1894. CONGRESSIONAL REOORD-HOUSE. 2779
of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, in the place af LeviS. Ross C. Morford, t6 be postmaster at Villisca, in the county of Gibson, whose commission expired December 21, 1893. Montgomery and State of Iowa. James J . Finney, to be postmaster at Tarentum, in the county James M. Mil1er, to be postmaster at Vacaville, in the county of Allegheny and State oi Pe.nnsyhm.nia., in the place of James oi Solano and Btat.e of California. A. Kennedy, deceased. Benjamin M. Griffin, to b 3 postmaster at Escondido, in the John C. O 'Donnell, to be -postmaster atPittsburg, in the eounty county of San Diego and State of California. of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, in the place of James Hugh G. Gwyn, to be postmaster at Coronado, in the county S. McKean, whose commission expired December 20, 1893. of San Diego and State of California. _ J ames W . Sweely, to be postmaster at Williamsport, in the Walter Elder, to be postmaster at Clarion, in the county of county of Lycoming and State of Pee:nsylvania, in the place of Wright and State of Iowa. John B. Emery, whose c ::>mmission expired March 7, 1894. Isaac C. Darland, to be postm~ster at Goldendale, in the county Samuel T . Greene, to be postmaster at Mitchell, in the county of Klickitat and State of Washington. of Davison and Shte of South Dakota, in the place of John W. William 9· Philips., to be postmasteratRedlands, in the county Beat tie, whose commission expired March 7, 189-!. of San Bernardino and State of California. H a.rry Galbraith, to be postmaster at Terrell, in the county of Samuel B. Mutchler, to be postmaster at Phillipsburg,.in the Kaufman and State of Texas, in the place of Edgae M. Johnson. county of Warren and State of New Jersey. whose commission expires March 29,1894. John G. Lewis, to be postmaster at Chico, in the county of Fidelia Kilgore, to be postmaster at Longview, in the county Butte and State of California . . of Gregg and . Sbte of Texas, in the place of Lincoln H. Gray, Anna F. C. Gaffney, to be postmaster at Los Gatos, in the whose commission expired February 21, 1894. county of Santa Dlara and State of California. J ames L. Moseley, to be postmaster at Hearne, in the county Asa S . Fulkerth, to be postmaster at Modesto, in the county of Robertson and State of Texas, in the place of Charle~ J. Hos of Stanislaus and State of California. trasser, removed. Thomas J. Hudson, to be postmastdr at Winterset, in the William P. Donahue, to be postm-aster at Proctor, in the county .of Madison and State of Iowa. county of Rutland and State of Vermont, in the place of Edmu.nd George H. Peck, to be postmaster at Sisson, in the county of R. Morse, whose commission expired February 14~ 18.9±. Siskiyou and State of California. _ Charles A. Fitzpatrick, to be postmaster at WhiteRiver Junc Daniel J. Murphy, to be postmaster at Livermore, in the tion, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, in the county of Alameda and State of California. place of Alexander W. Davis, whose .commission :expires March John Obermuller, to be postmaster at H21.ywards, in the county 29, 1894. of Alameda and State of Caliiornia. William D. McMaster, to be postmaster at Woodstoc~ in the G. B . McFall, to be postmaster at Oskaloosa, in the county of county of Windsor and State of Vermont, in the place of Fred Mahaska and State of Iowa. erick Chapman, whose commission expires March 12, 1894. John E . Walden, to be postmaster at Napa, in the county of Jo:;eph Fisher, to be postmaster at Marinette, in the county of Napa and State of California. Marinette and State of Wisconsin, in place oi Lewis S . Patr.iek, James R . Rochford, to be postmaster at Dixon, in the county
who::e commission expires March 291 1894. of Solano and State of California. UNITED STATES ATTORNEY. Ji)ucutive_no»:Jrinatwns confirmed by the Se1iate JJ-Iarch 9, 1891,.. 'Vallace lriacfarlane, of NewY{)rk, to be attorney of the United MARSHAL. States for the southern district of New York, vice Edward Mitchell, whose term expired January 27, 1894:.. John P . Hunter, of South Carolina, to be marshal of the United Sta.tes f~r the distdct of South Carolina. COLLECTOR OF INTERNAL REVENUE. Edward Grosse, of New York, to be collector of internal reve ' POSTMASTER. nue for the third district of New York, to succeed Ferdinand :Walter Harrigan, to be postmaster at South Bend, in the Eidman; resigned. · county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana. SURVEYOR OF CUSTOMS. Francia M. Gardenhire, of Tennessee, to be surveyor of cus -toms for the port of Chattanooga in the State of Tennessee, to succeed Elwood W . M.attson, whose :term of office has expired HOUSE. OF .REPRESENTATIVES. by limitation. FRIDAY, Marah 9, 1894, ASSISTANT PAYMASTERS IN THE NAVY. Walter L. Wilson, a resident of West Virginia; Lewis Green The H ouse met at 12 {)·clockm. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Stevenson, a resident of illinois; Henry A. Dent, a resident of E. B. BAGBY. Alabama; Philip N . Mohun, a resident of the District of Colum The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. · bia; William Jackson Littell, a resident of New York, and Sam WATER MAINS AND SE';VERS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. uel McGowan, a resident of South Carolina, to be assistant pay masters in the Navy (subject to the examination required bv The bill (H. R. 4571) to make service connection with water law), to fill vacancies in that grade. ·· mains and sewers in the District of Columbia, and for other pur poses, was laid before the House, with an amendment of the CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS. Senate. Capt. Edmund 0. Matthews, to be Chief of the Bureau of The amendment was read, as follows: Yards and Docks in the Department of the Navy, with the rel On page 2, line15, aft-er the word "systems" insert "!or the1iscalyea.r dur ative rank of commodore, to fill a vacancy. ing which said connections are made." CHAPLAIN IN THE NAVY. Mr. HEARD. This amendment can not meet with objection, Montgomery M. Goodwin, a resident of illinois, to be a chap- I apprehend, from any source. I move that it be concurred in. lain in the Navy (subject to the physical examination required The amendment was concurred in. by law), to fill a vacancy in that grade. DOCUMENTS RELATING TO HAWAli. CIVIL ENGINEERS IN THE NAVY. The SPEAKER laid before the House the following resolu Ado~o Jose Menocal,. a reside~t of j:.he District of Columbia, tion: and R1chard C. Hollyday, a res1dent of Maryland, to be civil .engineers in the Navy (subject to the examinations required by R esolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives con<--urring) Thc'tt there law). be printed for the use of Congress 6,000 copies of all papers an'd messages sent t o Congress by the President since January 1,1893, rela tin~ to Hawaiian a!Iairs, and the -same shall be arranged as nearly as may be m chronolog ical order, ~md ~hall be indexed; the arrang~ng and indexing to be done CONFIRMATIONS. under the direction of the Committee on Foreign Relations; of which num ber 2,000 shall be for the use of the Senate and 4,000 for the use of the House Executive nmninations confirmed by the Senate Mal'ch 7, 1891,. of RepresentatiYes. - COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS. The SPEAKER. This Senate concurrent resolution wa-a JohnS. Cocke, of Oregon, to be collector of customs for the amended by the House. The Senate has disag-reed to the amend southern district in th~ State of Oregon. ment and asks a conference. The question 1s, Will the House agree to the request for a conference? P OSTMASTERS. The request was agreed to, and the Speaker announced the Will H. Fisher, to be postmaster at Roseburg, in the county appointment of Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee, Mr. McKAIG, of Douglas and State of Oregon. and Mr. BRODERICK as conferees on the part of the H ouse.
