Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-08
PENSION BILL PASSED.
Was Carried Through the House
Without Division.
IT APPROPRIATEs Sl51, 100000.

Almost Slipped Through the Senate I'm
noticed-The BIuefieIds Affair.
WASHINGTON, March S.-An exciting and
interesting debate was precipitated in the
senate by Mr.. Harris motion for the sec
Ond reading of the seigniOrage bill. This
was opposed by Mr.. Sherman, who moved
its reference to the finance committee, and
in the course of strong speech in opposi-
ton to the bill he said that its object was
to divert trust fund from it's legitimate
purposes-a thing which in Ohio would be
penitentiary offense. His motion was
defeated, however, and the bill was taken
up as unfinished business, and almost be-
fore any one was aware of what had hap
pened it passed its third reading and was
on the point of passing the senate.
Then it's opponents recovered from their
surprise and endeavored to prevent its pas
sage, and on request of Senator Sherman
it went over.
In the morning hour Mr.. Morgan intro
duced resolution calling on the president
for information as to the occupancy of
Bluefields, Nicaragua, by the British. This
was agreed to.
The house bill appropriating S45, 900 for
saving the Kearsarge was also passed, as
was the bill permitting General o. 0.
Howard to accept from the French govern
ment the decoration of commander of the
Legion of Honor.
Pension Bill Passed.
After five days of debate the pension ap-
preparation bill, carrying S151 ,000, 900, was
passed without division.
Throughout the debate there had been
no criticism of the amount carried by the
bill, debate being on the one hand confined
to an assault on the manner in which
the present commissioner of pensions had
administered the office and his alleged I'M
authorized suspension of pensions, and on
the other to defense of the attempt of the
commissioner to purge the rolls of those
who were not entitled to a place upon
them.
There were several very spirited speeches
those by General Henderson of Iowa, Mr.
O'Neil in closing the debate and eX-Speak-
Ell Grow.
Mr. O'Neil of Massachusetts, who was
IN charge of the bill, closed the debate. No
amendments looking to an increase of the
appropriation had been suggested. he said.
The debate had been largely for political
effect. The Republicans, as they saw the
limit of pensions was soon to be reached,
realized that their stock in trade would
cease when they could no longer go before
the country crying out that they had in
Guiding Mr. O'Neil warned the Republic
ans that they were in poor business when
they sought to discredit General Black and
Commissioner Lochren in the eyes of the
old soldiers Neither could they discredit
the president with the American people
They had absolute faith in his honesty, his
pluck and his courage. lApplause.l
EIoquence From Henderson and Grow.
General Henderson of Iowa. who has
been ill for some time, next got the floor
Several weeks ago he submitted to another
amputation of his limb. He had been pain
ed beyond measure, he said, to find that
upon theme which ought to inspire every
patriotic heart this house was sts divided
as if it was a war measure. General Black,
who deserved every generous word that
had been spoken concerning him, had stood
here with bouquet of rhetoric for the SOL
der in one hand and a dagger to strike
him to the soul in the other.
'Oh, my countrymen,' said General
Henderson, addressing the Democratic side,
The who wore stars upon his shoulders in
the cause of the Union can do more harm
to his old comrades than all those who
fought under the Confederate flag.
Mark the contrast presented by that
other distinguished soldier General Sic
kles Republican applausel, who. fearing
not thunder of the executive or the cruel
heel of patronage, now stands for the sol
diers with whom he fought. Scars are
honorable, but they must not be used as a
cloak from behind which to strike equally
honorable men. This debate shall not
close without my crying Shame, shame"
at the soldier who sought to discredit his
comrades in arms"
Mr.. Grow of Pennsylvania offered the
last amendment providing that no pension
on account of disab ility in the service
should be less than $12 per month. With
this amendment as a text he made brief
speech-his first since his return to the
house, which he left 30 years ago as speaker.
Mr.. Grow s remarks bubhled over with
patriotism and glOwed with the fire of elo-
quence. He wanted the benefit received
by the veterans disabled in battle to be of
a substantial character during the remain
der of their pilgrimage through life. 1t
would be but few years before the last of
the survivors of the mighty conflict would
sleep in the narrow chamber of the dead.
The blessings that had come from that con
fict had been shared by conqueror and con-
quered alike. The member listened to
Mr.. Grows words with close attention,
and a burst of applause from both sides of
the house greeted its conclusion.
All the amendments to the bill save one
that of Mr.. Picker, to make the reports
of the examining surgeons open to the in
spection of the applicant or his attorneys
were defeated. They all fell under points
of order that they were not germane. The
one which attracted most attention was
that of Mr.. Enloe-to repeal a portion of
| the provision included in the act of last
| December to prevent the suspension of any
pension except on 80 days notice, so as to
| permit the suspension in case of plain prima
| facie evidence that the pensioner had pro
cured his pension by forgery, perjury or
other palpable fraud.
This amendment was offered at the sug-
| gestion of Commissioner Lochren himself,
who, under the opinion of the attorney gen
eral, declared that if the act of last Deem
| beP stood over S50O, 900 would have to be
paid out to suspended pensioners who were
proved beyond all question not to be longer
entitled to the pensions they had been
drawing. Mr.. Cultivate, the chairman OF
the committee of the whole, however, ruled
| the amendment out on Mr.. Martins point
! of order that it was not germane.
| The New Louisiana Senator.
| WASHINGTON, March Representative
| Blanchard's associates in the house heard
with much satisfaction of his elevation to
the senate. Speaker Crisp expressed re
| greet that the house was to lose such val
liable and hard working member.