St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-25
MAY DON THE BLUE
THE LAST OF THE STATUTES
AGAINST CONFEDERATE SOL
DIERS REMOVED.
AN HOUR OF BRISK DEBATE.
MIR. BOUTELLE, OF MAINE, HAD
THE OPPOSITION TO HIM
SELF.
THE BILL PASSED WITH A SHOUT
The Vote of the New England Com
gressman the Only One Re-
corded In Opposition.

WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator
Hills bill to remove the restrictions
against the appointment, as officers Of
the army or navy, of persons who held
commissions in the regular army or
navy before the rebellion, and who sub
sequently took part in the war on the
side of the confederacy, which passed
the senate during the height of the
excitement over the Venezuela bound
ary question, passed the house today
after two hours debate with but one
dissenting vote, that of Mr.. Boutelle,
of Maine The Democrats, except Mr.
Cummings, of New York, who spoke,
as he said, "as one of 100000 Northern
Democrats who fought in the Union
army" and Mr.. Wilson, of South
Carolina, who was drawn into the de-
bate by Mr.. 8outelle, refrained entirely
from participation. Mr.. Boutelle, who
led the opposition single-handed,
thought it would furnish bad object
lesson for naval and military cadets
who were about entering on careers in
the service of their country, and when
he got warmed up to his subject, he
called attention to the fact that many
Southern men in congress in the past
terest of Union soldiers, dwelling parti-
cularly on the opposition to the retire
ment of Gen. Grant. Mr.. Grosvenor,
of Ohio, and Mr., Grow, of PennSyl-
vania, however, supported the bill
ardently as a graceful and gracious
act to the vanquished, and when a vote
was taken, Mr.. BOutelle alone voted
against it, The bill considered yester-
- oh 1;cI, u, in
certain cases was passed.
Bills also were passed to make the
sale of spirituous liquors under a false
brand punishable by fine and impris-
onment, to turn over the property of
the Mormon church now in the hands
of a receiver to the trustees, and sew
eral others of minor Importance.
When the committee on military af-
fairs was called, Senator Hills BILL
removing the restriction to appoint
ment in the army or navy Of persons
who held commissions in the army or
navy before the rebellion and who
subsequently engaged in insurrection
against the United States, was taken
up. Mr.. Hull, chairman of the COM
mittee, said this bill would remove
the last restriction on the statute
books against eX-Confederate soldiers.
After a running debate, which was
Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. Grosvenor Rep., o.
got the floor. If it had been left to
him, he said, he could not have intro
duced the resolution, but, being
brought up he would vote for it. Con-
tinuing, he said he would vote for any
bill that made possible a higher de-
gree of loyalty for every man who
served in the Confederacy.
Mr.. Grow, in a brief speech, eX-
pressed the opinion that neither party
to the rebellion could afford to per-
petuate itself into party Of perpet-
ual hates. At this point Mr.. Hopkins
Rep., Ill) made motion to adjourn,
which was lost.
Mr.. Picker Rep., S. d. spoke in
favor of the bill. There was hearty
applause when Mr.. Walker, a Virginia
| Republican and one time Confeder-
ate general in Stonewall Jackson's bri-
gade, said that much OF harmony, good
feeling and good will in his section de-
pended upon the passage Of the bill.
'Is not there something in sentiment,
harmony and good Will?" he asked
'And is not this sentiment in the right
direction? In the South there is to-
day turning to this Union in the
minds and hearts with a devotion
that the people of this country can
not conceive"
Mr.. Cummings Oem., N. W closed
the debate with a plea for the pass
ing of the bill. AS a war Democrat,
he said he hoped no eX-Confederate
would vote on the question. The bill
was then passed with a shout, and
when the noes were asked for, Mr..
Boutelle alone rose dramatically and
responded mo"