-_.. -- 2780 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MAHCH 9,
WILLI.AM E. WOODBRIDGE. TheSPEAKER. When thiscommunic:ttion wasreceivedsome The SPE AKER laid before the House the bill(S. 418) referring time since from the Attorney-General, the Chair referred it to to the Court of Claims the claim of William E. Woodbridge for the Committee on Claims, which committee now asks to be dis compensation for the use by the United States of his invention charged, and requests a reference to the Committee on Appro relating to projectiles, for which letters patent were ordered to priations. The Chair requests the Clerk to read sections 7 and issue to him March 25 , 1852. 8 of an act approved March 3, 1891, entitled "An act to provide Mr. STONE of Kentucky. I askunanimou.s consent that this for the adjudication and payment of"claims arising from Indian bill be put on its passage. depredation." . The bill was read. The Clerk read as follows: SEc. 7. That all judgments of said court shall be a final determination of Mt·. LOUD. I will ask whether this bill has been before the the causes decided and or the rights and obligations of the parties thereto, Committee on Claims of the House? and shall not thereafter be questioned unless a new trial or r ehearing shall Mr. STONE of Kentucky. There has been a unanimous re be granted by said court, or the judgment reversed or modified upon appeal as hereafter provided. port from the Committee on War Claims of the House on a bill SEC. 8. That immediately after the beginning of ea ch session of Congress similar in terms. the Attorney-General of the United States shall transmit to the Congress or Mr ~ LOUD. How does the report happen to come from the the United States a. list or all final judgments rendered in pursuance or this act, in favor or claimants and against the United S tates, and not paid as Committee on W ar Claims? This does not seem to be a war hereinbefore provided, which shall thereupon be appropriated for in the claim. proper appropriation bill. Mr. STONE of Kentucky. It is a war claim; it was referred The SPEAKER. Under this statute, it seems to the Chair to the War Claims Committee, and has been reported by that that this goes to the Committee on Appropriations. The Com committee. mittee on Claims will be discharged from the further ponsider Mr. LOUD. I shall have to object to the consideration of the ation of thiS communication, and it will be referred to the Com bill now. mittee on Appropriations. Mr. SPRINGER. I think this bill ought to be referred tothe STEAMER EL CALLAO. . Committee on P atents. I do not see what the Committee on W ar Claims has to do wi.th a bill which relates merely ~o a pat Mr. BINGHAM. I ask unanimous consent to take from the ent rlght. If the article to which the patent applies were used House Calendar the bill (S. 432) to provide an American register in the Navy, or if it were used in the laying of pavements in this for the steamer El Callao, and that it be put upon its passage. city, it would still be a question with regard to a patent right; The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. BINGHAM] asks unanimous consent for the present consideration and the Committee on Pat~:mts ought to have jurisdiction of it. The fact that this patent has relation to a projectile does not of the billS. 432. The Clerk will report the bill, after·which the Chair will ask if there be objection. give the Committee on War Claims juri.sdi?tion. Th_is is ~ot a claim growing out of the war, but a claim 1n connect10n w1th a The bill was read. as follows: Be it enacted, etc., That the Commissioner or Navigation is hereby author patent. I move that ·the bill be referred to the Committee on ized and directed to cause the !oreign·bullt steamer El Callao, purchased Patents...... and owned by B. F. Clyde, a. citizen or the United States, and o! the firm or Mr. STONE of Kentucky. If the bill were taken up for con William P. Clyde & Co., of New York, and repaired in United States ports, to be registered as a vessel or the United States under the name ot Oneida. sideration the nature of this claim would clearly appear, as well SEc. 2. That the Secretary or the Treasury is hereby authorized and di· as the propriety of the passage of the bill. This proposition has rected to cause the inspection of said vessel, steam boilers, steam pipes, and been repeatedlv before the Committee on War Claims, has been their appurtenances, and cause to be granted the usual certificate issued to steam vessels of the merchant marine, without reference to the tact that favorably reported by that committee a number of times, and on sa.id steam boilers, steam pipes, and appurtenances were not constructed one or two occasions a bill of this character ha.s passed the pursuant to the laws ot the United States and were not constructed or iron House, but has failed to be reached in the Senate. Bills pro stamped pursuant to said laws, and the tests in the inspection of sa.id bail ers, steam pipes, and appurtenances shall be the .same in all respects as to viding for the consideration of this claim have also been passed a strength and safety as are required in the inspect10n or boilers constructed number of times by the-Senate, but not reached in the House. tn the United States for marine purposes. - There has never been an adverse decision. The proposition is The SPEAKER. Is there objection to th~ · requestof the gen simply to refer the case to the Court of Claims. tleman? As to the question whether this is a war claim, I submit that Mr. DINGLEY. I suggest to the gentleman from Pennsyl· all claims growing out of the war are war claims and are prop vania that he state the facts in reference to this bill, without erlv referred to the Committee on War Claims. This is prop reading the report. erly a war claim, because Mr. Woodbridg_e's inve?-tion, a pro The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from jectile was taken and used by the Government durmg- the war. Pennsylvania [Mr. BINGHAM] will make a brief statement. Mr. SPRINGER. Is the Government still using it?" Mr. BINGHAM. Under the statute an American registry Mr. STONE of Kentucky. The Government is not engaged could have been granted by the Secretary of the Treasury, all in any war at present. the other requirements of the statute having been complied Mr. SPRINGER. But the Government is still using the pro with, save that the vessel was not wrecked in the waters of the jectile? United States. The repairs have amounted to more than the Mr. STONE ot Kentucky. TheGovernmentis still using this statutory requirement, all American material, by American me kind of projectile. · chanics. The bill is consistent with the previous action of the Mr. LOUD. Other claims of this character have been before House with reference to granting American registers to vessels. the Committee on Claims, and the propriety of such reference Mr. DINGLEY. I think that is the fact, that in cases where szems to have been generally recognized. all-the provisions of the statute h aving ~ en met, '!>Y the pro:per The SPEAKER. This is a Senate bill on the Speaker's table, circumstances of the case, and the wreckmg was s1mply 0 1.1ts1de which is now brought before the House for reference; and the of American waters, if it was American owned, it has been the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. STONE] has asked un:mimouscon practic3 under such circumstances to grant an American register. sent for its consideration. