Arizona republican., 1899-11-30
ACTION BY CONGRESS
What Has Been Given Widows
 of Vice Presidents.
Only Two Instances of Financial Aid Having Been Afforded-Privileges and Money Bestowed Upon the Widows of Several Presidents.

Washington, Nov. 29.-There have been but two cases in which congress has given financial aid to the widows of vice-presidents who have died in office. The executor Of Henry Wilson was given $1O,222 by congress ito be held and applied by said executor as if part of the estate of said Henry Vii son." etc.
 Congress gave Eliza c. Hendricks, widow of Thomas A. Hendricks, SS,7 being the salary, mileage and station cry of the vice-president for one year.
 The funeral expenses of Wm. R. King of Alabama, who died in Dallas county, Ala, were paid. In the cases of George Clinton and Elbridge Gerry. congress assumed no expense attendant upon their death and no provision was made for any one dependent upon them.
 In view of these precedents it is not likely that congress will do more than give to the widow of the late vice-pres- ident Hobart more than a years sal ary. The custom has prevailed for the president to take as a souvenir some of the office furniture of the vice presidents room when he retires, and it is likely that these keepsakes will be turned over to his family. Ink stands have been included in the list of arti- cles so disposed of. It become the GUS tom when an ink stand was worth a dollar or so, and will continue to pre- vail, although such pieces of office fur niture in the vice-president's office are now worth 5000.
 This was the price paid for the stcr- ling silver ink stand bought by the sen ate when Mir Hobart became it's pre- siding officer. It is in the form of the capitol, and is said to contain silver worth as much as the manufacturer was given for the finished product. It is the handsomest and most costly ink stand that mas ever been Iii the capitol
 In the treatment of the widows of presidents, whether the latter have died in office or not, congress has established a custom of allowing a pension of s5jOa a year, together with the balance Of the salary the president would have re ceived had he lived during the balance | of the year in which he died When George Washington died Mar tha Washington was granted the franking privilege by congress, and the same courtesy was extended to louisa Catharine Adams, widow of John Quin- cy Adams, and to Dolly P. Madison, widow of James Madison.
 The widow of William Henry Earri- son was granted the salary for one year 1 $25, ,OO0)of her husband, less the amount he had drawn during that year, t33 .th- CT with the franking privilege.
 Julia Gardner Tyler, widow of Jchn Tyler, was given a pension of $5.LGO per annum. The widow of Zachary Taylor was granted the franking priv ileges, but no pension. His daughter in { 1883 was given a pension of $50 per Tnonth.
 Sarah Childress Polk, widow of Jas. K. Polk, was given a pension of $5009. 1 Mary Lincoln, widow of Abraham Lincoln, was granted her husband s salary of s25,OOO a year minus the amount he had received for that year, a pension of s5OOO and the franxing privilege.
 Julia Dent Grant, widow of Gen. Grant, was given a pension of s5OOO a year and the franking privilege.
 It will be remembered that the ex- penses attending the illness of Presi- dent Garfield were very heavy, all of which were paid by congress, and his widow was given a years salary and all lowed a pension of $5OOO a year and the franking privilege.