The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-28
REPUBLIoANs IN a BIG ROW.
Members of the House Fail Out over
the Pension Policy.


Washington, March 27-ouite unexpect-
edly the House OF Representatives to-day,
by vote OF 1f2 to a. refused TO consider
the sundry civil appropriation bill re-
ported yesterday adopting the motion OF
Mr.. Hepburn. rep. Of Iowa, TO take up
bills on the private calendar for the first
time this session. The adoption OF this
motion exhausted an hour and another
hour was spent in discussing a motion
by Mr. Picker rep. OF South Dakota,
that only pension and private relief bills
reported from the committee on military
affairs be considered. This was finally
agreed TO- Only three bills were consid-
cred, and they were reported to the House
with a recommendation that they be pass
ed Before vote could be taken on
them Mr.. Hepburn, rep, OF Iowa, moved
that when the House adjourn tonight it
be until Monday. next, and despite the
strenuous opposition OF Mr.. Cannon, rep,
OF Illinois, chairman of the committee on
appropriations, the motion was agreed to
--lOS to %.
The House then. at O'Clock. was de-
clared in recess until o'clock, the even
ing session to be devoted to the consider
alton of private pension bills.
The evening session OF the House de-
veloped a family row among the repub-
ltcans regarding pension legislation. The
urst bill on the calendar was that dis
granting a pension OF $50 a month to
Charles 4. Jones, a photographer, for in
juries received from a wound received
while taking a picture OF Longstreets for
tihcations at SUFFOLK, Va, Gen. John Peck
commanding the division to which the
PHOTOGRAPHERS regiment. the nth Penn
sylvania Cavalry, belonged.
Mr.. Connolly, rep, of Illinois. antago-
nized the bill and I'm the course of his
speech severely criticised the committee
on invalid pensions for bringing in bills of
this class to pension men who were not
enlisted men at all, while hundreds OF
cases of bona fide soldiers remained in the
committee room.
Mr.. Picker rep, OF South Dakota. chair
man of the committee, demanded that
the gentlemans words be taken down,
but withdrew the demand and MIR. Con-
molly concluded his remarks.
He was followed by Mr. Pickler, who
bitterly resented the criticism of Mr.. Con-
molly, declaring that Il was not fair and
that his assertions were base slander
upon the invalid pensions committee. That
committee had reported but one other bill
this session, he said, to pension a civilian
shot while in the service Of the govern
ment. The committee had recommended
nothing for which II had not the prece-
dents OF many congresses past.
After amending the bill so as to give the
man a pensiOnable status and leaving to
the pension bureau the determination Of
the amount TO be paid him, the bill was
laid aside with favorable recommenda-
tion.
Subsequently. Mr.. Mahon, rep, OF Penn
sylvania, apparently laboring under sup
pressed feeling, said that a statement had
go out uncontradicted. When the gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. Connolly, had
charged that a certain gentleman, whom
he need not name, but whom all the re-
publcans recognized as their leader (ap-
plause). had interfered to suppress legls-
lation In behalf OF the old soldiers, he
spoke without foundation. The speaker
of the House, Mr.. Mahon asserted had al
ways given preference in granting recog-
milton to members TO those having bills
for the old soldier. The House had spent
ifty-five hours this session In consider
ing private pension bills and had passed
forty, giving an average Of an hour and a
half to each bill If the members wanted
to take up the time In making speeches
which was thelr, right, MT. Mahon, con,
ceded, they could do so, but they should
not critlcse others and charge that candi-
dates for the presidency or their friends
were using the old soldiers as a foot BALL
Mr.. GrosvenOr, rep, of Ohio followed in
a similar strain, advising Mr.. Connolly be-
fore he undertook to arraign the republic
can majority TO have more detail to 80 on
than he had at present. The pension COM
mittee was all right, Mr.. Grosvenor said
but the evil was in the system Of legis-
lation and the political power that exists
I'm the pension bureau. As to the speaker
of the House, Mr.. Grosvenor said he spoke
of that which he knew when he said that
the old soldiers Of the country had no bet
ter friend than he.
Mr.. Connolly, responding, said that he
had made no attack upon the speaker, he
had been most generously treated by him
What he had said was that with a great
republican majority in the House. a re-
publican quorum failed TO appear at these
Friday nights sessions and that there
were too many candidates for the presi-
dency and their friends In this congress
engaged in promoting their interests TO
do justice to the soldiers In the matter of
pension legislation.
The committee rose after having favor
ably acted upon four bills and at 1870
o'clock adjourned until Monday next.