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gen Mr. BURROWS. Thathas been objected to; and the gentle tleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. BINGHAM] for the present con man from Illinois LMr. SPRINGER], as! understand, asks that the sideration of this bill? bill be referred to the Committee on Patents. There was no objection. The SPEAKER. The inclination of the Chair was to send The bill was ordered to a third reading, and was accordingly the bill to the Committee on War Claims; but the House c3,n read the _third time, a~d passed. ' refer it of course to whatever committe~ it pleases. The gen On motion of Mr. BINGHAM, a motion to reconsider the last tleman from illinois moves that the bill be referred to the Com vote was laid on the table. mittee on Patents. The question being taken, the motion oE Mr. SPRINGER was _ CHANGES OF REFER&~CE. rejected, there being-yeas 32, noes 35. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, !ask to have the bill rrhe bill was then referred 1b the Committee on War Claims. (S. 882) granting a pension to Frances Corse, widow of Gen. John M. Corse, which is on the Private Calendar, recommitted to the INDIAN DEPREDATION CLAIMS. Committee on Invalid Pensions. 'rhe SPEAKER. The gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Cox] The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the title of the bill. now desires to.bring to the attention of the House a question The Clerk read as follows: with regard to the proper reference of some Indian depredation A bill (S. 882) granting a. pension to Frances Cor3e, widow of Gen. JohnM. claims heretofore r eferred to the Committee on Claims. Corse. • Mr. COX. I send to the desk tbe only paper which was re The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. MARTIN], ferred to the Committe·3 on Claims. a letter from the Attorney chairman of the Committee on Invalid ~e nsions , asks that this General, transmitting n. statement of all final judgments in bill be recommitted to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. In claims arising from Indian depredations under the act approved the absence of objection it will be so recommitted. March 3, 1891. There was no objection.
-· , ' 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2781 -
Mr. HEARD. Mr. Speaker, the bill (H. R. 5881) to increase lieve. Each Friday night is set apart for the consideration of· the salaries of the police station clerks of the District oi Colum measures of this kind. I do not think the work of the Commit bia, and the bill (H.R. 5449) to increase the pay of theMetropol tee of the Whole on the Friday night sessions ought to be emp ita.n police drivers, the Metropolitan police ambulance drivers, tied into the House to retard. the business of the House at it reg and Metropolihn police van driver, have been referred to the ular day sessions. There is ample time and opportunity to dis Committee on the District of Columbia. We think they should pose of these measures at the Friday night sessions, and I will be referred to the Committee on Appropriations. be under the painful necessity of demanding the regular order. The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the titles of the bills. Mr. REED. There is ample time at the Friday night sessions, The Clerk read asrollows: but not ample opportunity. A blll (H. R. 5881 ) to increase the salaries of the pollee station clerks o! the Mr. BURROWS. This bill has passed through the Commit District of Columbia. tee of the Whole; ,let it pass through the House. A blll (H. R. 5149) to increase the pay or the Metropolitan police drivers, the Metropolitan police ambulance drivers, and Metropolitan police van Mr. KILGORE. It ca.n pass through the House on the Fri driver. . day night session, as easily as it passed the committee. The SPEAKER. · The Committee on the District of Colum Mr. HOPKINS of Illinois. Oh, no. bia will be discharged from the further consideration of these Mr. BURROWS. Several of these bills have pa-ssed the House bills, and they will be referred to the Committee on Appropri this week. ations, in the absence of objection. Mr. KILGORE. I know they have; but I have come to .the ·. There was no objection. conclusion that the policy is a b1d one. [Laughter.] Mr. BURROWS. I am sorry my friend did not come to that OLIVER P. COSHOW. conclusion before half a dozen Mexican pension bills were passed. Mr. HERMANN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for Mr. KILGORE. What was that? the present consideration of the bill (H. R. 3636) for the relief of Mr. BURROWS. Several bills have passed relating to the Oliver P. Coshow and others. Mexican war and other wars, and I am sorry that my friend did The SPEAKER. The Clerk will report the bill, after which not come to that conclusion before the passage of those bills. the Chair will ask if there be objection to its consideration. Mr. KILGORE. And they relate to the late war, too, just the The Clerk read as follows: same as the other wars. Whereas a large portion or the southwest quarter or the northeast quar Mr. BURROWS . .But not so many. ter, the southeast quarter or the northwest quarter, and lots 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Mr. KILGORE. I make no discrimination. 7, section 31, township 13 south, range 2 west, Willa.mette meridian, in Linn County, State or Oregon, is now occupied by the town or North Browns Mr. BYNUM. Regular order. . vllle, the property owners whereof claim title through certain persons The SPEAKER. The regular order is demanded. The reg who purchased the said land in good faith, either from the county school superintendent of Linn County, Oregon, or from the Oregon and California ular order is the call of committees for reports. Railroad Company, and that the remainder of said described lands is claimed The committees were called for reports. by Oliver P. Coshow; and Whereas neither the said school sup-erintendent nor the said railroad com _ HARBOR R~GULATIONS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. pany ever had title to the land aforesaid, but that all or the same is now and always has been vested in the United States: Therefore, Mr. HEARD, from the Committee on the District of Colum Be tt enacted, etc., That Oliver P. Coshow, his heirs or legal representa bia, reported back favorably the bill (H. R. 5443) to establish tives, is hereby authorized. on the payment of $2.50 per acre, within six months after the date or the approval of--this act, to make cash entry or the harbor regulations for the District of Columbia; which was re southwest quarter or the northeast quarter and the soutp.east quarter of ferred to the House Calendar, and, with the accomp~nying re the northwest quarter, and lots 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 1 of section 31, in township port, ordered to be printed. 