Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-05
PAYING PENSIONS
Debate in the House on the Appro-
priation Bill.
THE PRESENT MANAGEMENT CRITICISED
The Bill to Admit New Mexico to
Statehood.
A POINT OF NO QUORUM

Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist, who is
conducting a series of revivals here with
Mr.. Sankey, delivered the prayer in the
| House this morning.
| MIR. B-eckinridge Qv) reported the
urgent deficiency bill, with Senate amend
ments. The latter were non-concurred in,
and the bill was sent to conference.
| Mr.. Mallory (Fla) asked unanimous con-
sent to consider bill to amend the act Of
| March 3, 1887, for the construction of a
bridge across the East river between New
York and Long Island City, 50 as to make
the lowest part of the superstructure 135
instead of 80 feet above mean high water
Mr.. Coonlhs explained that if the bill was
passed it would make its height conform to
that of the other East river bridge. There
was no objection and the bill was passed.
The Antwcry Exposition.
Mr.. McCreary CKy) of the committee on
| foreign affairs asked unanimous consent for
the passage of the Senate resolution for the
| appointment of a commission of five to rep
| resent this government at the interna tional
| exposition which opens at Antwerp May D..
| He made brief statement to the effect
that the resolution carried no appropriation.
Belgium had Hospitality entertained the
| monetary conference and had been the first
country to accept our invitation TO the
world fair.
Mr.. Cannon Gl.) contended that If COM
mission were to be appointed the United
States should defray their expenses.
! Mr. Bailey tTeX.) objected.
On motion of M. McRae (Ark) a bill au-
| thorizinS the Texarkana and Shreveport
Railroad Company to construct q bridge
across the sulphur river in Arkansas was
passed.
At the request of Mr.. Sweet Qdaho) a bill
70 estabnsh a port of entry at BOnner's
Ferry, Idaho was taken up and passed.
NJ Hopkins QllD tried to secure unani-
nous consent for the consideration of a bill
! TO reclassity the railway mail service so as to
increase the number Of classes from five TO
seven and fixing the maximum salary to be
paid in each instance.
Mr. Bynum Qnd) demanded the regular
| order and MIR. Richardson (Tenn) .all.d nm
| the privileged resolution for printing the
eulosles on the late Representative Lilly of
| FehhsylfaAla, and II was agreed Co.
The Diplomatic Bill.
Mr.. McCreary reported the diplomatic and
| consular appropriation bill.
| To Admit New Mexico.
! The Speaker then recognized Mr.. Joseph
the delegate from New Mexico. to move the
passage of the bill for the admission of New
Mexico under suspension of the rules. This
Dill had been the special order after the
second morning hour for two months hut
since the tariff fight began the House has
| never passed to the second morning hour
other business having constantly interyen-
| ed.
| The Quorum Broken
Mr.. Cannon Ull) demanded a second. The
republicans, as a rule, declined to vote. and
the quorum was broken, H. Mr. Cannon
making the point,
When Mr. Cannon made the point of no
quorum the Speaker instructed the tellers
/ resume
After few minutes however il being an
parent that the democrats alone could not
| muster a quorum. Mr.. Josephs withdrew
! the bill, and the House went into commit
| Tee or the whole on the pension apnranria-
ton bill. 0p' ~
! The Pension Appropriation BfII
! Mr.. Dolliver Qowa) took the floor. He
would not have obtruded himself In this
debate. he said. were he not daily in re-
celpt OF letters complaining in terms that
| excited his sympathy of the present man.
agement of the pension office The debate
| on this bill had been marked by the regu-
| lar features of pension debate. I'VE have
had said he, 1.-THE annual altarc.ti,n
| reaching almost the dignity of one of those
old-fashioned fsticuffs which Character
ized those famous and splendid days of in
tellectual culture before the war. we have
had the iimitless solicitude of the rep-espn
| tauves of the southern states for the de-
serving Union veterans, and for tie second
/ ume we have had the well-worn eulogy of
! the commissioner of pensions and his rec
! ord of heroism and devotion exhibited in
order TO detract public attention from his
oliiclal conduct as the head of the pension
! bureau"
He appealed to the other side to snare
the old age of the men and women who had
| poured out the treasury of their loyal hea rts
| that the Union might live
A Talk to Late Confederntes.
MIR. Hepburn Qowa), who followed. de-
| clared with emphasis that the late confeder-
| ate states contributed not one dollar to the
| payment of pensions. OF the sI5O 600 ono
internal revenue taxes the south paid less
| than Sa,oo0,0D. of the $17I, 900 900 custom
| receipts the south paid but S40OND of the
| miscellaneous receipts less than s. oo0 900
SO that said he, addressing the southern
members, you contribute less than $1,000
un to the revenue of government How do
you get that back? Nine million returns as
sugar bounty, $5,000,Oo0 in pension and Il :
V"@o as deficit in postal receipts. You
| therefore receive back 81 600 900 more than
you contribute. You contribute not a cent
to northern pensions What difference does
IL make TO you what we do with our mon
| ey? Republican applause).
The first proof of hostility TO pensioners
| by the administration is found i'm the fa If
| that Grover Cleveland was President; the
second that Hoke Smith was Secretary of
the interior. When Hoke Smith went into
| Office. he continued, '567 900 applicants
were pending. The applicants were diving at
| the rate of 1000 a year. Instead of adm
dlcatlng these cases, the department went
back and suspended 1900 pensioners whose
cases We're in law res adjudicata"
| How did this record compare with that
of his predecessor, who in the previous six
months allowed 10000 claims He denied
that there We're any great number of
| fraudulent pensions.
Mr.. Enioe Defends the Administration
| Mr.. Enloe Crenn) said there was always
one great difficulty in discussing the pen
sion question. y larger amount of money
was involved, a large number of votes were
| involved consequently there was a strong
er temptation for the demagogue to eyer-
else his calling. Because the democratic
| administration sought to strike from the
pension rolls those who were entitled
neither to the governments gratitude nor
! its bounty, the republicans assailed the
| President, Secretary of the Interior and
Commissioner Lochron.
AS an evidence of the existence of fraud
Mr.. EnlOe said. there had been 10 con-
victions of pension claims agents for man
ufacturing testimony in pension cases
| Referring to the recent opinion delivered
| by the Attorney General upon the act of
/ December II, 1898, requiring thirty nays'
notice III cases of suspension of pensions
even If absolute proof We're obtained that
| the pension fraudulent, Mr. Enloe said
| that this opinion would force the commits
| SiOner of pensions to nav ont 500 600 70