The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-08
PENSION BILL PASSED.
The House Accepts the Measure Substan.
TALLY ns Reported.

The House Accepts tho Measure Substan-
TALLY ns Reported.
WASHINGTON, March 7.-ONeil dem.
Mass.) reported from the committee on
appropriations Binghnm's resolution
asking tho Secretary OF the Treasury to
inform tho House under what authority
the bureau Of engraving and printing
submitted bid for printing postage
stamps, with favorable recomu enda-
ton, and it was passed. Henderson
(Dem N G } reported from the com
mittee on postoili,es and postrosds
Bingham's resolution asking tho Post
master General to give the House all
the information in his departn ent re-
specting tho bids for printing postage
stamps and the award of the contract.
and 1T was also passed.
At the beginning of the discussion OF
the pension bill Mr.. Waugh (Oem. Ind y
stated that Deputy Commissioner Bell
had written him a letter DENYING the
truthfulness of the interview printed in
the indianapolis Sentinel and quoted by
MIN (Waugh) in his speech, in which
Mr.. Bell was made to say that the ex-
penditures for pensions in the wear $50,
would be S25, 900. 600 less than for the
current year, and that before tho Cleve,
land administration closed the annual
expenditures on account of the pensions
would be reduced to 500, 900, 600 wear
MIR. Hudson Pop kas said the real
reason why tho House INDUCED in this
annual debate was the old soldier had a
vote. The pension question, he said,
should be taken out OF politics.
Mr.. RnSSQll liam Ga 90; "a ~
received notice that the colored brother
was to be relegated to tho rear, and
that the Republican party would hre
the Northern heart with their appeals
on this pension question. Referring to
tho statement that the Southern States
did not pay anything for pensions, Mr..
Russell said the States should take tho
pensions III their own hands. Tho answer
the country made to the charges made
against President Cleveland's pension
veto, was TO give him the largest ma
jority in 1892 ever given to any candi.
date for the Presidency in the history
of the country.
Springer charged that the pension
bureau had been used by the Republi-
can party to affect the vote in Ohio
and Indiana which were doubtful
States; politically. Illinois averaged
neither 80 many pensioners nor SO
much paid per pensioner per districts
as did both the States named
O'Neil dem Mass.) in charge Of the
bill, closed the general debate lie 70.
viewed the various speeches by Re-
publican members and replied to their
several criticisms of and charges against
the bureau. Tho cause Of the great
sudden decrease of the issue of pension
certificates. he said, was decision
made by Assistant Secretary OF the In.
terror Bussey in the late administers.
tlon, which reduced the allowance of a
certain class OF certificates per cent
The close of O'Neil's speech was an
eloquent eulogy upon the charac ter and
services of General Black (the ex com
misSioner), Commissioner Lochren, Sec
rotary Smith and President Cleveland
and presentation OF tho bill as gen.
eral expression of the Democratic party
on the subject of pensions
Inc Dill then came up for considera-
ton under the five-m mute rule and for
amendment Three amendments were
ruled out on points of order The fourth
gave rise to debate. II was offered by
Grosvenor rep, Ohio) to increase the
| amount of the bill from $50, 600, 900 to
Sl65, 900. 600.
Mr.. Grow (Rep., pa) offered an
ahenu neht making the lowest monthly
pension rate for disability Sl2 II the
government were to do anything for thu
old soldier, he said, it should be some-
thing substantial. Dollars and cents
should not be weighed in the national
scales against the heroic deeds anu
services Of the defenders OF their
country.
The committee then rose and the bill
was reported to the Honse. The Pick
Ter amendment was agreed to, and the
bill passed without the division, sub
stantially as it was reported from the
committee.
AT 40 tho House adjourned until to-
morrow at noon.