13 south, or range 2 west or the Willamette meridian, situated in Linn County, Oregon, at the United States land office a.tO.regonCity, in said State, The call of committees was concluded. upon first giving thirty days' notice of his intention to make such entry by posting at least twenty notices in at least twenty public places in the town LEAVE TO PRINT. of North Brownsville, in said State, such notices to contain a copy of this Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous cons;mt to ex act and a statement of the time when such entry will be made: Provided, That upon making entry the said Oliver P. Coshow, his heirs or legal repre tend some remarks on the silver bill in the RECORD. sentatives, shall deliver to each person claiming to own property in said There was no objection. town, the record title to which property shall/have been derived from or through any person claiming under the attempted conveyances by the school MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. superintendent or the Oregon and California. Railroad Comp::my, a deed, duly executed, conveying to such person the parcel of land held by him as A message from the Senate, by Mr. PLATT, one of its clerlrs, aforesaid. The entry, when made, shall be transmitted to the Commissioner announced that the Senate had passed bi.Us of the following ti of the General Land Office, and if he is satisfied that it is in conformity with this act, and that deeds have been tendered by the entrymen to the various tles; in which the concurrence of the House was requested: property holclers as herein provided, patent shall issue to the said Oliver P. A bill (S. 90) to provide for the sale of the unsold portion of Coshow, or his heirs and legal representatives; but if it shall appear that the Umatilla Indian Reservation; the entry is not in conformity with this act, or that due notice has not been given to all interested parties as herein :prQYided, then he may order new A bill (S. 308) granting a pension to Mary A. Wise; notice to be given to the end that all part1es in interest may have a run and A bill (S. 309) granting an increase of pension to Harrison De F. fair opportunity to present their clmms, and upon such new notice the pro- Young; ceedings shall be conducted as though it were a new entry. . A bill (S. 475) for the relief of John Little and Hobart Wil With an amendment, as follows: liams, of Omaha, Nebr.; After the word "entry," in line 37, add the following: ;.Provided furtll,e.r A bill (S. 476)forthe relief of John Palmier, Pine Ridge, Shan- That this act shall not in any manner interfere with any valid adverse cla.t.ni non County, S.Dak.; . _ or right to said land or any portion thereof. " · A bill (S. 527) to construct a road to the national cemetery at The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the Dover, Tenn.; · gentleman from Oregon [Mr. HERMANN] for the consideration of A bill (S. 553) granting a pension to Martha R. Hitchcock; this bill? A bill (S. 577) granting an increase of pension to Thomas M. There was no objection. Chill; · The amendment was agreed to. A bill (S. 578) granting an increase of pension to Wells John The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed and read a son; third time; and being engrossed,was Mcordingly read the third A bill (S. 684) for the relief of Mra. Evalyn N. Van Vliet; time, and passed. A bill (S. 810) authorizing the Secretary of War to donate a On motion of Mr. HERMANN, a motion to reconsider the last certain cannon to the Naval Veteran Association of Baltimore, vote was laid on the table. Md.; , "' . JOHN STOCKWELL. A bill (S. 823) to authorize the Missouri River Power Company Mr. HAGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the of Montana to construct a dam across the Missouri River; present consider.:.:.tion of the bill (H. R. 856) granting an increase A bill (S. 828) granting a pension to Julia E. Lock, formerly of pension to John Stockwell. . widow of the late Gen. Daniel McCook; 1.'he bill was read, as follows: A bill (S. 876) granting a pension to Rebecca H. Chambers; , Be it enacted. etc .. That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby A bill (S. 920) to pension Mary Brown, of Berlin, Vt.; and authorized and directed to place on the pension roll the name of Joh:r:. A bill (S. 1 058) for the relief of Chester B. Sweet, of California. Stockwell, late of Company K , or the Seventy-sixth Illinois Volun,eer In The message also announced that the Senate had passed with- fantry, at the rat.e or In~ per month, in lieu of the pension he is now receiv ing. out amendment the bill (H. R. 5485) to amend" An act author With an amendment as follows: izing the construction of a bridge across the East River be tween the city of New York and Long Island," approved March In line 6 strike out "~aven ty-two" :tnd insert "fifty." 3; 1887. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gen- . . tleman from Iowa. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATION BILL . . Mr. ~ILG
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2782 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MAROH 9,
Union for the further consideration of general appropriation oi wealth to this city by making taxes low, to that extent we bills, and pending that motion I move that all general debate be take them away from the various States and deprive the States closed at 6 o'clock. and local communities of the benefit of taxation of their wealth. The SPEAKER. Pending the motion to go into C-ommittee Mr. GROSVENOR. That would be a very inconsiderable cir of the Whole House on the state of the Union to consider gen cumstance. But I would not make taxes here low. I would not eral appropriation bills, the gentleman moves that .all general put the rates so low as to attract capital in an unreasonable debate be closed at 3 o'clock. amount from elsewhere, but I would see to it that this city should Mr. HENDERSON of Iowa. I have no obj~ction to that limi never cease to be what it was intended to be, the most beautiful tation. capital in all the world, the capital of the greatest nation on The motion to limit debate was agreed to. earth, a capital adequate to the glory and greatness of the The House accordingly resolved itself into Comruittee of the American people. Whole House l{)n the state of the Union, Mr. MoRAE in the chair. Mr. HENDERSON of Iowa. I yield fifteen minutes to the The CHAIRMAN. The House i'3 in Committee-of the Whole gentleman from illinois [Mr. HENDERSON]. House on the state of the Union for the purpose of considering Mr. HENDERSON of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, in the few re the bill the t itle of which the Clerk will read. · marks that I have to make upon the amendment offered by the The Clerk read as follows: gentl~man from ~issouri [Mr. DE ARMOND], I desire to speak • A bill (H. R. 5181) making appropriations for the expenses of the govern only m a general way, for I confeEB that I am not as familiar ment of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895, and with the legislation relating to the District of Columbia as I .for other purposes. ought to be after my long service as a member of the House. Mr. GROSVENOR. Mr. Chairm ....n, I trust that the proposi But I have noticed from year to year while I have been a mem tion of the gentleman f.rom Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND] will not ber that this question continually comes up for our consideration, receive,the favorable consideration of this House. I do not be .as to the taxation to be imposed upon the District of Columbia lieve that the -people of the United States would be willing to and the'proportion of the expense that is. to be paid by the Gen turn over the management of this government to a local board, eral Government toward the support of this capital city of the or to an uncertainty under a general franchise conferred upon nation. I have had no connection with the legislation for the the temporary residents of the District; noryet do I believe, Mr. District of Columbia; my duties in the House have led me in an Chairman, that the people of the United States would be willing entirely different direction; but !desire to repeatand toemEha to limit or curtail the expenditures of the government in the size what has been so w~ll said by the gentleman from Ohio tMr. matter of the promotion of the interests of this city. This city GROSVENOR], that I look upon this city as d.ifferent from any is the capital of the United States. It is unlike any other city other city in the United States. It is different from the capital in this country; and it is more beautiful than .any other city in :of Illinois; it is different from the capital of Missouri; it is dif
