Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1887 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

Work of the Senate and the House Of Representatives. A bile won introduced m Uio Senate on the j lit inst. to reimburse tho aulivrew by the failure of the Freodin&n'B Savings & Trußt Company, Senator Cnllbin intro lucj<l ati amendment to the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill directing the Secretary of War to cause a survey to be mode of tho Illinois and lies Plaines llivors from La bullo to Joliet, with a view to tho improvement of the rivers so as to maintain a waterway 100 feet wido and seven feet deep between tho places named; also to locate a canal from Juliet to Lake Michigan at or near Chicago, and t 6 take other specified steps, including a survey for a canal eighty feet wide und seven feet deep from the IHlprTts'Rivor. at or near Hcnneptn, to the Mississippi River, at or above the mouth of Rock River—for all of whioh purposes Sit)), 03 is appropriated. President Cleveland vetoed a bill grouting a pension to Mrs. Margaret Dunlap, oi Missouri, the ground of tho President's Objection being that the death of tho soldier (for which the pension is given) was not Caused in the line of duty, but in a quarrel with a comrade. The House Committee on Invalid Pensions reported adversely op the bills for the relief of Mrs. John A. Logan and Mrs. Frank P. Blair, but indorsed tne bill to ullow Walt Whitman £25 per monih for life for bis services as a volunteer nurse among the soldiers. K. garming the pension for Mrs. Logan, tho committee says that should Congress puss the bill, and tho precedent set by it should be carried out, it would increase the pension roll £345,000 annually. In a majority of the cases, as in this case, no relief from actual embarrassment orpoverty would be allordeu. It was well known that thousands of poor and aged widows of brave and worthy soldiers were denied the pittance of £l2 per montn because of their inability to connect tho death of their husbands with j their military service ; vyhile iu this caije no sort of claim Was advanced that the death of Gen. Logan was attributable to his military service. It was a well-known fact that Mrs. Logan was in possession of an ample estate, and while the committeo entertains the highest regard for her, both on account of her Jiigh character and personal wortn, as well as on account of the brave and gallant record of General Logan as a soldier, and his useful and spotless record as a civilian and statesman, it believes that the passage of this and all similar bills would be in the direction of building up in this country an aristocracy contrary to the very principles of an equal government for all, for which General Logan so gallantly fought in war and so ably contended in time of peace. Similar reasons are set up for opposing the nonsion to Mrs. General Blair. The Republican meinbereof the committee present minority reports recommending the passage of both bills. After describing General Blair's career, the minority says : “We but echo the voice of history when we say that General Frank P. Biair saved Missouri to tho Union. To place u money value on such services is not possible, and the committee only aska that his cherished companion, who was made a widow by his sacrifice of himself to his country, shall be tenderly cared for as long ns she lives. ” The minority report, recommending a pension for Mrs. Logan,, after reciting the brilliant career of Gen. Logan, says that it is reasonably certain that his death was a direct result of his military service, and that his transcending achievements wero the voluntary contiibutions of his splendid military genius, inspired by convictions of duty and patriotic impulses seldom equated and never excelled. The House bill authorizing the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs passed tne Senate on the 2d inst The sundry civil,, appropriation bill was passed by the Senato. Just before the passage of tne bill Mr. Allison stated that the Treasury surplus for next year is not likely to exceed £15,000,100, but Mr. Beck contended tiiat it wtuld be nearer £00,000,000. By a vote of 34 to 15 tho Senate passed the House bill appropriating £IO,OOO for the distribution of seeds in Texas by the Agricultural Department. A resolution was adopted calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for information as to lowa railroad land grants The House of Representatives passed bills to authorize the construction of a passenger briago across the Mississippi liiv6r at Dubuque, and to defino the Ohio collection districts of Miami and Sandusky. By a vote of 136 to 115 the House refused to repass the vetoed, pension bill of Carter W. Tiller, the father of a soldier who died in Andersonviile Prison. The bill to prohibit the appointment of Congressional funeral committees was laid on the table by a decided majority. The House Agricultural Committeo reported back the Senate bill for the establishment of agricultural experiment stations, and it was referred to the committee of tho whole. A measure calling for an appropriation of £20,-, 000,0)0 for the manufacture by Americans of first-class modern guns was introduced in tha House. A resolution, offered last sassion by Mr. In-

