Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-04-29

At the opening of the session of the
House on the 2ist Mr.. Henderson Rep.,
Ia asked unanimous consent that the
Wednesday and Thursday of the following
week. Mr.. Hepburn Rep., la, objected.
There was great pressure for unanimous
consent and quite a number of minor bills
were passed. Among them was the Senate
bill for the relief of settlers on Northern
Pacific railway Indemnity lands At 12:45
p. M the regular order was demanded and
Mr.. Daniels (Rep., n V, chairman of cleo
tons committee No. l. called up the con-
tested election case of Goodwin VS.. Cobb
from the Fifth Alabama district. An I'M
successful attempt was made to limit the
time for debate to three hours, but Mr..
Cobb, the contestee, objected. The report
recommends the unseating of Cobb Dem.).
The majority resolutions were divided aft
| er lengthy debate. The first declaring
Mr.. Cobb not entitled to the seat was adopt
ed viva voce, but the quorum failed 121-45
on the resolution declaring Mr. Goodwin
entitled to the seat, and at $3.50 p. the
House adjourned.
The House on the 22d entered upon the
consideration Of the general pension bill,
reported from the invalid pension commit
tee. 1t amends the existing pension laws
In some very important respects. Mr..
Bickler, the chairman of the committee,
addressed the House for three hours in sup
| port of it. The bill makes presumption of
death OF an enlisted man exist if no tidings
have been heard from him for seven years;
1t provides that desertion or dishonorable
under the act of 1890 if the enlisted man
has served ninety days subsequent to such
discharge; it provides that pensions allowed
| shall date from their first application; it
| fixes the maximum income of widow en-
titled to pension under the act of 1890 at
$500 per annum; it provides that no pen
! sion shall be reduced or discontinued except
for fraud or recovery from disability, and
that discontinued pensions, when reconsid-
| cred and reallowed, shall date from their
! diScontinuance.
The House on the 23d, on motion Of Mr.
| Talbert Oem., S. c., unanimously adopted
| lion fl,n Of
| state for all information relative to the ar
rest and Imprisonment in Cuba of the Rev.
MI Diaz Constipation of the Picker
| Mcclellan Dem., \. W spoke in Oppo-
| sitlon to the measure as intended as a Re-
| publican sop to the soldiers and reflection
on the administration of the pension laws
| by the present executive officers. The best
the majority could do for the soldier, he
| said, was to bring in this bill which pro-
posed to put on the pension rolls the names
of bounty jumpers and men who had de-
| serted from the ranks of the Confederacy.
| Mr. Smith Rep.. Mich.) opposed that
ton which provides for discontinuance of
| pensions for mistake of fact or recovery
from injury" Mr.. Hepburn Rep., la
| gave notice of an amendment instructing
| laws literally. Mr.. Stewart (Rep., N. j.
closed the debate for the Gay. At O'Clock
| the House adjourned.
! Although this was private bill day under
the rules, the House decided to proceed
| with the Picker pension bill, and the whole
|
measure. The debate was devoid of inter
| est Mr.. Layton Dem, o. criticised some
| features OF the measure, especially the sec
| ton of the bill which gives pensions TO
! deserterS. He replied at length to some of
| the remarks made the day before charging
! the Democratic party with hostility toward
| the Union soldiers Mr.. Connolly Rep.. lid
! supported the bill in the main bat criticised
! the provision which would grant pensions
| TO deserters from the Confederate ranks.
! The House nOn-cOncurred in the Senate
| amendments to the Indian bill and agreed
| TO conference. At . p. the House took
a recess until p. M. the evening session to
! be devoted TO private pension bills At the
| were fayoraby passed upon, including bills
! giving the widow of Maj.-Gen. Sprigg Car
roll a pension of $50 month and Gen. w.
| A. Morris SO
| III the House on the 25th another partial
| report on the legislative, executive and
| judicial appropriation bill was adopted, and
| the bill sent back TO conference. In con-
nection with the report, Mr.. GroSvenOr
| (Rep.. o. called attention to provision in
| the bill which would prevent the legislative
assembly of Oklahoma from removing the
capital of the territory from Guthrie. 1t
was agreed by unanimous consent to hold
! Picker pension bill and after an unSuccesS-
| full attempt by Mr.. Picker to get unapi-
nous consent for the consideration of
| resolution to set aside Saturday, May .,
| for the consideration of private pension
! bills, and Mr. Terry Dem, Ark to take
/ up private pension bill, the House re-
| sumed consideration of the Picker gen
eral pension bill, Mr. Bartlett Dem, n.
" speaking in opposition.