~. the world. ferent from the capital of New York, or of any other State. Instead, Mr. Chairman, of withdrawing the support of the Why? For the reason that before the capital was located here, it Government from the proposed improvements contemplated in was required that a certain district oi territorv should be set this city, I would favor a much lasrger expenditure; and my only apart and placed completely under the jurisdiction and control regret is that this bill, under the .force of circumstances that of the General Gove1~nment, in order that the capital of the seem to be imperative, carries so small an appropriation of money United States might be free from any sort of control by the for the great works here. This city was planned by the Father States and under the absolute jurisdiction and control of the of his Country upon a scale of intelligent magnificence, not only United States. No man who will take the trouble to look at the exceeding that of any other city, but unfitted for the purp-oses map of the city of Washington as it was originally laid out-I of an ordinary commercial and manufacturing city; it was made believe under the direction of Gen. Washington himself, the , with special reference to the character which this city has always Fa.ther of hisCountry-can fail to see thatthiscity was intended had since then, that of the capital of a mighty-nation, a nation to be different from any other city in the United States. Look proud of its achievements, proud of its wealth, proud of its ca at the magniii.eent avenues and streets, wide and extensive, in pacity to carry on the building up and enlargement of just such tersecting each other in a way to form circles and squares and ·a city as the city of Washington. publie grounds and parks tha.t could be improved to beautify the There is no injustice to the people of the United States in capital of this grea~ nation of -ours. these expenditures. It ought to be to the interest of the Gov Would you require the inhabitants of the city of Washington ernment to attract to the city of Washington ca-pital, intelli to be a.t the entire expense, large as it is, of maintaining those gence, and education, .and all the developments of the great and streets and avenues, keeping them paved and in good repair? splendid results of our American civilization; and in doing so it Yet they are all necessary to the magnificence of this capital would be extremely poor policy to so burden the property of the city. Stand at Thomas Circle, and look down Mas.:>achusetts residents of this city with taxation, for the very purposes which avenue to the point where the statue of Greene stands. See the we can not ' ./ 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2783 families with them1 send their children to .school in the schools it for taxing purposes. That property is fore-ver withdrawn from of the city, supported as they are partly at the expense of the the taxing ressmrces of the city. General Government; and why should they not be so supported? Mr. DE ARMOND. Has not the adjacent property been in W'hy should we not bear part of the expense of the school sys cteased in value by reason of this improvement to a greater ex tem:' People from all parts of the country are attracted to the tent than the total value of taxable property has been reduced? capital oE this great n ation, and do we not desire they should Mr. GOLDZIER. I can hardly believe it; it does not seem be? And so people from other lands are attracted here, and reasonable to me that the adjacent property should h ave in should we not feel an obligation to m ake the capital worthy of creaBd in value to the extent of the value of the whole property the nation in which we live, so that not only people from abroad, taken as a site for the Congressional Library. The proposition but people from different parts of our own country may be drawn does not seem reasonable to my mind, and before accepting it I here and take a just degree of nride in the capital of this great would like to have some figures on the subJect. Republic? But I take another illustration. The Government has taken This city, Mr. Chairman, should be typical of the greatness as a site for the post-office lmilding a large tract of land located and glory of the country in which we live. And if that is s.o, if on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue. Before this property we ought to have this city a magnificent oneJ creditable to the was taken, the land with the houses upon it contributed toward country, why should we impose the burden of making it so on the support of the city by paying taxes. By the fact of the Gov the people who live here? They are largely people who come ernment having t aken this property for governmental uses, it is here temporarily ,our Presidents, our Vice-Presidents, our judges exempted from taxation. Do not facts like these afford upon of the Supreme Court, our members of Cong-ress and the multi their face a sufficient reason why the Government should pur· tude of office-holders that come here during successive admin .sue the policy it is now pursuing with reference to a division of istrations of the Government-are here for a time, and why municipal expenses between. the- District and the Government. should the residents of tbe city be required to make and main- The amount of property required for Government uses must nee· tain a beautiful city for them to live in? • essarily increase as the years go on; hence the propriety of the I r epeat, Mr. Chairman, there is nothing in the appropl."iation General Government contributing toward the support of the city. bill before us but tha t the Government of. the United States is I hold in my hand a statement in regard to the valuation or interested in, and ought to be interested in. Why, if we should property in the city of Washington which has been exempted require the people of this city to take charge of it, and be at the in this manner from taxation. According to this statement the entire expense of maintaining it, would we not be obliged to al total valuation of all property used for Government purposes low them to do as they pleased? It seems to me that would be and other property exempt by law amounts to $213,500,0:)0 ; and, the result. If we turn over the maintenance of the city entirely on the other handr the total assessed value of property subject to the local residents and the local authorities, should not they to taxation in the District of Columbia is only $191,417,000, leav be permi,tted: to do it in their own way? It seems to me so. ing the untaxed property $22,000,000 in excess of the amount Mr. Chairman, in the fifteen minutes I have allowed me I can that is taxed. not do justice to this subject. I do not. desire any unnecessary Mr. DE ARMOND. Does not thatstatementinclnde the parksr extravagance in appropriations; but whatever is necessary to be streets, avenues, etc.? done to improve, adorn, and beautify the capital of the nation I Mr. GOLDZIER. It does not. It may include some of the hope will be done, and that the Government will bear a just and parks. even liberal part of the expense of doing so. Mr. DE ARMOND. Does it not includEMJ.l of them'? There has been a wonde.dul change in this city in the ~weuty Mr. GOLDZIER. It may include a park like that surround years since I first became. a member of this House, and I repeat ing the Capitol. It does not include the streets; it is exclusive that in all that time amo!