The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-11
Important Statement by the Head of the
Ways and Means Committee.
FIXES IT AT
TEN MILLIONS.
Pension Bill Carrying O1e Hun1red and
Forty=One Million Dollars Passed by
House Without Amendment.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1O.-The house
today passed the pension appropriation
bill without amendment and adjourned
till Monday. The amendments offered
by Democrats to correct alleged exist
ing abuses were all ruled out on the
point of order that they were new
legislation. AS passed the bill car
ried $141, ,263,S7O The debate today COW
cred wide range. 1t touched not only
the question of pension policy, but
that of civil service reform and the re-
ceipts and expenditures of the treas
ury under the Dingley law. On the
latter question Mr.. Dingley made an
important statement, in which he ex-
pressed the opinion that the receipts
would equal the expenditures before
the close of the present fiscal year
and predicted a surplus of $4,000, 900
next year. The civil service law was
savagely attacked by several mem
bers, notably by Mr.. Brown Rep, o.
and Mr.. Linney Rep., N. c., and
was warmly defended by Mr. johnson
(Rep., Ind). Just before the close of
the session Mr.. Hit, chairman of the
foreign affairs committee, attempted
to secure unanimous consent for the
passage of the bill to prohibit peiagic
sealing by American citizens, but OBJ
lection was made. 1t will, under
agreement, however, be considered
Monday.
AT the opening of the session today
it was agreed that when the house
adjourned it would be to meet on Mon
day. On motion of Mr. Ross Rep., Ill.)
Saturday, Dec. 1S, was set apart for
paying tribute to the memory of the
late representative, E. D. Cooke, of
Illinois. The house then resumed the
consideration of the pension appropria-
tion bill, which was debated yesterday.
Mr.. Brown Rep., o. attacked the
civil service law because it protected
some of the pension examining boards
appointed under the last administra-
ton. He styled it an "abomination''
and was Justify applauded by many of
his colleagues. He said the soldiers of
his district-regarded this law as mimi
cal to their interests and he favored
its repeal or radical modification. He
declared that the president was mis-
taken when he affirmed that the civil
service law had the approval of the
people. The Republicans and the press
VI Ills dlSll lCl ldu denounced II. Inc
last Republican state convention of
Ohio had declared against the law, and
on that platform he stood. If it was
disloyalty to the Republican party,
then he was disloyal. Great applause
in the galleries) At the conclusion of
Mr.. Browns remarks the house, by
unanimous consent, agreed to close
general debate on the bill at 3:15.
CARDINAL PRINCIPAL.
Mr.. Bromwen Rep., o. said he con-
Cured with much said by his colleague,
Mr.. Brown, but he insisted that true
civil service reform was q cardinal
principle of Republcanism.S MIR Max
well POp., Neb) submitted some re-
marks in favor of a liberal pension.
and was followed by Mr.. Grosvenor
Rep, o., who said that while his
colleagues from Ohio seemed to differ
on the civil service question, he thought
they were practically of one mind. So
far as he was concerned, he had en-
listed for the war against the law. In
discussing the pension matter, Mr.
Grosvenor said if he could, he would
abolish the pension examining board
and much of the expense of the admin
istration in the pension office and sub
stitute @ general service pension sys-
lNHl CdltIully StIeS udIu6u. III reply
to Mr.. NOrton's criticism yesterday,
Mr.. Grosvenor reviewed the records of
the two parties on the pension legisla-
tion of congress showing that in the
aggregate 1904 Republican votes were
cast in congress for general pension
legislation and but two against, while
412 Democratic votes had been in favor
of such legislation and SIG votes in
opposition.
Messrs. Carmack, Gaines and Sims,
Democrats, of Tennessee spoke briefly
in favor of retrenchment in pension
expenditures. These remarks drew an
important statement from Mr.. Dingley
regarding the prospective revenues and
expenditures for the coming fiscal year
Preliminary to the statement, Mr.
Dingley gave a new Interpretation of
the estimated increase in pension ex-
penditures contending that the maxi
mum was reached in 1893 when the p n
sion payments reached $159 000, 900. In
1894 they fell to $141 ,0O0O 900; 1895, $141,-
600 900; 1896, $139,0OO.000. and in 1897,
$f4I, ,000, 600. If the expenditures for pen
sions during the next fiscal year should
be $14S, 1000, 600 as had been estimated,