Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-12-16
FIFTY FOURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.
SENATE.

Five bills authorizing officers OF the
United States to accept medals from
foreign governments were reported by
Mr.. Sherman, who asked unanimous
consent to have them considered and
passed. Objection was made by MIR.
Allen and the bills we're placed on the
calendar.
The Joint resolution for the payment
of The December salaries ofcoDgression-
al EMPLOYEES on the 18th of December
was passed.
MI. Mitchell introduced bill to
amend the law which gives preference
in civil appointments 10 men who
served in the war OF the rebellion" by
extending its provisions to men who
served in any Indian war. He explain
ed the purpose of the bill and had it re-
ferred.
The pension appropriation bill was
then taken up and Mr.. Gallipger,
chairman of the committee on pen
sions, expressed his appreciation OF
the presnt administration of the Pen
sion Bureau and said that the
man at the head of that great depart
ment of the government was DESTROYS
not only of administering the pension
laws generously and justly, but that
his sympathies were with the men and
women seeking the recognition of the
government. He had been very much
surprised, in listening to the reading of
the Presidents message that that high
official mad not yet disahused his mind
of the idea that pensioners we're men OF
rascally tendencies. He read some ex-
tracts from the Presidents message and
from newspaper criticism of them, and
said that ~ his judgment these contin
ued attacks of the executive on pension
ers of the government and the Presi-
dents continued assertions that the
roll of pensioners was not "a roll OF
honor" should cease. He was:sure that
Congress would never endorse such
sentiments as he had read from the
Presidents message, but would grant to
the men who had fought for the govern
ment all that the government had
solemnly pledged to them. A few
brief remarks in the same line
were made by Mr.. Hawley, and then
the bill was passed without amend
ment. The net sum appropriated for
pensions exclusive of other expenses) is
S140,0OO,OO0.
Mr.. Vest called up Mr.. Aliens resolu
ton of last week for the consideration
of the Dingey bill and addressed the
Senate. He characterized that bill as
one of the most extraordinary ever in
troduced into Congress. The admins.
tration, protesting that there was no de-
felt in the Treasury, had suggested the
necessity of some legislation looking
to relief from financial embar-
rassment, and the House Of Rep
resentatives had prooseded to the
passage of the Dingley. tariff
bill, for which there had been no ad-
ministrative demand, but which, on the
contrary, had been pronounced entire
" unnecessary. 1t had not been asked
for by the wool interest or by the iron
interest.
Mr.. Aldrich declared that the rates
now existing under the so.called Will
son-Gorman bill wore more protective
oh the whole iron and steel schedule
than they had been under the McKiu.
ley act, when passed, owing to the
changes in business which had since
taken place.
At this stage of the discussion the
morning hour expired and the un6nish-
ed business-the immigration bill
was laid before the Senate. The tariff
discussion, however, having been fair
" started by Mr. Vest. was continued
and was participated in by Senators
Frye, Mills, Vest and Mitchell. 10
the course of it Mr. Vest spoke of the
Dingley bill as being dead and "consign-
ed 10 the tomb of the Capulets" while
to an allusion as to President Cleveland
being the leader to the Senator from
Missouri, Mr.. Vest Immediately inter-
posed the correction "No, sir; my
former leader" Naughter).
HOUSE.
Mr.. Bailey asked immediate con-
sideration of resolution providing
for an investigation by sub committee
of the Committee on Naval Affairs into
the alleged defects of the battleship
Texas. o. objection By Mr.. DINGHY
the resolution was referred to the COM
mittee without action.
Senate bill to refer the claim of the
owners of the brig Tally Ho for dam
ages by collision with the United States
ship Pinta in Boston harbor in 1888, to
the Court of Claims for judgment, was
passed. About $4,000 is involved in
the claim.
A bill to pay the expenses incurred by
Lewis Mckenzie in two contests for
seat in the House from the eighth
district of Virginia in the And and 43rd
Congresses was called up by Mr. Swan
son and objection being made to its
immediate consideration, it was referred
by agreement to the Committee on
Elections No. /.
The Presidents veto of the bill grant
ing pension to Nancy G. Allabach,
which the Senate passed yesterday over
the Presidents objections, was read and
referred to the Committee on Invalid
Pensions.
The House went into committee of
the whole, Mr.. Hopkins in the chair,
to consider the army appropriation bill.
SAYING THE BAss.-The experiment
of saving bass fish in the Chesapeake