\g the many of my own constituents of those. who have visited the capital and called upon me here, I have Mr. DE ARMOND. Does it not include all the parks? never heard a word of complaint against the expense of improv· Mr. GO LDZIER. I do not believe it does. ing and beautilying this city. On the contrary, they have said Mr. DE ARMOND. It does as a matter of fact. to me, "I thought you were expending a great deal of money Mr. GOLDZIER. I can not OOJ.ieve that it. docs. here in Washington, but I do not regret it." They seemed, Mr. As to the question whether the citizens of Washington pay Chairmant to be proud of it, and so they should be, and every their just proportion of taxes, the gentleman from Missouri cited one who visits the national capital should be proud of its beauty. yesterday a number of figures. Now, it is said that" figures clo We ought not to turn this city over to any other authority. The not lie.'~ I think myself that figures pe1· se do not lie; but they nation should k~epthecontroland see that its capital is improved can be made to tell the most ungodly falsehoods. and maintained in such manner 8S will be creditable to it and a Here are the figures of the gentleman on this proposition. matter of pride to our people. He gives us simply the rate of taxation, and as an instance to - Mr. GOLDZIER. Mr. Chairman, the sentimental sideofthis show how reliable those figures are, I pick out my own city, question has been most eloquently treated by my colleague from which has the proud distinction of figuring as the most highly Illinois and by the gentleman from Ohio. There is, however, a taxed in the gentleman's list. In a table taken from the World practical side; and I desire to meet the argument of the gentle Almanac, the city of Chicago figures as being taxed at the rate man from Illinois as presented yesterday on practical grounds. of 6 percent, or at the rate of $6- on each hundred, which is com The gentlemanfrom MissouriPfr.DEARMOND], who! am afraid pared by the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND] as is too much influenced by his pet scheme of removing the capi against an assessment in Washington of $1.50 per hundred. tal to the West, ~s propounded the question, why should the Here are some significant figures though, that show how differ- • people of the United States contribute toward the support of ently valuations are made in the various cities. In the city of the city of Washington? I propose to answer that question. Chicagor with a tptal population of 1,500,000 people, "the total This city is on an entirely different plane from · any other in assessment of property amounts to $243,732,000, while in the the United States. We have located here all the Departments city of Washington, with a population of 265,000, the taxable of the Government. The Government erects here expen~ive property found by the assessors amounts to $202,62J.,OOO; so that buildings which occupy a large area; and as a consequence the the amount taxed in Washington, with a population·of 265,000 conditions, even so far as regards the collection of taxes-, are en people, is only $40,000JOOO less than the amount taxed in Chicago, tirelv differentfrom those in other cities. The city of Wash- with a million and a half of inhabitants. .. ingtOn being the city that it is, could not, without Government Another item showing the method of arriving at the system assistance, raise taxes sufficient for the support of the citv and of taxation is this: The city of Chicago has an area of 180i square still have it conducted in the manner in which it is carried on miles, while the city of Washington h'as an area of about 69 miles. now. Why, sirl it is proven by the most reliable authority that We find by comparing these figures that every square mile of under the system which the gentleman advocates the greater property in Washington is assessed at the rate of $2,936,584:, portion of the property located in the city of Washington would while every squaremile of property in Chicago is assessed at the be untaxable. A large portion of the property in this city is rate of $1,624,880; and we find that by comparing the number of exempt from taxation by reason of .its being GovernmE'nt urop inhabitants in the two cities, that the property of each inhabi erty, and the property thus withdrawn from taxation increases tant in Washington amounts to $311.80, while the. property of year by year. Let me point to two or three instances within the every inhabitan tin that poverty-stricken city of Chicago amounts knowledge of members of the House. to but $162.50, according to the figures of my friend from Mis -The square of ground upon which the new Congressional Li souri, showing conclusively how figures will lie. brary is now being erected was formerly occupied with resi Now, MI"". Chairman, upon the general proposition why we dences, each of which, large or small, contributed toward the should contribute something toward the. support of the city of amount raised by the city through taxation. The Government Washington, I say if by doing so we can make of the capital of steps in and takes this land. What is the consequence? A loss the nation the best regulated, the best-improved, the healthiest, to-the people of Washington of that land with the houses upon the model city of the United States, that every dollar we pay for 2784 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARon 9, that is expended in the most profitable manner for every inhab sible for $600,000, half the purchase money of the Rock Creek Park, and for h;:\lt the annual expenses of its maintenance; the one of this Congress plac ihnt in the United States; and I say to the gentleman, who ing upon the District the whole expense of opening North Capitol street to threatens the most dire results if we explain to our constituents the Soldiers' Home; and the one of March 2, 1893, providing for the extension that we are p aying something toward the support of the govern of the Washington City plan of streets and avenues over the suburban part of the District, a.t the sole cost of the District and private owners of land. ment of the city of Washington, that! am not afraid to go before All these are departures from the text and the principle of the law of July the inhabitants of my district and say to them that for the pur 11,1878. p ose of making the n a tional capital the model city of the world, Last year 61 members of the House vot-ed to reduce the ·annual appropria tion in question !rom 50 to 25 per cent, and, at the present session, Mr. DE if we can, we are paying a large amount of money, an amount ARMOND, in bill No. 4562, proposes to repeal altogether the 50 per cent ap which as I figure it, amounts to about 3t or 4 cents per head for propriation laws. The enactment of this bill would throw upon the 28 913 every inhabit1nt of the United States. I think we can fairly taxpayers of this District the whole expense of local improvements and 'ad ministration, and would exempt from t:1.xation, or its equivalent, more than justify the expenditure of 3i- or 4 cents per capita toward mak half the real-estate values in the District limits. Such a system is without ing this the model city of the United States. precedent, and, in the light of experience and existing facts, must be pro Mr. DE AR~IOND. Will the gentleman yieldfor a question? nounced an impracticable vagary. Mr. DE ARMOND's resolution to remove the capital is its