The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-02
BANKRUPTCY AND PENSIONS.
TWO AMENDMENTS To THE FOR
MER MEASURE.

One Of Them Proposes the Abolition
of the Involuntary Feature Of thc
BuI-The Other Limits Proceed
ings TO Criminal or Fraudulent
Causes-A Letter From Ex-Prcsi-
dent Harrison in Favor 81 the Bill.
Night session Devoted TO Pensions.
Washington. May lin the House to-
day. Mr.. Codding. rep OF Peuusy ivania,
submitted the unanimous report of the
elections committee No. IN the case Of
Joshua Z. Wilson. rep. US. John l.. Mc-
Laurin. dem from the sixth congress
ional district of South Carolina. that Nc
Laurin was entitled 10 his seat. The re-
port was agreed TO.
Mr.. Diversified, rep. Of Indiana from
the same committee, reported the case of
George W. Murray, rep. Us. William
Elliott. dem. from the First district Of
South Carolina, the committee finding that
Murray colored. who selFeStntcd the
district IN the last congress, was entitled
10 the seat now The minority OF the
committee was given leave TO file their
views, and the case went 10 the calendar.
Most of the session of the House was
occupied in discussing. under the fiVe-min-
ute rule and In committee Of the whole.
the section in the bankruptcy bill re-
citing the causes for which proceedings
may De begun against a debtor. Two
amendments were proposed, one by W.
A. Stone rep. Of Pennsylvania. abolishing
altogether the involuntary feature and
one by Mr.. Broderick, rep, Of Kansas.
limiting to three causes, all criminal or
fraudulent in their nature, for proceed
ing against debtor.
In the course of the debate. Mr. Hen
derson, rep, of Iowa quoted eN-President
Harrison IN favor of the bin, reading from
a letter received to-day: Il think the i'm
preston that some of our western boards
OF trade had upon the bankruptcy Ques-
uon Wa tnat, by reason OF nearness Of
our merchants 10 their customers, they
had an advantage with the failing debtor
over the distant creditor. and that this
would be surrendered under a bankruptcy
bill. II seems to me to be a shOrt-sighted
view Of the question"
The propositions were pending when the
House. at O'Clock, under the rules, took
a recess until s o'clock, the evening ses-
sion TO be for the consideration Of private
pension bills
fused TO take corporations out Of the
operation of the bill
The bin to give Alaska a delegate I'm con-
gress was discussed briefly, and by vote
of GO to a. the House voted against the
engrossment OF the measure practical
defeat
A bill was passed to admit free Of duty
articles or foreign manufacture intended
for exhibition at the Nashville exposition
in 1897, and to admit persons engaged to
care for the exhibits.
In the course of the proceedings at the
evening session there was an echo of the
proceedings in the closing hours Of the
L
dent Cleveland's pension VetOes was under
consideration. Mr. Erdmau, dem, Of
Pennsylvania, had read a speech by Gen.
Bragg then a member from Wisconsin,
supporting the veto. Mr.. Payne. rep, of
New York, responded by bringing to the
attention of the House the response to that
speech and to one made on the same oc-
casion by Mr.. Warner, a democratic mem
Der from Ohio, by Mr. Hepburn rep. of
Iowa. The latter vigorously denied the
right of Messrs. Bragg and Warner to
speak for the G. A. r. on the questions of
pensions. He referred to the fact that
they, like him, would retire from congress-
ional life with the end of congress, but
he was not like them. mendicants at the
white house, 'crooking the pregnant
hinges of the knee that thrift might fol-
low fawning." The reading of this speech
was greeted with applause by the re-
publicans and Mr.. Payne said nothing
need be added to it, further than the re-
mark that shortly after that congress
expired the names of Gen. Bragg and of
another distinguished democrat, who had
also changed front on the pension ques-
tion on the presidential vetoes, were sent
in, the former for minister of Mexico, and
the latter for an office paying $500
year.
Twenty-one bills were ordered to be IA
vorably reported TO the House.