galls, to discharge the Pensions Committee from the further consideration of tho bill removing the limitation on applications for arrears of pensions, was adopted in the Senate on the 3d inst. by a vote of 27 to 26, Senator Evnrts introduced a bill appropriating £112,0)0 for the purchase of John Ericcson’s Destroyer, and £1,000,00) for ten enlarged steel vessels of tho same type for defending the harbors of the United States. Mr. Evarts addressed the Senate in opposition to the bill to prohibit members of Congress from acting as attorneys for subsidized railroad companies. The Secretary of the Treasury reported to the Senate that he had no information to report as to whether any national banks were 'lending money to be paid in gold only. The House of Representatives tabled a bill to provide a clerk for each member. The legislative and executive appropriation bill was reported. It sets aside t‘2),286,910. The bill to credit aud pay to the several States and Territories, and the District of Columbia, all moueys collected under the direct tax levied by the act of Aug. 5, 1861, was passed in the Senate on the 4th fnst., with hut one dissenting vote (Mr. Van Wyek’Bj. The Senate also passed, by a vote pf 39 to 14, tlip bill te prohibit members of Congress Irom sowing as attorneys for railroads. The vote on the hill stands recorded as follows ; Yeas—Aklrieh, Allison, Beck, Berry, Blackburn, Blair, Butler, Cheney, Co ;, rell. Coke, Conger, Cullom, Dawes', Dolph, Eustis, Fair, Frye, George, Gorman, Hale, Hawley, Hoar, Jones (Ark.), Jones iNeva-la*, 'Manderson-, - Mitchell (Pa.), Morrill, Palmer, Itiddleberger, Sherman, Spooner, Van Week, Vest,VoOrhees, Walthall, Whitthome. Williams,.Wilson (lowai, Wilson ;Mdj—39. Nays—Call, Cameron, Farwell, Gray, Hampton, McMillan, Mahone, Mitchell (Oregon), Payne, l’ngh, Ransom, Sawyer, Stanford, Teller--14. The following is the text of the bill: “That it shall be unlawful for any member of either house of Congress to'i cccpt employment as attorney at law or payment for service of any kind in opposition to tho United States in any case to which the United States may be a party or in which its interests may be concerned, or from any* railroad company, if such member shall have reasonable cause to believe that measures specially affecting the interests of such company are pending before Congress, or are about to he so pending during his term of office. Aiyy person who violates the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be punished by imprisonment not exceeding one'vear or by fine not exceeding £5 )0, or by both, iu tiio discretion of the court.” The President sent to the Senate the following nominations ; Richard -A. Jones of Oregon, to be Chi f Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington Territory; Frank Allyn, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington Territory: James H. Wright of Missouri. 1 1 be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona; Ernest A Man of Florida, to he Consul at Gothenburg. The House of Representatives passed thirty pension bills. oLXTY-six pension bills were passed by the Senate on tho sth inst., granting among others a pension of £SO a month to General T. F. Meagher’s widow, and an increase in pension to the widow of Colonel J. H. Jones of tho Marine Corps. Tho Indian appropriation bill was passed by the Seuat 1 without discussion. The House of Representatives paised a Lill appropriating £l3-',090 for tho payment of what are known as tho Fourth of July claims. The Presi-. dent vetoed several pension bills. In the case of Cwthbert Stone he quoted from the army records to show that the claimant had spent most of his time iu.deserting or in prison for desertion, and in the case gt Abraham T. Grigg he quoted from the fiSkpitat records to show that the claimant was not sick, but “completely worthless, obese, and lazy.” A Chicago railroad man and a Cliicajgo reporter both say that it is becoming fashion able for young men of that city to kiss each vigorously Nvhen they part for any length of time and when they meet again. The railroad man says it makes him sick to see tho fools. —Colfax Clipper. Boys! boys! is it so bad as this? “New-Yorkers spend $7-6,800,000 annually for beer. This is based " Hold on, you are off the track. Debased is the word you were after.