companion piece. Mr. GOLDZIER. Yes. We propose to pas:; in review the different methods used since 1787 by the Mr. DE ARMOND. Will the gentleman explain what reason National Gov.ernment for the regulation of its financial relations with the there is why the peopl e of the united States should pay for the capital city, to add a statement of existin" conditions and to concluue with support of the schools in this city? i~eg;~~a.tion of the consequences of the innovation proposed by Mr. DE Mr. GOLDZIER. I have given the reason before. By the I. FIRST PERIOD, 1787-1791. system upon which this city is established, you withdraw more Congress shall have power "to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases than h::tli of the taxable property from hxation, upon which whatsoever over such DL~trict (not exceeding 10 miles square) as may by otherwise this school tax would be levied in part. Therefore cession of particular States and the acceptance of Congress become the seat of the Government of the United States." (Const., Art. I. Sec. 8.) that of itself furnishes the m ost ample reason for doing as we do. New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were each willing to cede to the Mr. DE ARMOND. Will the gentleman answer one other United Statesitschiefcommercialcityto become the seat of Government; but question? these and other cities were rejected, and it was determined to locate the Dis trict in an interior rural region, central and accessible by tide water, where Mr. GOLDZIER. Yes. the Government might have not only exclusive jurisdiction of 10 miles Mr. DE ARMOND. Has the gentleman any idea what the square, but, without cost, the ownership of land enough to layout its future other property in this city would be worth if the Government capital on a scale of grandeur unequalea in Europe. buildings were not here? Owing chiefly to the intluence of Washington, the present site was chosen. He had hunted over it, surveyed pn.rts of it, resided near it, and was famil Mr. GOLDZIER. I do not know. At the time it was pre iar with its advantages and disadvantages. Its extensive water front was sented to the Government of the United States it certs.inly was partly covered by marshes. Its un1ulating high grounds in the north and east were separated by a crM•k and morass from a fiat area nearly 2 .miles not worth much. long, only a few feet above high tide and extending from the present Capitol Mr. DE ARMOND. Is it not a iact that the building of every Hill westwardly to the Potomac and southwardly to Anacostia; and more Government structure adds greatly to the value of other prop than 4.00 acres were subject to overflow by freshets. (See map by Board of Sanitary Enginens, June, 1890.) The uplands made miry roads and would erty in the city? need paving; and the lowlands neededdyking, sewering, draining, the build· Mr. GOLDZIER. So does the building of every pri vu.te struct ina of sea-walls, and the filling up or marshes. The place was a most un ure. Every improvement adds to the value of property. And sUitable site for a city of ordinary municip:tl resources, but a suitable one in every way for the capital of a gre::~.t Republic with the revenues or a na the gentleman should not forget that the citizen pays taxes on tion to improve it. theenha nced value. · washington undertook to get the land from the owners and etlected his And now, Mr. Chairman, as a' part of my remarks, I ask leave object by persuasions and, in the case of David Burns by threats of con demnation. His bargain was creditatle to his shrewdness as a business of the House to incorporate a memorial of the citizens of Wash m an. March 3, 1791, he wrote to Thomas Jefferson that he had purchased ington in regard to this matter, which I think will be good and · the land for the Federal District, as follows: useful reading for the members of this House. "The terms entered iuto by me on the part of the United States with the The CHAIRMAN (Mr. McRAE). The gentleman from Illk lanaholders are that (all the land) is ceded to the public on condition that when the whole is laid otl as a city (which Maj. L'Enfant is now directed to nois [Mr. GOLDZIER] asks unanimous consent to incorporate in do) the present proprietors shall retain every other lot; and for such parts his remarks a memorial. Is there objection? of the land as may be taken for public use for squares, walks, etc., they shall be allowed at the rate or £25 [$6ti.66] an acre. Nothing is to be allowed for There was no objection. the ground which may be occupied for streets and alleys." Mr. MILLIKEN. One question right in the line suggested The assertion so often repeated, that, at this interview, Washington ex by the question which the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE bibited to the owners a plan or the city is contradicted by the language of the above letter. A rough sketch of the Wh.ite House and the Executive ARMOND] asked you. Is it not true that these improvements Departments near it was probably shown. (SeeN. King's letter of Septem are rr:ade very largely for the comfort of the members of Con ber 25, 1803, Burch's Digest, 351. l gress and Government officials who dwell here in Washington, March 30, 1791, nineteen proprietors signed an agreement that- "In c:msideration of the great benefit we expect to derive from having the and should not the Goyernment help to pay the tax on that ac Federal City laid otl upon our lands, the President is to have the sole power count? to order the city to be laid off in what manner he pleases," etc.- Mr. GOLDZIER. I think so, most unquestionably. The im repeating the ~rms . as stated by Washin,&ton in the above quoted letter to provements are made for the benefit of all the people of the Jefferson. June 29, 1791, the proprietors dee1ed their lands to trustees for the use of United States. If we build a Treasury here, we do not build it the United States- for the peop~e- of Washington, and not for the purpose of im " For a Federal city, with such streets, squares, parcels, and lots as the President for the time being shall approve." proving the property of Washington, but we build it because the The United States wel'e to have "stl'eets" for nothing, all squares, par nee ·. 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2785 - In a report made February 2, 1835, for the Senate Committee on the Dis In a letter from the commissioner of public buildings, the following item trict of Columbia. (Twenty-third Congress, second session), Senator Soa.th is given as a copy from the records of expenditures of the Government for ard says: the improvement of the streets of Washington: "It appears that the -people of the United States have paid nothing for all "lilOO. Making footway from Georgetown to the Capitol, $10,000." their public lots, nor for the property in the streets. They procured them, (For the last four documents, see Senator Southard's .Report, 1835, repub and now own them, without the expenditure of a single dollar." lished in full in Board of Public Works Report for 1872.) (The United States built the Chain bridge in 1797. ) UNITED STATES P R OFITS ON TRANSACTION. Though the city population was 3,210 in 1800, it d9es J?.Ot appe_ar that Con In the same report (1835) Senator Southard states the account as follows: gress made any demand upon the citizens for contributiOns,_or 1mposedany "The number of building lots acquired by the Government was 10,136. A taxes upon them for city improvements. The general belle! was that the large proportion of them have been sold and given away by Congress, and United States would bear all