Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-18

MESSAGE ON LANDS

Washington, Jan. 17--The chaplain
Of the house prayed fervontly to-day
for struggling Cuba" and the success
OF her battling for independence"
The presidents special message urg-
Ing the necessity for Immediate legis-
lation to extend the Limit Of time al
lowed tine government in which to bring
suits 10 annual grants Of public lands
was laid before the mouse and referred
10 the committee on public lands.
The house then went into committee
of the whole for the consideration OF
the pension appropriation bill The
general debate on the bill closed yes
terday and the bill was to-day open to
amendment under the five-minute rule.
MI. Steele Qicp.. lndD offered an
amendment in the shape of "A proviso
requiring the commissioner on pensions
to make public all rules and regulations
regarding the prosecution Of cases in
matters uf evidence To conform to the
rules OF the court and to give claimants
and attorneys prosecuting cases ae-
cess to all documents and papers re-
latlng to the cases with which they
were connected.
Mir Bartlett CDcm,. N. " raised the
| rout OF order that the amendment
changed existing law.
The chair sustained the point Of or
de-,
Mr.. Norman Ocp.. ore1 offered an
| amendment which was practically Il
| per diem pension bill that also went
down under = puint Of order,
Mr.. Mahon (Rep.. Pa offered an
amendment declaring II pension to be Il
vested right not TO be suspended on
| charges OF fraud until such charges
| have bsen proved In court.
\ point of order was reserved against
the amendment, which WINS temporarily
passed over TO allow Mr. Bartlett TO
fotlra his point of order In the provls-
Ion OF the Bill requiring a widow to
! prove her net Income" does not OK
coed $500 before she can receive n PEN
sion under the act of 1880. This clause
OF the law requires that a widow un-
der tho act Of 1890 shall prove that she
is dependent on her daily labor for her
| support. This was the clause In thu
bin against which Mr., Bartlett had
been directing his assaults throughout
the week. Tho point was sharply con-
tested by several Republicans, They
cnntcnded that the provision In the bill
simply construed the act OF 1880 and did
| not change It,
Mr.. DlhEley, who was in the chair
In an elaborate ruling In the course OF
which he expressed his sympathy with
i inc supporters OF lhe IIhNla4nu, suH'
tanned the point OF order and rho pro
vision was stricken from the bin
Mr.. Stone then offered the provision
In modified form. but 1t was alsS
ruled out.
on motion of Mr. Connolly Rep., III
the words "brcause OF any detect oi
informally IN the application" wer'
stricken out In the clause. aNowInI
4 pensions, rejected. suspended or dis
missed to date from their first appliea
tlon.
At the conclusion OF the FIRST consld
eretion OF the bill Mr.. Graf Qep.. nj
aaid That IN Justice to himself aud thos'
like him who believed that u pension
was vested right he desired TO stat
that his amendment had not been OF
fered because OF the manifest dispoai
tion az the chairman Of the commltte
to rule II out, but he confidently pre-
dicted that the committee on invali
pensions would shortly report bill
for that purpose.
The committee then arose and the bill
as amended was passed,
Then. at 4;50 y. m. the house adjourn
81 --'r Monday