Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-19

Five Measures for Payment of Claims
~. Are Adopted.

Five Measures for Payment of CIu inns
~. Are Adopted.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-Ths was private
bill day in the house, but most OF the session
was devoted TO the passage of the thirty
seven pension and relief bills, favorably
acted upon by The committee of the whole
last Friday. The bill to pay Flora A.
Darling, the wife of a Confederate gem
eral 5,6s8 for Tennessee and Louisiana
banknotes taken from her in 1864 while
under flag OF truce. which was attacked
by Mr.. Dalzeli last Friday, was laid on
the table. Only five bills were favorably
acted on today One of them, a bill to
refer to the court of claims a claim of
Thomas b. Reed. a Pennsylvania soldier
during the war, for an unpaid balance Of
salary, created some merriment, owing to
the fact that his name was Identical with
that of the speaker of the house. The other
bills We're to pay the officers and crew of
the United States gunboats Kineo and
Chocura $12,474 prize money; to pay Will
liam b. Isaacs & Co. Sl69S7, the finding CT
the court of claims: to pay George McAlpin,
the sutler of the Eleventh Pennsylvania
cavalry, s6.906, illegally collected from him,
and to repay Matthias Peterson of Spring
Valley, Wis, $500. paid by him for a sub
stitute during the war, Peterson not at that
time being a citizen of the United States.
At the opening of the session OF the house
there was a pretty piece of by-play, grow
ing out OF the presentation of a resolution
for some additional employees of the house.
The house was in state of confusion, and
Mr.. Dingley, the leader of the majority, was
catechizing Mr.. Odell as to the necessity
of the increase When they finished their
dialogue Mr.. Richardson, democrat, of Ten
nessee complained that he had not been
able to hear what had been said and he
inquired, suggestiyely. if the distinguished
leader OF the house" had officially an
nounced that the increase was necessary
because of the approaching extra session?
Mr.. Dingley parried the thrust, and re-
piled blandy that he was sorry the confus-
ion had rendered 1t impossible for the
gentleman from Tennessee to understand
what he had said.
The resolution was defeated. In the
course of debate on the claims bill, Mr..
Dingley made a few remarks, protesting
against opening the door to old claims.
This drew from Mr.. Mahon, chairman OF
the war claims committee warm defense
OF claims unpaid by the government, devot-
ing most OF his attention to the injustice OF
the French spoilation and Pennsylvania
border war claims. He insisted that the
claims should be met and decided on their
merits, and that IL was dishonest to plead
the statute of limitations against them. At
8 o'clock the house took recess until
o'clock, the evening session being devoted
to the consideration OF private pension
bills.
At the evening session Of the house four
teen private pension bills were favorably
passed upon OF these one grants pen
sion of 500 per month to the widow OF the
late General John Gibbon and another of $50
per month to the widow of the late General
w. A. Nichols A large part OF the evening
was devoted to an effort to defeat the con
sideraton of bill giving a pensionabe
status to the survivors of Gray's battalion
of Arkansas volunteers OF the Mexican war.
The bill wasl opposed by Chairman Pickler
of the pension committee and Others on the
ground 1t wasva general, rather than
private bill. ut was, however. voted upon
and laid aside by the committee with
favorable recommendation.