Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-03
THE PENSION BILLS.
SENATE no PASS ,roN HOUSE
AMENDMENTS TODAY.
WORE APPLICANTS THAN FUNDS
,,.r This Reason the Lower branch
y,dc a Uniform Scale OF SIS
fatigue scenes In the Enthusiastically
On legislative Circles.

About one hundred special pension bills
have been passed by the present Gene
IN Assembly. and about twenty-five
more viii probably be disposed Of by the
s-ate to-day.
rf. amount 10 be paid under the pro-
visions OF each OF these bills is SIS. and
,r. object OF the relief is in every IN
.t.rr, one who could not claim II under
che stueral pension act Of 1883. Those
,to claim and receive pensions under
cha, act are on what is known as the
ocular pension roll but those receiving
.-s..sI relief will not be entitled to such
,g, two years. except by further legsla-
rrn and In every case have TO establish
,- court the facts proven TO the satisfac-
,-a ~ the finance committees Of the
House and Senate,
TIRE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION.
There IS $u0o10 annually appropriated
s5- pensioners on the regular roll There
srs or the roll about $500 names. Each
receives from SIS to $50, according to dis
abilities.
Tie only chance which a disabled Con-
tolerate has 20 get on the rolls now is
90 take the place OF some one who has
died. The House Finance Committee real
I7si some time ago that the number of
applicants for relief was much greater
thau he number Of vacancies on the roll.
and that the amount unpaid I'm regular
PENSIONS would be insufficient if the regu-
Dan amounts voted for different degrees
a. disability were paid. Mr.. Withrow
{vta 4s.1 IL,
The committee decide TO pay all such APP
r.earts the sum OF SIS. in order that
none should fail TO receive some aid,
however slight.
About one hundred bills giving pen
s.rrs 81 this amount passed the House.
and the Senate But the latter body did
not adopt the rule OF giving only SIS in
each case. and its Finance Committee
reported and the Senate adopted about
twenty-five hills, many Of them apprO-
prlatlng more than twice $l5 for the relief
OF special applicants.
WHY THEY ARE TIED UP.
As result, the House yesterday
amended these bills by reducing the
amount I'm each TO SIS, and returned them
-l the Senate. but too late for that body
% act upon them. the hour of 2 o'clock
having arrived The vote by which the
-frt resolution declaring that no bust
ness should be transacted after 2 o'clock
yesterday was reconsidered so far as il
related 10 pension bills. the resolution
Was laid on the table, and the House was
.sFed 10 concur. That body took no &C
lion. however. until the Senate had ad
'5urned. when It voted TO reconsider the
vote and table the resolution, only so far
rs 10 applied 10 pension bills pending in
NE Senate This will have the effect of
driving the chamber to accept the bills
as amended I'm the House. and give all
pscial pensioners SIS, or refuse TO con-
cur and give them nothing. 1t is pretty
certain that the latter course will be pur-
sued.
BREEZY DAY IN HOUSE.
The utmost good humor marked the
closing scenes in the House yesterday,
and the members were as frolcsome
AS school-boys about to be turned loose
sor the summer vacation. The House at
no time boasts Of the dignity that clothes
the Senate, and yesterday the body threw
% The winds any semblance OF formallty,
and the floor presented at times scene
Of dire confusion.
Members were pelted with paper-balls
until the floor was almost converted into
great waste-basket.
Handshakngs good wishes, and pre-
santations were the order of the day ana
the body was i'm no mood for the transac-
ton Of business.
The bill authorizing the Board Of Direc-
tors Of the penitentiary 10 purchase farm
lands and erect buildings thereon was
taken up. but it's consideration was pass
Oh by. and the measure was thus Killed.
A number Of local bills were passed.
REMEMBERED BY ADMIRERS.
Before the body adjourned Speaker
RYAN was presented with beautltul
gold chain and charm, and Colonel John
Bell Bigger was given a handsome emma
dinner service. DR.. Winston was the re-
c.u.ent Of a gold-headed cane from the
members of the committee of which he
is chairman. while Mr.. T. c. Pitcher re-
cavsd fan" a gift from the infant
c.ass' Of which he has been the "chape-
TDG"
when Mr.. Upton d. Jennings, Of
ITuchburg reached his seat in the House
Yesterday morning. he found placed on
his desk box of American Beauties
which had been presented 70 him by some
Richmond ladies in recognition OF the
valuable services which he had rendered
ia connection with certain measures De-
fore the House.
HE NEVER SAW THE LIKE.
Clerk Bigger said yesterday that never
during his long connection with the
House have so many bills been reported
as AZ this session. Whether the ACTS
% The General Assembly" will be larger
volume than that of last session, ne does
not vet know, as very many bills have
died a natural DEATH no action being
taken on them.
THE QUORUM DISAPPEARING.
The meubers Of the general Assembly
aro leaving rapidly for their homes ana
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Echols, ana
Speaker Ryan count quorums to-day lhey
viii probably have 10 do so with thef
eyes shut. There were many leave
tlkngs about the Capitol yesterday ana
many who left on afternoon and night
trains will be followed by many others
before noon to-day.
FOR WHAT HE STOPPED
Mr j. ~ Gwyn. OF Smyth. left for his
home last night. rejoicing that he had
Prevented the passage of bills, the enact
ment of which would have seriously Grip
Pied the Alkali-Work at Saltville. Mr.
Gwyu stated on the floor Of the House
That the enterprise was worth both
Smyth and Washington counties To-
gether and he didn't intend that the
delegate from the latter county should
cripple Il because some foreign sub
stance got in the Holstein river. ana
lnteT'ered with some little one-horse
fisherman, who carried his bait IN
Jug
Mr. Gwyn declared that the Delegate
Rom Washington (Mr jennings had hrst
attempted 20 aim blow at the WORKS DIV
Introducing bill 10 prohibit any one
from putting any foreign substance In tiie
river and thus killing the fish. When TINS