Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-01-22
CONGRESS-.
Senate.

the 18th, although a sharp personal COL
lt9 log between Nj; Hill, Mr.. ,PrItchard ana
Morgan frequently addressed himself per-
Sonally to Mr.. Sherman, who sat across the
| aisle, and for two hours arraigned the Ohio
senator for the series of financial acts with
which he is identified At times Mr.. Nor
gan vas Sias bitterly I personal He referred to
who was near his Waterloo and who would
be consigned to St, Helena. In the main,
entation of the silver question. Mr. Hills
colloquy with the two North Carolina sena-
tors brought out considerable discussion of
ency and was amusing t.. the crowded gal
ieries for the sharp salies and witty re-
Jolnders during the triangular debate.
Inc bill granting pension of $75 monthly
to the widow of the late Brig Gen. Coggs-
We'll, representative in Congress from
Massachusetts at the. time of his death,
caused long debate in the Senate on the
l4th Mr. Hill and Mr.. Mills wanted in
formation as to the system pursued in
granting these special pensions: and Mr..
Allen pop, Neb0 opposed determinations,
saying: II want to go on record as opposed
! the private soldier and that Of brgadier-
generals, major-generals or any other gen
he added, who met the brunt of the war
! TO hear senators talk it would be thought
that brigadier-generals won the war. 1t
vas species of ''namby-pambyism and
funkeyfsln." 1t was an un-American dis
crimination. Later the bond silver bill was
Senator Mills speech on finance with
] frequent direct criticisms of the President
and secretary of the treasury, was the
on the 10th. There was added interest in
the speech from the fact that Mr.. Mills has
! been prominent in the Senate q champion
of the presidential policy. His criticisms
were temperate and dignified, the senator
| giving expression to his high personal re-
gard for the executive. although differing
with him radically on the question of fnan-
cial policy; Mr.. PETER, followed with a
speech against bonds and in favor of silver
coinage. During the day Mr.. Pugh Dem,
Ala) gave notice that on the Goth he would
press to a vote without debate Il resolution
that all government obligations should be
paid in either silver or gold.
The consideration OF the silver bond bill
proceeded IN the Senate on the 18th. with
Nj PETER continuing his speech of the day
| before AS vet no suggestion has been
made as to bringing the measure to a vote.
Foreign questions received considerable at
tention during the day. MI Hale spoke for
| an hour in favor of a Pacific cable connect
ing the United States and Hawaii The
| senator expressed the opinion that the an
nexaton OF the Hawaiian islands to the
| United States was certain to be accomplished
at an early day. The Cuban question was
6rleny discussed in connection with Mr..
| Calls resolution calling on the state de-
Paptment for information on the status OF
ceived attention III a resolution by Mr.
Sewell On: j. declaring the limitations Of
| the doctrine ard Stating that President
! Clevelands attitude was an extension Of
the doctrine beyond its original scope,
| department for further information On Turk
| iSh-Armenian affairs.
House.
The House, after devoting hour to the
consideration of routine business on the
! 18TH, went into committee of the whole and
took up the pension appropriation bill.
| General debate OH the bill consumed the
the bill. explained its provisions 1t car
| red Sal ,325, $50, a reduction of $53, $50 from
the estimates; The AMENDMENTS to exist
ing laW attached to the bill provided that
pensions granted under the act of 1890
should date from the first application,
jected or dismissed for defect or informally
III the application. and repealed the pro-
! vision of the act Of 1890 requiring widow
support on her daily labor Instead, by the
! terms of the amendment, she must prove
! that her net income does not exceed $500
said he did not know how many widows
would receive pensions under the amend,
result in giving pensions to one or 100000
widows The government was not SO poor
that 1t could not afford to pension the
widows of the defenders Of the Union. ZAP
plauseD
The House spent the 18th in further de-
bate upon the pension appropriation bill.
! The speakers, With a single exception, were
Republicans, and all favored a liberal ad-
mInistration of the pension laws and the
| adoption OF the changes to existing laws
proposed by the bill: Among the speakers
was Gen. John A. Walker. who served with
distinction in the Confederate army from
| Manassas to AppOmattoX. He is the only
Republican representative from Virginia.
His assurance of the good feeling that ex-
listed in the South toward the Union soldier
and the lack of hostility toward the pension
system was warmly received on both sides
Of the House
Another day was consumed by the House
IN oratory upon the pension appropriation
Dill on the 10Th, III the course of which the
policy of the present administration toward
the veterans was scored by both Republic
ans and Democrats and defended by two
or three Democrats The most notable Incl
! dent of the debate was the attack made
by Mr.. Grow Pa) upon what he termed
| the extraordinary attempt by the Presi-
dent and his clerks to encroach upon the
prerogatives of the legislative branch of
the government. He denounced Secretary
greSS and the action Of the President in
having read the famous letter to Mr.. Catch
on the bill, which he said was an attempt
! to influence the vote. Congress should
tives. Mr. Grow declared. The Speaker an
| nounced the appointment of Mr.. Allen
! Otah) to the committee on public lands
| in the place of Mr.. Curtis (kas.), resigned.
The general discussion of the pension bill
in the House closed on the 18th and it
Was an an interesting episode nspPed b! MT Mr.
Grow REP Pa), who declared that the
phlet printed by that body and widely cir
culated had cast reflections upon the good
faith f OF the he House: The pamphlet criticised
! the 100000 it was asserted had been arbi,
trated and awarded to the, owners of the
allowed to speak upon it as a question of
privilege but Mr.. Crisp Dem, Ga.) made
the point that the pamphlet presented no
question of privilege. The House then re-
sumed the consideration of the pension bill
and an order was adopted that general de-
bate be closed and the bill be taken up by
paragraphs the next day under the fve-min-
ute rule.
The House on the 18th passed the pension
appropriation bin, to the consideration of
which it has devoted the entire week, and
then adjourned until the Goth. Mr. Bart
lett Dem, N. y raised points of order
against all new legislation proposed in the
way of amendments, such as that looking
| to making pension ''vested right, etc,
and Mr.. Dngley GNe), who, was in the
chair. sustained them. IN this way the
clause in the bill changing existing law so
as to allow wtdow geo to obtain pensions
did not exceed $500 per annum strick-
en- out. Mr.. Bartlett. however, did not
raise the point against the provisions MAX
ing pensions under the act of 1890 rejected
suspended or dismissed and afterward al
! lowed to date from their first application.
1t was announced in the debate that bills
covering the amendment ruled out would
he rQpOrtpd from the inV1lid DeuSOnS COM