The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-11
PENSION BILL
PASS[DASREPORTED
all Amendments Were Ruled OuI ON
d Point OF Order.
THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED is SI4I, 2G5, $50
Debate Covered Everything Members Fell
Like Talking About,
DingIcy Discusses Deficits and Ex-
presses tho Opinion Tint the Res
ccipts orthc Government by the cnd
or tho Fiscal Year VIII Equal the
Expcnscs-Privn,e Alien Indig-
nant-Itnney Grows EIoquen,
About Big ana Little Tigers.
Washington Dec. 10, 1897.

Washington Dec. 10, 1897.
The House to-day passed the Pension
Appropriation bill without amendment,
and adjourned until Monday. The
amendments offered by the Democrats
to correct alleged existing abuses were
all ruled out on the point of order that
they were new legislation. AS passed,
the bill carries SILL ,263,SS0. The debate
to-day covered wide range. 1t touch
ed not only the question of our pension
policy, but that of civil service reform
and the receipts and expenditures of the
Treasury under the Dingley bill.
Consideration OF the Pension Appro-
priation bin was resumed soon after
the opening of the House.
Mr.. Brown, Republican, OF Ohio, at
tackled the civil service law because
1t protected some of the pension exam
lining boards appointed under the last
administration. He styled h an abomi-
nation and was Justify applauded by
many OF his colleagues. He said the
soldiers of his district regarded this
law as inimical to their interests, and
he favored it's repeal or radical modifica-
tion.
Mr.. Maxwell, Populist, of Nebraska,
submitted some remarkc In favor Of lib
cral pensions, and was followed by Mr..
GroSvenor, Republican. of Ohio, who
said that while his colleague from Ohio
seemed TO differ on the civil service
question. he Thought they were prac-
tically of one mind.
Mr. Sullivan, Democrat of Missis-
sippi, in support of an argument against
the payment of pensions to those who
yan Inv Al M n III
quoted at length from an article re-
Gently wrtuten by General II. V. Boyn-
ton, whose testimony against abuses in
the present system, he said. was en-
titled to respectful consideration by the
other side
Mr.. Johnson, Republican, OF Indiana,
in defense of civil service reform. reite-
rated his statement OF the other day
tha; civil service reform was an essen
tial principle CT Rcpublicanism. Mr.
Johnson declared shat the enemies OF
the law dare not attack 1t openly
DO You favor life tenure in office ?'
asked Mr.. Pearson, Republican, OF
North Carolina.
Il do in the civil service" replied Mr..
Johnson emphatically. Il believe thar
the offices are public trusts held by the
people who deserve them; that they are
not owned by politicians to be used for
tS"a dlHS llltT lllenUS.
MeSsrs. Carmack, Gains and Sims
Democrats of Tennessee, spoke briefly
IN favor of retrenchmcnt in pension cy
pendhures The latter expressed tn,
opinion shat the Dingley law would not
supply sufficient revenue for the in
creaslnS pension expenditures
IheSc remarks drew out an important
statement from Mr. Dlnglcy regarding
.he prospective revenues and cXpendi-
lures Tor the coming fiscal year. Pre-
liminary to the statement Mr.. Dinrlay
gave Il new Interpretation Of the csti
mated increase in pension eXpcndituras
contending that the maximum was
reached in 1893. when the pension nav
ments amounted to $159,0O0, COO. In 1904
they fell to Sill ,000. 900; 1895, Sill 900 ono,
lSJ6. Sl$9,O00,00 aGld in 1897, S1it 900 ono
III ohe expenditures for pensions during
tne next fiscal year should be sl4S OOO
0oo as had been estimated, the increase
MT. loingleN said, would not he due TO
new legislation but 10 more rapid ad-
ministratiCu Of the present laws. If
would, therefore. involve no additional
expense i'm the end
ne question as to the revenues and
expenditures for the next fiscal year
proceeded Mr Dingley, was practical
oIe which Congress had TO face. Thn
statement of The Secretary OF the Trca-
sury, he said, had caused much mis-
apprehension owing 10 the fact that
under the new provision Of law he
had been obliged 10 Include in tho
estimates of expenditures $4,000, 600 for
public works. which neither me nor tho
secretary of War nor AMY other well
Informed person believed would be cx
pended.
Counting this the estimated deficit no
said, will be S21, ,0000 0O0. He violated
no confidence, he said. when he stated
mat the Secretary of the Treasury and
the President were confident that the
receipts next year would exceed the
expenditures.
Mr. Nngley said he took ii for
granted that Congress would exercise
reasonable economy. II WAS not cx-
pected that the expenditures for public
WORKS next year would exceed s3000o.-
ooo. continuins Mr.. DInsley pointed
out the fact that the actual cost OF
the administration of the Government,
the ordinary expenses per capita, had