Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-16
IS MR. CLEVELAND A KING 2 Was a Question Asked by a Member of Congress. MIR. GROW SAYS THAT HE IS But He Has No Right to Try to Influence
 Legislation. MIR. CARLISLE WAS ALSO CRITICISED A General Debate Was precipitated in the House Over the Penslon Blll-The
 Senate Listened to Free S;l.
 yer Speeches
MIR. GROW SAYS THAT HE IS
R. CARLISLE WAS ALSO CRITICISED

Washington, Jan. 15.--Mr. Johnson of Indiana presented the report of elections committee No. 2 upon the contest of Rob- ert Chesebrough for the seat occupied by George B. Mcclellan from the Thir- teenth district of New York. The re- port recited the facts in the case, which showed that Chesebrough had aban- ,doned the contest and was accompanied by resolution declaring that Mcclellan had been duly elected and was entitled to the seat. The report was agreed to and the resolution passed.
 The house then in committee of the whole resumed consideration of the gen eral pension bill. MT. Morse. republican, of Massachusetts, announced that he would offer at the proper time an amend ment to the bill giving the widow of soldier the minimum pension of $l2 month, notwithstanding that this sol dier died from disease not contracted in the service.
 MT. Walsh. democrat. of New York, said that he desired to dissipate the idea that might have been inculcated In the minds of members of the house by cer- tain speeches on the democratic side that the democratic party was antagonlstic to the bestowal of pensions. That was not the case, and as to the amendment proposed by the committee with regard to the payment of pensions to widows Of soldiers,> there was no difference in sen- timent.
 MT. Walsh paid a glowing tribute to woman's part in the struggle and in closing he appealed to the chivah Y of the southern democrats, which, he said, 6ad never been invoked in vain to vote for the bill granting relief to the widows of those who had met them in open and honorable conflict. tApplause)
 The discussion was further continued by MT. Mccall, republican, of Tennessee; MT. Hanley, republican, of Indiana; MT. Hardy, republican, of Indiana, and MT. Mcclure, republican, of Ohio. The latter gentleman spoke of the attitude of the gentleman from New York (Mr. BartletO during the war. He had spent that pe- ri0d, MT Mcclure said. in academic halls, reading classic authors, including! Livys account of Attilla's descent upon Rome, and that the only bridge he had crossed in that time was the pons asinorum. Ii the speaker and the gentleman from Ala bama (Mr. Wheeler) could have got at each other at any time from 1861 to 1865, he said, they would have fought blood less battle for the lightweight champion ship of North America. Gaughter)
 MT. Mcclure said that up to yesterday afternoon, when MT. Cummings had ad- dressed the house on the subject of the bill, he formed an opinion of Tammany hall, based upon the report of a gentle man named Lexow, which was unfavora- b1e. He now saw how easy 1t was for person or corporation to become the un- deserved object of aversion. He stated that he renounced and disavowed the rustic opinion heretofore entertained, and extended to it, in the name of patriotism. the right hand of fellowship.
 Brief speeches were made by MT. La cey, republican, of Ohio, who with MT. Mccall of Tennessee opposed the adop- ton of the Graf amendment as not tend- ing to further the best interest of the pensioner; Mr. Mines, republican, of Michigan; MT Crowther. republican, of Maryland MT. Love- republican, of New York; MT. Howe, republican, of New York; MT. Spalding. republican, of Michigan, who raised laugh by saying that the only element not satisfied with the war of the rebellion were the non combatants north and south; MT. Trace well. republican, of Indiana, and MT. Pickler. republican, of South Dakota, who urged the necessity of a general re- vision of the pension laws so as to insure radical change in the administration of of the pension bureau This evoked query from MT. w. A. Stone, republican. of Pennsylvania, as to whether or not MT. Picker believed the president would sign bill containing such amendments as he proposed, and whether or not 1t was not better to take what they could probably get as rider to an appropria- tion bill, rather than to risk getting noth- ing. To this MT. Piclxler replied that he did not know what the president would do but he did know that the house should do it's duty. regardless of the atti- tude or action of the president. (Ap- plause)
 Apropos to this colloquy, the venera- ble Ex-Speaker Grow. republican, of Pennsylvania, addressed the house brief ly upon the necessity of resenting the en- croachment upon it's prerogatives by the executive He said: Under the long es- tablished parliamentary law it has al- ways been regarded as an invasion of the prerogatives of parliament for any one to refer in its discussions to the opinion of the king on any question pending be- fore It..
 A member-Is MT. Cleveland "the kng?"
 Mr Growth reference to matters of this kind he occupies the same relation to the house of congress that the sover- eign in Great Britain~does to parliament. The president exercises the veto power, and if we do not have on any given meas ure the two-thirds necessary to over come that he is so far the king. In the last congress we had before us on one occasion a bill headed "the bill of the = secretary of the treasury" What has that to do with presenting bill in this house? We have had here attempts by the secretaries of the different depart ments to influence legislation; they have sent in here letters to be read with ref erence to pending measures. And in one case a letter was read here from the president of the United States having reference to a measure pending then in the house and just about to be voted upon. The house owes 1t to itself to make the president understand that he has nothing to do with the action Of this leg islative body till bill formally passed Is presented to him for his approval. (Applause.) Only in that contingency has he the right to express his approval or disapproval Nor has any one of the heads of the departments. except the gecretary of the treasllry the right to