The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-10
SENATOR'S WARNED.
Mr.. GalIinger Thinks Too Many Pri-
vafe Pension Bills Are PASSED.

Mr.. GalIinger Thinks Too Many Pri-
vate Pension Bills Are Passed.
WASHINGTON, Dec 9.-The Senate did
a considerable amount of business, although
no very important measures were consid-
cred or passed and there was very little
debate. Senator Gallinger, chairman of the
committee on pensions, called attention to
the increasing demand for private pension
legislation and requested senator's to be
careful in the future to see. that their bills
for private pensions were meritorious before
they were introduced. An attempt was
made by Senator Mcbride to secure an APP
preparation of $250O0O for the relief of the
sKlondike miners, but the net result was a
resolution calling on the secretary Of war
for all information he had on that subject.
An hour was devoted to consideration of
private pension bills and forty-five were
passed. The resolution of the Pacific Rail-
road committee asking information regard
ing the sale of the Kansas Pacific, and re-
questing the President to obtain postpone
ment Of such sale to such time as will
give to Congress reasonable time to con-
slider and act upon his recommendation, was
passed, which gave Senator Gear, of Iowa,
and Senator Thurston, of Nebraska, an OPP
portunsty to make short speeches congratu-
lating the country on the settlement of the
Pacific Railroad question. Some work was
laid out for next week. Senator Carter Sc
curing the right of way Monday and Tues
day for his census bill, and Senator Lodge
had the immigration bill made the unfin-
ished business during the week.
At the opening of the session Mr.. Gal
Hnger, chairman, requested that at the con-
clusion of the morning business to-
ton Of private pension bills of which, he
said, there were over two hundred on the
calender o ndorsed by the fGmmi tbeTs n
laxity among senators about sending PEN
sion bills to our COMMITTEES. No inquiry is
made by them as to the merits of the meas
ures and the result is that our committee
is flooded with correspondence concerning
the details of bills that ought to have been
determined before the measures were laid
before Congress. Senator'S should be abso-
lutely satisfied of the merit of measures
before introducing them am satisfied
that in private pension matters we nave
gone to the extreme limit and that 1t is
now time to call a halt. | am and have
always been friendly to the soldiers, put
am constrained to feel that we are going
too far and that we ought in the future TO
exercise the greatest conservatism In the
consideration of all pension matters
Mr.. Gallinger thought that the practice
of pensioning remarked widows and several
other similar classes of claimants ought 10
be stopped. He thought, too, that the
recommendation of the commissioner of pen
sions that a law should be enacted speedily,
providing that no pension should be granted
to a widow if her marriage to the 'ioldler
had been subsequent to the passing OF the
law under which he was drawing pension,
ought to be enacted into law. In response
to the question by Mr.. Allen, Mr.. Gallinger
said that he was opposed to the granting OF
large pensions to widows of distinguished
officers I'VE have reached the limit IN
that regard" said he. and it is time that
we should stop" The order requested by
Mr. Gallinger was then made.
Bills were passed as. follows: Granting to
the town of Valentine, Cherry county,
NebrasIa. certain lands; providing for the
erection of a public building at Washington,
pa. and forty-five pension bills, the MAJOR
- haf inprpa
now received. At 2:40 the Senate adjourned
I'LL Monday.