Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-17
THE PENSION LAWS.
A Contest Over the Bill to Codify
Them Att.
Bill 10 Keep Out ckslesa nd yellow Feyss
from United States.

1HeIe IL c8ihHcc Ior some lively ulscus-
sion over the Pearson bill for codifying the
pension laws, which has been fayorably
reported by the committee on the revision
Of the laws. The bill Is itself the code
that Is to say, 1t Is a condensation OF all
the pension laws ever passed by congress
and is very interesting document 1t
consists Of 154 pages in the ordinary print
Of house documents and contains 22 chap
tors and 1870 sections. In feet, 1t looks very
much like a copy OF the statutes at large,
Dnd yet it Is admirably arranged, with all
the subjects brought under their appropri-
ate heads and marginal references to all
the preceding laws, which are condensed in
it, and finally is very completely indeed
With this bill in his hands any applicant
for a pension can in one minute find the
answer to any question he may be inter
eited In, whether as to required proof, mode
Of proceeding, amount OF pension or the
penalties and safeguards. The committee
declares in the closing section that this
act has not changed the substantive law
Of any previous act, but has merely put all
existing pension laws In an orderly ar
ran2cIncnt. This, however, be 1t ever go
true, will probably not prevent o pretty
sharp contest, for there are many mem
bcrs on both sides OF the house to whom
any kind Of pension act Is like red rag
10 a bull, and there Is SO much suspicion
that every part Of the bin will be very care
fully scrutinized and its meaning ques-
toned. 9'
A Tickiish Matter.
The history Of the bill as shown in tho
committees records Is somewhat inter
esting. On the last day Of the first session
Of the Fifty second congress the house
adopted Il resolution presented by Hon.
A. J. Pearson Of Ohio for the appointment
OF n committee to codify the pension laws
This committee adopted n general plan
and left the work to Mcssrs. Fletcher Den
mis- and ID. = Porter, who drafted the bill.
Ii was approved by the department of the
interior and the pension bureau and at the
beginning Of this congress was laid before
the committee. In committee 1t has re
ccived the most thorough examination, as
all the members looked upon 1t as u rath-
or tickiish matter.
While it was In committee, however, the
storm about stopping pensions was raised
and the so called vested right amend
ment was adopted. This, it will be re
mcmbcrcd, declared that IL pension once
granted became n vested right and could
not bc suspended except upon notice and
by regular process. This was Incorporated
IN the codification, and the whole will
soon be laid before the house for action
or course no analysis Of tho bill is here
necessary, as the most important features
ms found in existing laws have been popu
larry discussed hundreds of times but
when one looks through the completed act
he Will find very many provisions which
seem new because not often spoken of
Tho chief feature to attract attention is the
immense number of pension acts which
have been passed and are here mentioned
in the marginal notes, and next to that
the great number of kinds of service for
which pensions have been OF may be grant
cd.
Border Militias,
Everybody knows that there are pensions
for services in the Revolutionary, Barbary
and Mexican wars and second war with
Great Britain, and all our Indian wars as
well as the war for the Union. But there
Is u long list of services not so generally
known Ia which pensions were gained. 1t
Is, for instance, specifically provided that
the provisions of the general law are cx-
state militia the provisional Missouri mi
>iitia and several like bodies; also to the
relatives of discharged soldiers who were
murdered by gucrrillas at, Ccntralia, Mo-,
to tho relatives Of those who persisted In
the Jeanette exploring expedition and
of those lost in the wreck of the United
States vessels. Still tho bill does not go
far enough to suit many, and we arc told
that amendments will be offered in the
house for the benefit of border state mill
tia or homo guards who took part in any
of the fights or foot races resulting from
guerrilla invasions. Taking all these
things into consideration, the debate will
certainly be entertaining, and the only
pity Is that the bill is not quite sure of be-
ing taken up this session.
Another measure which has been scru-
tinized with unusual care and Is making
very slow progress through committee Is
the SO called bill to establish bureau
of public health in the treasury depart
ment" This bill is n sort of legislative
growth by aecretion. 1t may be said to
have begun several years ago in the strug
gle to keep out the yellow fever and to
have been modified in various ways since
by the precautions against cholera and the
disagrements between national and state
uuthofities. III Is iulnlttSu that majority
of the house committee on commerce,
which has the bill in charge, is in favor Of
national board Of health, and that large
majoritics of both houses are. but tho mat
ter of methods and details bothcrs every
body. This Is the bill which was intro
duced in the house ON Dec. Is by General
Tracey and in the senate n few days be-
fore, and the various arguments made in
its favor make quite u little library. With
in n few days past several eminent physi-
clans have been arguing earnestly in favor
of the measure, and yet members of tho
committee are not quite certain that they
can agree upon bill
Local Matters.
The District Of Columbia. which is al
ways urgent for something, has within the
last fortnight become clamorous indeed,
declaring that the local sewerage is wretch
rdly inadequate, that the most important
suburban roads are still ungradesi, that
The public health Is in serious danger, and
that great many other evils are present
or impending for want of congressional
action. The opposing street railroad COM
panies have also joined in what they be-
liovc TO be the death struggle, and the citi-