The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-10
THE SENATE.
Senator Chandler Declares it is Time
to Call Halt on the Pen
sion Business


Washington, Dec 10.-The senate did
a considerable amount Of business yes
terday, although no very important
measures were considered or passed,
and there was very little debate. Sena-
tor GaII1nSer, chairman OF the commit
tee on pensions called attention to the
increasing demand for private pension
legislation and requested senators to be
careful in the future to see that their
bills for private pensions were meritor-
iOuS before they were introduced. An
attempt was made by Mr.. Mcbride to
secure. an appropriation for the relief
of the Klondike 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 the consider
alton of private pension bills and As
were passed. The resolution of the Pa
cific railroad committee, asking inform
alton regarding the sale of the Kansas
Pacific, was passed, which gave Sena-
tor Gear, of Iowa, and Senator Thurs
ton, of Nebraska, an opportunity to
make short speeches congratuIating the
country upon the settlement of the Pa
cific railroad question. Some work was
laid out for next week, Senator Carter
securing the right of way Monday and
Tuesday for his census bill, and Sena-
tor Lodge had the immigration bill
made the unfinished business during
the week.
Mr.. Gallinger, N. H, chairman of the
committee on pensions. requested that
at the conclusion of the morning busi-
ness. an hour be set aside for the con-
sideratiOn of private pension bills, of
which he said, there were over 200 on
the calendar, endorsed by the commit
tee Il want to say" he said, that
there is a, laxity among senators about
sending pension bills to our committee.
No inquiry is made by them as to the
merit of the measures and the result is
that our committee is flooded with cor
respondence concerning the details of
bills that ought to have been determin-
Teai6
congress. Senators should be absolute
ly satisfied of the merit or make sure
before introducing them I am salts
fed that in private pension matters We
have gone to the extreme limit, and
that it is now time to call a halt. I am
and have always been friendly to the
soldiers, but 1 am constrained to feel
that we are going too far, and we ought
in the future to exercise the greatest
conservatism in the consideration of all
pension matters"
tice of pensioning remarked widows
and several other similar classes of
claimants ought to be stopped. He
thought too, that the recommendation
of the commissioner of pensions that a
law should be enacted speedily, provid-
ing that no pension should be granted
to a widow if her marriage to the
soldier had been subsequent to the
passage # the law under which he was
DRAWN pension, ought to be enacted
into Il T.
~ -SponSe TO a question by Mr.. Al
len, # Nebraska, Mr.. Gallinger said
that he was opposed to the granting of
large pensions to widows of disting-
uished officers. 1--WE have reached the
limit in that regard said he, 'and it is
time that we stop"
The order required by Mr. Gallinger
was then made.
Mr.. Carter. chairman of the census
committee, secured unanimous consent
for the consideration on Monday next
of his bill providing for the taking of
the federal census in 1900, Mr.. Lodge
agreeing not to press the immi grafton
bill on Monday or Tuesday in view of
the anxiety of Mr. Carter to secure
sideration of the census measure.
At 2:40 p. m. the senate adjourned un-
til Monday.