New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-03

y
taY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIrUNEi
washington. March 2-The House Oh "ePio,
.tives to-day began work on the general
aronria ton bills four Of which have Deeh re-
.od nv the Appropriations committee oHc
= tho Postofce Committee ana one i! '"e
C,r,;,tse on Military Affairs. JVdElhS Ho'"
.,oso hills. President CleVelands orders u c"'
I'm appropriations to the lowest poSS'p'e "'''l'
49,, oil n he carefully obcyed' ana me ueh-
',o,cv appropriations required az the next SeS-
sio, will be exceedingly large Ih'E VIII "o'
49,. >, no made however. until after the cleo
nav .ohers If the IIVth Congress. and
,be marty in power hopes as usual ~ '''
So, tie sham showing Of economy.
~ ror,,6cations bill which was quickly dis
, ~ to-day. carries a total OF >z'Zl9o'4
60 =; :, o1S 80 less than the estimates S9'9
- .ho, tho apnropriatiOn FOR the current rs
,or and sSO6S56 less than the average
co. =, concentration for the last six fiscal years.
.o,a, appropriations TO date for the Army
l, roc,o,v at the Watervlet Arsenal amount
q oo5 q5l. in addition to which sum con-
.oo. vas authorized in the ForihcauonS ACT
=, 1u,v. 1892 for the enlargement Oh '"e i"V'o'S
=, cost 81 $4,000.
rrs following shows the aggregate aiNo""'
.naar each natural subdivision Of the Dill
aNI, ia
civilizations. repair and preservation ana plans
for So Scent Of fortihcations. si3. 500 o,o
Al meet outstanding CONTRACTS $500 rragas for
Tweve-nch m ortars f s,Te runs' $50
n pSraving ground. SANDY Hook; So
Wa, eITV dS ordnance and Fertilization. $1,000
r,o hill contains an item of $4,000 for
i-r,r and assembling thirty-fve S-inch'
,'.. ,,,roo 1o-inch. and fourteen Pinch sea-
49,, o,,rs making the total amount appropr-
o,oa for that purpose 100000 There is also an
,n, ~ $50 600 to be paid on the contract with
,ho Ra,hlehem Iron Company for lour e-i''c"'
RICO ,o-inch and one Finch guns. An appro-
,ia,ion If $4,000 is recommended FOR steer nelu
a,ns Of % inches calibre. which Will pay Ior
- r,anufacturirg Of about % such guns. Inc
(....,,,,,a,t NOW has $50 guns Of this cahbre'
ord fifteen more are nearing compleuoh' ro'
,arriages for field guns. an appropriation oil Sol'-
ono is recommended. together with one Oh 30
ooo for alteration of existing carriages lor ~
,,cb and 15-inch smoOthbore guns 70 auaPI
,ban, TO present service conditions. inns VIII
nroyde for the alteration OF seven oil the To-
tnoh carriages. and there have already been al
tered 1876 1O-inch carriages and sixty l'-ihch car
riares. and thirteen of the latter sort are now
Wearing cor,nletion. There are now on hand
21o s-inch Misunderstanding rifles converted from
guns. ,, ,,s
As soon as the Fortifcations bin had been ds,
posed Of the House began the conslderduoh
Of the Pension Appropriation bill inns nl 40 zoo 400
yias a total of Si51 5Sl SO which is 81. 600
less than the estimates and sl49iO"o less inai,
the amount appropriated Tor the cuI'e,1 ~
wear Ii is also about sS0O0,OOO less IMAM ule
total amount disbursed on account OF ptnsioIS
during the fiscal year ended June 81 iS|'' III
January Commissioner Lochren appeartd Os'oIe
the subcommittee which framed the Dill any cN
pressed the opinion that his estimate OF SIoV'
roo 600 for the payment OF Army ana Navy pen
sions during the next nscal year was TnT1
slOOO00O0 too large, judging by the pa! i.ienoI 1
during the first six months Of the current hsca
wear which had amounted to $6s.l4S,soo' vi
course rhe amount annually disbursed on account
Of pensions depends largely upon the numDer OF
new claims adjusted and allowed, because 'nc
first payment after the issue OF ceruhcate Is
usually much larger than the subsequent aiiiiudi
navnents Al the time he appeared before the
committee there were over 100000 claims penn
ing in his office awaiting settemtn nj. Now me
number of new certificates issued from july
ia December 81 1893, was 33.999, or an average
OF 1866 a month and the hrst payments
amounted to a total OF AI693lO Al tndl s sa
the first payments would amount 10 Tess thah SlV'-
600 900 a year. In the six months ended DeceH'-
Der 81 1892 the total number Of new certificates
issued 1l5,4l2. or a monthly average VI
* 40 or nearly three and One-half times as many
as during the corresponding period OF 1888 ana
the total amount of first payments during Inc
fiscal year ended June 80 1899 was 900 ''o,of .
OF course the fewer claims adjusted and pald
during the coming fiscal year the smaller VIII
be the amount required for first payments. ana
II Commissioner Lochren could get along without
issuing any new certificates whatever the APP
propriatiOn might be still further reduced lie
has already succeeded in reducing the number
more than 20 per cent as compared with the
number issued during the first half Of the fiscal
wear 1893 and he may be able 10 do even better
than that next year despite the fact that he -
handicapped by the same large force Of eXami-
ners. clerks etc. that was borne on the rolls IN
1892
The debate on the bill marked by sem
satiOnal incident. Mr. Meredith, or virginia
had asserted that there were hundreds OF names
on the pension rolls that ought not 10 be there.
and when challenged for proof he said that he
personally knew Of one man VINO was APP
parently in a sound and healthy physical condi-
ton who received a pension. Mr.. Funk. oi
Illinois remarked that If this were true the gen
tleman from Virginia. as Il good citizen ought
10 expose the fraud
There was considerable disorder in the House
at this time. and the hOt-headed NirgiDian I'M
derstOOd Mr. Funk say that he was not telling
the truth. and he forthwith rushed across the
chamber with fists cnched. and UP 10 the seat
of the Illinois Representative. and bout al
fstcuffs barely prevented. Mr. Payne, OF
New-York placed himself between Messrs. Funk
and Meredith; other members gathered around
them and the Sergeant alarms was sent u
the scene of disturbance. After time ne sue
ceeded in producing quiet, and Mr.. Meredith
returned TO the Democratic side Of the chamber
He is a rather hasty and impetuous man.