Senate adjourned.
In the House the Speaker. after the approval
OF the Journal and fruitless call of commit
tees for reports stated that on Dec. IL bill had
been called up by Mr. Cultivate extending the
provis ons of the act to provide for the muster
| and pay of certain officers and men of the
volunteer forces. he further stated that upon
that date no quorum had voted upon the meas.
ure and its consideration bad been postponed
until to-day.
Mr. Kilgore 3D., Tex suggested that the
House had no authority to make any order for
| postponement as there had been no quorum
present.
The Speaker-No quorum voting.
And as he uttered these words the Speaker
| himself could not repress a smile. while a
! laugh went through the House. which was
made more emphatic when Nj. Reed Me-. Il. J
/ dryly remarked that he hoped the gentle.
man from Texas would understand the distinc-
ton. Ii was perfectly legal one. The bill
was passed.
The House then proceeded to the consdera-
last session. Four or five of the bills were
passed without opposition, but Mr.. kilgore
made the point of no quorum, and a call of the
House was ordered. One hundred and eighty
six members responded to their names A total
of % private pension bills were passed without
opposition before the House adjourned.
SATURDAY. JAN. Z.
The Vice President laid before the Senate
the electoral votes of abe States Of Kansas,
Missouri, Nebraska and Minnesota, as certified
by the Governors of said States in accordance
with the act of Congress of Feb. 3. 1887, which,
with accompanying papers, were ordered to lie
on the table.
He also laid before the Senate q communica-
ton from the Secretary of War, transmitting a
letter from the Adjutant General Of Maryland,
; suggesting the passage of law providing for
the encampment of 100000 United States and
State troops to be held at Chicago during the
Worlds Fair which was referred to the Select
Committee on the Quadro- Centennial.
The bill making saturday half.boliday for
banks aud trust companies in the District OF
| Columbia was amended and passed.
The bill granting further quarantine powers
TO tho Marine Hospital Service was taken mp
and discussed for the balance OF the days SEES
sion, but no conclusion was reached, and the
bill went over without action.
The Senate adjourned at $3.50 p. m.
In the House, the District Of Columbia APP
preparation bill was taken up after the morning
/ IL Il az,