The San Francisco call., 1896-12-19
Not the Speaker, but a War
Veteran of the State of
Pennsylvania.
Passage of a Bill in the House
That Caused Amusement and
Embarrassment.
Action Of the Government in Pleading
the Statute of Limitation Is
Denounced.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 1S.-This
was private bill day IN the House under
the rules, and the request of Bingham (R. }
of Pennsylvania for unanimous consent 10
proceed with the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill met objection.
Thirty-seven private pension bills pre-
viously reported by the committee of the
whole were passed and the rest of the
afternoon was occupied in discussing five
war claim bills, one of which, for the re-
lief of Thomas B. Reed, Pennsylvania
soldier was passed.
The report of the conference was agreed
to extending until ten days after the be-
ginning of the next session the limit
within which the joint Congressional
committee on regulations for the free
use of alcohol in the arts and manufac-
lures might report.
At O'Clock, under the rules, the House
took recess until s O. clock, the evening
vate pension bills.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 18.-Odell
(R.) of New York submitted from the
committee on accounts a favorable report
on resolution permitting the doorkeeper
of the House to employ fifteen additional
persons in the folding-room at a salary of
$50 month each, their employment net
to continue beyond the present session.
Lacey (R.} of Iowa offered an amend
ment that the fifteen employees should be
selected from States not now represen ted
on the doorkeepers roll, and it was
adopted
Stone (R.) of Pennsylvania stated tnat
the adoption of the amendment would
make it impossible to appoint a single
folder. The resolution was then disagreed
to, 45 to 292. A demand for the regular
order cut off the remainder of the resolu-
tions of the committee on accounts.
Evans (R.) of Kentucky presented the
report OF the conferences on the joint res
olution to extend the time within which
the joint Congressional committee to
investigate the adoption to regulations
for the use OF free alcohol and manufac-
lures, to report to Congress, limiting the
time to ten days after the beginning OF
the next sess ion, and it vas agreed to.
This being private bill day under the
rules, Bin CHAM (R.) of Pennsylvania, in
charge of the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill, asked unani-
nous consent 10 proceed with its consid-
GRAFTON, but objection was made by Mahon
(R.) of Pennsy lvania, chairman of the
committee on war claims. The bills on
the calendar reported from the committee
of the whole was disposed of, thirty seven
being passed.
a bill to pay $4,000 to Flora A. Darling,
widow OF a Confederate general, for
money alleged to have been taken from
her at the time OF her arrest on steamer
at New Orleans, while travelling on a safe
permit granted by General Banks, was
laid on the table despite tie favorable
recon- enda;ion of the committee.
These being disposed of, the House
went into committee of the whole to con-
slider bills for private relief
The first bill read raised a laugh, being
"for the relief of Thomas B. Reed" The
proposed beneficiary, 1t turned out, was
sergeant in the Fifth Pennsylvania In
fantry and the bill authorized the Court of
Claims to pass upon his claim for pay as
such sergeant, he having been carried on
the roll as private. The bill was passed.
A bill for the relief of James BigIer, a
resident of New York, who owned some
property in Virginia, destroyed during
the war, was laid aside to permit an in
vestigation into the question as to whether
or not it was destroyed III military opera
tions.
Dingley (R.) OF Maine suggested that if
this was the case the bill opened up
dangerous field, one which Congress had
never before entered-that of paying for
property destr iyed in military operations.
Should that policy be now adopted, he
said, Congress would have to provide
revenue 10 the extent OF four or five hun
dred millions instead of fifty or seventy
five millions.
Three or four other war-cIaim bills were
considered, meeting with the usual obiec-
ton. Upon measure to repay $500 SUBJ
stltute money taken from a Swede who
was drafted while not citizen of the
United States came up and Dingley
pleaded that the statute of repose should
be allowed to obtain and that these
claims arising thirty years after the war
had closed be settled and stay settled.
Mahon (R.) of Pennsylvania replied to
this, vigorously protesting against the
Government pleading the statute of linn
itations after years of denied justice to
claimants. In this case Updegraff (R.)
of Iowa, OF whom the claimant is a con-
stituent, denounced the action of the Gov
eminent as that OF a highway robber, seiz-
ing the money like him by its strong arm
and retaining it because of its power 10 do
so. By vote Of IS 10 55 the committee
recommended favorable action on the bill
and it then rose.
The House passed the bill for the relief
OF Thomas B. Reed amidst much amuse-
n:ent and some EN- barrassment of the
Speaker.