New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-04


cation Of the pensioner. The veterans had al
ways commended however. that pensions should
date back to the time OF contracting the wounds
or disabilities for which they were granted. or.
at least. to the time of the soldiers discharge
from the service On account of those disabilities
Believing this claim 10 be just the Republicans
had at various times introduced bills to grant
arrears OF pensions without. however. securing
the passage Of any Of them. April :. 1910, MI
Cummings rep. KAN introduced in the House
a bill providing for this object 1t was re-
ferred to the Committee on Pensions. when
committee. having a Democratic majority, ana
being ayerse to pension legislation, smothered II
and refused to report 1t back to the House
After two months delay, Mr. Haskell tHepr
Kan.) moved June ID. 1878 that the COM
mittee be discharged, the rules suspended anu
the House pass the bill. The Democrats OF the
House were greatly disturbed at the prospect OF
vote. because they wished to avoid record.
They could not prevent vote, however. and the
House passed the bill by 164 yeas 1l6 Republi-
cans ~ Democrats) - ~ nays q Republican,
90 Democrats The bill went to the Senate and
was passed there at the next session.
During the session Mr. Phillips (Rep. Kan)
tried TO induce the House to suspend the rules
and pass a bill for the equalization OF bounties'
this being the same measure which had nearly
become law during General Grants term.
The Democrats opposed the motion and refused
TO suspend the rules.
PACIFIC RAILROAD SINKING FUND.
An act was passed to create sinking fuhd TOT
the payment Of the debt Of the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific railroads This was not
contested on partisan lines by either party in
Congress. The bill originated in the Senate.
Constitutional questions and differences Of
opinion about the law Of contracts arose during
the discussion, but no hostility to the roads
themselves was shown by either Of the two po-
litical parties in Congress. except on the part
Of one or two Democrats, who attacked cor
porations generally.
MISCELLANEOUS LEGISLATION.
An act was passed granting the service PEN
sion Of 81 a month (then being paid to veterans
Of the War Of 1912 who had served sixty days.
to tLos. who had served fourteen days; restor-
ing to the rolls those who had been stricken
therefrom on account Of service in the Confed-
crate army during the Civil War. and giving the
pension to widows OF survivors This was
Democratic measure, being introduced by Sena-
tor Withers Dem. Va-) and was intended IN
part to benefit Southern men. 1t was not, how
ever strongly resisted. 1t was passed by the
Senate February 49, 1876, by IL yeas IA Re-
publicans. SO Democrats to nays Gall Repu5ll-
cans,: by the House March /, by DIS yeas to
4 nays ohe latter mostly Republicans.
An act was passed repeating the National
Bankrupt law Of March ., 1861. the repeal TO
take effect September !. 1873. This law, the
third Of its kind ever passed by Congress, mad
been in operation about eleven yearA The flrst
law of the kind passed April ), lSOo ana
repealed December -, 1903 The second one
was passed August - 1s4l, in consequence OF
the distress following the panic OF 1851. and
was repealed March 3. 1915. The law of March
. 1861. had been beneficial in its operations
and during the contraction of business and fall
of prices following the civil war mad placed
upon their feet thousands Of business men who
had been crushed by burdens OF debt But the
contraction was nearly at an end. specie pay
ments near. and the time had come Tor
repeal Of the law The bill was first passed by
the se-lte April ). 1873. and provided FOR I'M
mediate repeal. the vote being - yeas GA Re
pubcans "a Democrats) TO d nays tan hepup-
Iicans) The House amended the bill by fixing
January l. 1879 AS the date when repeal should
take effect. the vote on its passage being 20
to 40 not party vote The SeEate then
changed the date to September l. 1873. by -
yeas To ~ nays. not a party vote ana thiS va"
accepted by the House without division
The National Quarantine act Of 1873 was one
of the few pieces Of constructive legislation
which stands to the credit of the Democratic
party of the United States. The whole service
was placed under the charge of the surgeon
General Of the Marine Hospital Service me
bill was introduced in the House by Mr.. Hart
ridge Dem. GaD was cordially supported py
the Republicans and was passed by p"tn
houses without a contest.
Specie payments were resumed on January -
1873 under tae law fra ned by Johh Sher"an'