The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-18
FOUR PENSION BILLS PASSED
House Spent Five Hours at Work on
Private Calendar.


Washington, April 17.--The net re-
suit of five hours work on the private
calendar in the House to-day, was the
passage of four pension bills, one to
pension the widow of Rear Admiral
Foote, at $50 per month, the rejection
of a bill to retire a hospital steward as
q second lieutenant of Cavalry, and the
passage of war claim brought before
the House for con liberation, and il
nearly provoked general debate on
the policy of paying war claims. II
drew form Mr.. Malone (Rep., Pa.),
chairman of the War Claims commit.
tee, Mr.. Walker (Rep., Mass.), Mr.. Me-
Call (Rep., TennJ, and Mr.. Evans
(Rep., Ky.), eloquent pleas for the pay
ment of the findings of the Court OF
Claims. Mr.. Malone argued that these
abolished. Barring the cotton claims
he asserted that $20,000,000 would pay
them, while Mr. Ray (Rep., N. Y.),
thought $600,00O,000 would not pay
them.
Politics, of course, was injected
into the debate before it was finished
and there was a lively set-to between
Mr.. Dockery Dem, New, and Mr.. Gros-
venor (Rep., Ohio). The former tauT,t.
ed the Republicans with not living ur
to their professions in paying the
claims of loyal men in the South and
the latter maintained that the bank
rupt condition of the Treasury left
Congress no alternative, no matter how
just the claims might be, except to
postpone the payment.
During the discussion Mr.. Doekery
enlogized Speaker Crisp and Mr.. Say
ers, the chairman of the Appropriation
committee in the last Congress, and
paid a high tribute to Speaker Reed
Il want to say here, in his presence, .
said he. that / honor the present
Speaker, Thomas b. Reed (applause)
lie has stood like a lion in the path OF
members on both sides of the political
aisle who have been pressing bills car.
rying large sums"
Mr.. Grosyenor ridiculed Mr.. Dockery
for attempting to yindicate the his
tory and creed of the Democratic
party" He said the real question al
issue was not the honesty of these
claims, but of the ability of the Govern
ment to pay them at this time.
"You are" said he, addressing the
Democratic side, ''paralyzed by your
bWl utbcI lHShIUc4EDcY. Inc gFGdt
feature of the administration of Grover
Cleveland the only feature that will
save him from future contumely-is
that wfen~the bin TO repeal the great
revenue producing industry propa-
eating tariff law was presented to him,
he said: My name shall never disgrace
its pages "You," he continued. "are
attempting to place in contrast an adj
ministration that paid S250,OOO, 900 of
the public debt with one that borrowed
$260,000,000, and now tremble each day
lest the telegraph brings the news that
the gold so borrowed is drifting across
the water" (Applause.)
At o'clock the House took a recess
until s O'Clock, the evening session to
be devoted to private pension bills
The question Of granting to officers
and widows larger pensions than pri-
yate soldiers widows was discussed in
the House tonight for two hours in
connection with a bill to pension the
widow of Brigadier General Ferdinand
Van Derveer, of Ohio, at the rate OF
SIS per month. The bill was finally
favorably acted upon with an amend
meat making the rate $50 per month.