The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-16
WARM ROAST FOR THE PRESIDENT Mr Underwood Pays CompIi- ments in Vigorous Style ABOUT THE PENSION RULING Says Power of Legislation Has Been Transferred to the President and
 He Does What He
 Wishes.
ABOUT THE PENSION RULING


 Washington, April Reconsideration of the general deficiency bill was resumed In the house today after number of minor bills had been passed The Presi- dents order regarding service pensions was attacked by MT. Underwood of Ala hama, who contended that there was no warrant for 1t in law. The President also was criticized by MT. Hay of vir- ginia because of certain suspensions of | the civil service rules ana regulat tions. General debate on the deficiency bill will close tomorrow and the bill will be read for amendment.
 When the house met a resolution was agreed to directing the secretary of the treasury to furnish the house with names of national banks which during the months of September. October November and December, 1903 and January. Febru- ary and March, 1904. applied to him for the retirement of national bank notes. the amount of such notes so retired.
 MT. Foster, democrat. of Illinois, vigo-- ously opposed bill declaring each of the tunnels under the Chicago river in Chl- cago an obstruction to navigation. and di- rectlng the secretary of war to serve mo- tice on the owners to so alter the same so as to render navigation easy and unob- structed He pleaded for the postpona- ment for the serving of such notice until July l. 1906, and offered an amendment to that effect.
 MT. Mann, republican, of Illinois was equally vigorous in support of the bill. On division the Foster amendment was lost 6S to TOT. The years and nays were ordered.
 The Foster amendment was lost 113 to IF The bill then passed. The general def- ciency bill was taken up for further con- sideratlon and an agreement reached limit ing general debate to feur hours
 Underwood Makes Attack.
 Mir Underwood of Alabama attacked the provision in the bill supplying a de- fieiency of s4000.OOO for pensions, which he said represented s1,50O.OOO as the result of the Presidents recent order regarding age disability, and asked If there proper authority of law to pay those pen sions under that order
 MT. Underwoo
 were undertakin or senilty issued ..d
 "If Cleveland Iected MT. Heminway," to re- tire some of our dist ntemen from public life."
 After remarking that the democrats were not attempting to sustain MT. Cleve- lands order. MT. Underwood asserted he had long ago repudiated the former Pres ident on that proposion and some others and said he desired the republican party to repudiate those gentlemen of the pres ent administration that have gone in company with Cleveland on this question.
 He thought the republicans at least might pass pension legislation that they believed in. and not leave 1t to the executive branch of the government to order 1t Into effect, Crticising the pro- posed early administration Mir Under wood inquired if 1t was because the re- publicans were afraid to investigate the frauds known to exist in the government departments. and and permit the coun- try "to look at the books"
 Transferred to President
 The power of legislation. he said. had been transferred to the President, al- though "the republicans still insisted on being allowed to pass appropriation bills" But he predicted that affairs were now drifting 1t would not be many years before congress would allowed the Pres ident to issue an order regarding the amount he wanted and a blanket appro- priation would be passed. He added that will be the end of the congress of the United States"
 An urgent plea for liberality Tn the mat ter of drawbacks on materials used in manufacturing of export was made by MT. Lowering of Massachusetts, who in- sisted that American manufacturers should be allowed the same freedom from custom duties that the protective tariff system had given foreign manufacturers through bonded warehouses Mir. Hay of Virginia criticised President Roosevelt for the number of suspensions of the civil service law rules and regulations. He said that although while serving in the civil service commission the President had been most strenuous in posing as the great civil service reformer," and since he came into executive office had made sixty suspensions of the law, whereas In Clevelands two administrations and the administration of President Harrision no suspensions were ordered and only three such suspensions had been made by President Mckinley. The action of Pres ident Roosevelt. he said, was "an ex- ample of the trend of the mind of the President when he comes in contact with a law or regulation which goes against his wishes"
 Ready to Override Them.
 The President was ready always 10 override them. and in this matter was violating the principles which the Presi- dent himself taught said MT. Hay.
 MT. Dalzell said these suspensions in most cases were provided for in appropri- alton bills. the vetoing of which would have forced extra session of congress.
 MT. Cremer of Indiana criticised the ap- portionments to federal offices and as- serted that notwithstanding the provision of the law requiring appointments to be made pro rata. the District of Columbia had received 24 per cent of the appoint ments while Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, with a combined population of less than A per cent of the population of the country. had received 34 per cent. He declared that the purpose and intent of the law had been shame fully and grossly violated. and practical ly ignored by the appointing power
 Mir Small of North Carolina spoke of the tarin question. He said the tariff had made void the law of supply and demand and fixed prices for the necessaries of life so that the laborer's high wages arc balanced by the Increased cost of living.