Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-25
SENATE.

SENATE.
The Senate motion of Mr.. Hoar
(Mass) went into executive session today
as soon as 1t convened
Mr.. Hoar announced that the executive
session would take only few minutes"
At 12:15 pm. the doors were opened and
the Senate proceeded to general business
Mr.. Quay secured the passage of a bill to
indemnify the state of Pennsylvania for
money expended in 1864 for militia called
Into military service by the government.
The amount involved is $4,000.
Mr.. Quay also reported the army appro-
priation bill, and gave notice that tomor-
row, after the morning business he would
call the bill up for consideration
Mr.. Allen (Neb.) following up the amend
ment he offered yesterday to the pension
appropriation bill, introduced bill making
the minimum pension to be paid by the
government $40 a month.
Mr.. Butler IN. c. offered an amend
ment to the post office appropriation bill
providing for extension Of the expert
nlent of rural free delivery to every state
and territory of the Union, and to many
sections of those states and territories as
possible. The amendment appropriates
$2J0,JOO to cover the expense of the pro-
posed extension. Mr.. Butler spoke briefly
| in support of the amendment, saying that
| it had been drawn after full consultation
with the Postmaster General
Mr.. Perkins (CaI) called up the pension
appropriation bill. The amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Allen providing that the low
est pension paid by the government be s.
per month, against which a point of order
was made yesterday, was ruled out of order
by the Vice President.
Mr.. Allen then offered an amendment to
the bill. increasing the amount appropri-
ated from Sal 100000 to $14S, 1900, 900, in &C
cordance with the estimates made by the
commissioner Of pensions.
Mr.. Perkins expressed his willingness to
submit the whole question to the Senate as
to whether committee was to accept the
estimates of the department heads in pre-
pairing appropriation bills, or some other
hgures from sources not responsible for
them.
In reply to some statements made by Mr.
Allen yesterday concerning the present adj
ministration of the pension office Mr. Gal
nnger IN. Hl presented statistics showing
tration Of the Office 20 per cent more claims
have been adjudicated than were adiudi-
Gated during the corresponding period of
the last administration.
Mr.. Allen said that he did not care to ha
| emproiled in controversy with the COM
missioner Of pensions, whom he scarcely
knew, but he desired to insist that the re-
publican party's friendship for the old SOL
der was a sham and a pretense.
The pending amendment was lost with
| out division.
Another amendment offered by Mr.. Allen
providing that the reports of examining
| surgeons should be open to inspection was
| discussed by its author for an hour
At o'clock the Teller resolution was
laid before the Senate, but was temper
| arily laid aside until the bill could be
| passed.
The Bill Passed.
The Allen amendment was rejected by
| the Senate and the bill was then passed
| without division.
| The Teller resolution was again laid be-
fore the Senate. but, 1t appearing that no
one was prepared to speak upon 1t, Mr..
| Vest took the flooI to explain that the
| friends OF the measure were not RESPONSE
Bile for this anomalous condition of affairs
| He said the consideration of the question
| was postponed until today in order to
| give the opponents an opportunity to be
| heard. he could not ask for vote be-
| cause of the agreement not to vote until
Thursday. He, therefore, hoped they would
present their views.
Replying to Mr.. Vest Mr.. Allison said he
] had had no opportunity to prepare a
| speech. For himself he expected to vote
| against 1t unless 1t should be materially
amended. He feiled, he said, to understand
| the reason for haste in considering the
matter. as there was no exigency demand
| ing great expedition. If the resolution
| should be put into statute it could not be
applied by the Secretary of the Treasury
before 1904. at which date the fipst bonds
would mature. with the exception of the 2
per cent bonds, payable at any time
Mr.. Cockrell called attention to the fact
| eaat there was $2oVU,0O0 In interest pay
able annual, and said the resolution applied
to the interest as well as the principal.
| continuing, Mr.. Allison said this was
merely recital of the resolution of 1878
MI. Allison reviewed the history of the
| Stanley Matthews resolution, maintaining
| that Its passage at that time was not In
opposition to public interest or in deroga-
| ton OF the rights of the public creditors.
| He held that now the situation was quite
different.
Mr.. Teller called Mr.. Allison's attention
| to what he said was the present condition.
He maintained that coinage OF silver had