Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-23
JAMES T. COBB UNSEATED
Albert T. Goodwin, Populist,
Was Given His Seat
BY A VOTE OF l45 TO 45
He Was Slightly AppIauded by the Republicans
When Sworn in.
GREER COUNTY TAKEN FROM TEXAS
The Pension Question Occupied Most of the
Time of the House and the Indian
School Question Occupied the
Time of the Senate.

Washington. April 22.-The first bus-
ness in order in the house today was the
vote upon the resolution declaring Albert
T. GOODWIN, populist, entitled to a seat
as the representative from the Fifth dis
trict of Alabama in place of James e.
Cobb democrat, upon which no quorum
appeared yesterday. 1t was agreed to
yeas 145, nays As. Mr.. Goodwin was es-
eorted to the bar by Mr.. Daniels, repub-
lican, of New York. where the oath as a
member of congress was administered
by Speaker Reed. At the conclusion of
the ceremony a, slight ripple of applause
swept over the republican seats.
Mr.. Scranton, republican, of Pennsyl-
vania, unsuccessfully attempted to get
unanimous consent to consider the bill
providing for the election of delegate
in congress from Alaska. Mr. Crisp OBJ
jected.
The house bill was passed transferring
Greer county to the territory of Oklaho-
ma, in accordance with the recent de-.
cision of the supreme court declaring it
not a part of the state of Texas. An
amendment was adopted continuing the
present officers of the county. bill pro-
viding for the free entry of lands In Greer
county, giving preference to bona fide oc
cupants and allowing them to take up 160
acres additional on the payment of 81 per
acre, was also passed.
The house then, in committee of the
whole, took up the bill reported by the
committee on invalid pensions, making
general provisions relating to pensions.
Mr.. Pickler, republican, of South Dakota,
chairman of the committee reporting the
bill, explained its provisions and it's ne
cessity under the rulings of the present
administra ton of the pension bureau. It's
principal provisions are: Giving a PEN
sionable status to soldiers holding an
honorable discharge from the union
army, Notwithstanding prior service in
the Confederate service; directing that no
pension shall be discontinued or reduced
except for fraud, clerical error, mistake
of fact or recovery from disability; allow
ing claimants charged with fraud to con-
front their aceusers; abolishng the dis
tincAion between the oath of an officer
and that of an enlisted man; forbidding
that claim shall be rejected because of
claimants inability to furnish more than
one creditable witness to any material
fact; permitting claimant or his attor-
ney to see any paper on file regarding his
case, and being as a rule of the office
the common law rule for proving mar
rlage; fixing for pensionable purposes the
date of the termination of the war in ac-
cordance with the proclamation of the
president and ruling of the supreme
court; giving pensionable status under
the law of 1890 to a claimant honorably
discharged after ninety days service
Notwithstanding prior desertion or dis
honorable discharge making death in
service, unless for or in violation of law
equivalent to an honorable discharge;
fixing $500 as the maximum annual in
come widow may have. and still have
pensionable status under the act of
$780,
The section in the bill fixing the dates
of the closing of the war and giving a
n3i inf hi 10 nftI- 10 III boil
an honorable discharge after ninety days
service, Notwithstanding a previous de-
sertion or dishonorable discharge, as sug-
gested by, Mr.. Pickler awakened some
criticism by republican members, indi-
eating that they would oppose them.
In the course of colloquy on the lat
ter section Mr.. Steele, republican, of In
diana, stated that he had occasion to in
vestigate the record of some bounty
jumpers and found that one man had en-
listed forty-one times the same day in
New York city.
Mr.. Pickler spoke two and half hours
and when he had concluded the commit
tee rose.
At ABS o'clock the house adjourned un-
til tomorrow.
The Senate.
In the senate today the discussion of
the question of sectarian schools for In
dian children was continued for a couple
of hours. 1t ended in the adoption of an
amendment offered by Mr. Cockrell. The
bill as it came from the house appropri-
ated 81 1856, 900. 1t was increased by the sem
ate to $1,335, 900 for support of day and in
dustral schools for children. But this
appropriation was accompanied by
provision absolutely prohibiting future
payment for the education of Indian
children in sectarian schools. Mr.. Cock
rel's amendment was to substitute for
that provision declaration that it is the
settled policy of the government to make
no appropriation for the education of
children in any sectarian schools Just
as soon as possible for provision to be
made for their education otherwise
1t also provides that the secretary of
the interior may make contracts with
present contract schools during the fiscal
year 1897 to half the amount used for the
fiscal year 1896. This amendment was
agreed to-yeas 38, nays "a.
The remainder of the day was used up
in discussion of various matters in con-
nection with the Choctaws Cherokees,
Creeks and "squaw men,"
The amendments of the committee on
appropriations striking out the two items
for Indian pupils at Hampton. Va, and
in Lincoln institution, Philadelphia, were
disagreed to and those items remain in
the bill.
without finishing the bill the senate at
$50 adjourned until tomorrow.
Petitions from Baptist churches in re-
lation to the arrest Of Rev. Mr.. Diaz, a
naturalized American citizen, by the
Spanish authorities in Cuba were pre-
sented by half dozen senators and re-
ferred, and aresolution requesting infor-
nation on the same subject from the
state department was offered by Mr.
Bacon, democrat, of Georgia, and agreed
to.