the exp&nsesdf the new city. We find on p age it appears by the records in the office of the commissioner of public build· f!7, volume 3. of Winterbotham's History of the American United States, ings that the account of the Government in r egard to them may be thus London, England, 1795, a notice of the gift of Washington City lots by the stated: proprietors, ending with: "The cost of said lots was nothing. "This grant will produce about 15,000 lots, and will be sufficient, not only There has been received from the sale or the building lots______$741, 024.45 to erect the public buildings, but to dig th~ canal, conduct water through There have been given away to charitable and literary institu- the city, and to pave and light the streets, which will save a heavy tax that tions ($2,500 of which was given to a_coll ege out of the city) arises in other cities, and consequently render the lots considerably more lots to the value of ______------70, 000.00 valuable." The lots undisposed of, a ccording to the assessment of 1824, are The first two sales of lots were extensively advertised in England, and worth. ______------______------______. 10, 221.84 Thomas Long and other Englishmen were among the purchasers. There was received by the Government in grants from the That the prices of the lots sold before May, 1802, were higher because of States o! Maryland and Virginia (in the years 1790 and 1791). __ 192,000.00 their supposed future freedom from taxation, there is no reason to doubt; but no express pledge by the Government to that effect can be proven. Amounting in all to. ______------______------______1, 112,246.29 And if it be a correct estimate to put the value of the whole pub- III. THIRD PERIOD, 1802-1812. lic reservation at ______------1, 500,000.00 The growth of the population creating a necessity for local government, to relieve Congress of the petty business of licenses, police regulations, etc., The amount will be ______------____ 2, 612,246.29 resulted in the charters of 180"Z and 1804. Under these, the mayor was ap pointed by the President, and his veto could be reversed only by a three In a report made to Congress in 1816 by the Secretary of the Treasury, the fourths vote of both branches of the city council. Among the minor powers amount "accruing to the United States, from the mere circumstance of lo were- catincr the seat of Government at this place," is stated at '$1,979,791.77. If "To erect and repair bridges; to keep in repair all necessary streets, Con~ess had not forced sales of lots when there was little demand for them, avenues, drains, and sewers, and to pass regulations necessary for the pres or donated lots given to it for a different and special purpose, what was then ervation of the same, agreeably to the plan or said city." known as the "l<.,ederal City fund " might have been made to yield at least No power was granted to opeuorclose a street or alley, construct a sewer, tour millions~ an immense sum compared with the Government revenues at or to assess for special improvements. Congress does not seem to have the end of the last century. changed its course in regard to the city. The following items appear in the II. SECOND PERIOD, 1791 TO MAY 3, 1802. accounts of the Government with the capital: These eleven years are distinguished in the early history of Washington 1802. Building a jail in Washington·------$5,800,00 1803. Building a. jail in Washington_------5, 906.00 City by the fact that the United States managed its capital without using 18J3. Improving Pennsylvania avenue ______------13,466.69 the intervention of any subordinate municipality. • It acted through the President and city commissioners appointed by him. The principal a ct of 1807. Repairs and opening streets and avenues______3, 000.00 this period was the announcment by President Washington of (Senator Southard's Report, su]J'I'a.) From the same authority we learn that the new city expended upon the THE PLAN OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. streets from the beginning" an average annualsum ofnotlessthan$13,000." This plan was the result of the skill and genius of L'En:fant, ·stimulated This-amount was beyond its means, the population being only 8,208 in the to the highest by the patriotic enthusiasm of Washington and Jefferson. year 1810, and there being no special taxes. At the end of the period· the The last named sent from Europe for suggestion the plans of the finest cities city was heavily in debt, and its streets and avenues were not yet cleared of of the world, and the former was in frequent consultation with the a r chi forest trees. "In 1812 these debts amounted to $17,000." (Webb's Digest, tect. L'Enfant was familiar with the radiating avenues from hunting 166.) - - lodges in the royal forests of France and with the three grand avenues di In 1804, the poet Tom Moore visited Washington and wrote his celebrated verging from the pa.lace of Versailles, the most beautiful government city satire upon it: of Europe. In his ardent imagination, the widest street in Versailles was "This embryo capital, where fancy sees to be narrower than the narrowest of the leading streets in the Federal city, Squares in morasses, obelisks in trees, and the three avenues of Versailles were to be thrown into insignificance by Which second-sighted seers even now adorn more than twenty in the capital of the young and growing Republic. With shrines unbuilt and heroes yet unborn." These avenues, some of them diverging from the Capitol and others from 'l'he city streets were in little better condition in 1812 than in 18().!. the White House, and others still connecting the parts of the city most dis tant from each other, were to form, at their intersection with the streets IV. FOURTH PERIOD, 1812-1865. and with each other, triangular public spaces, intendeEl for ornamentation, The features characterizing this period of fifty-three years, in regard to with fountains, flowers, and statuary, and circles, intended for nation al the financial management of the city corporation, is the system of special monuments, beautiful shrubbery, and pleasure grounds for the people. assessments on abutting property, for local improvements made on petition Numerous reservations for public buildings, a broad mall in the central of owners. Ten years effort by the city to meet necessary expenditures on part of the city, extending from the Capitol to the Potomac, and a boulevard streets by a general tax of three-fourths of 1 per cent on real estate and by around the northern boundary, completed the plan. It was a. grand con occupation taxes, had brought the corporation into bankruptcy. In the ception of great men, who left it to be wrought out by a posterity worthy to charter of May 4, 1812, Congress authorized special a ssessments not exceed Jollow in their footsteps. ing $2.50 per front foot for improvements made on petition of two-thirds of or the original streets, there were 44 lettered and 52 numbered; and the the owners of inhabited houses fronting on the desired improvement. (Sec. average width of the lettered was 92 feet and of the numbered 93 feet. There 5.) In the charter of May 15, 1820, this power was renewed, the cost not to were twenty avenues, varying from 120 to 160 feet wide, the average width exceed $3 per front foot, and the petition to be signed by the owners of more being 148 feet. (Rothwell's Laws of Washington City, 489.) The aggregate than half of the property fronting on the improvement. This gave a stand length of streets and avenues was 228 miles, which has been increased to231~ ing for the first time to the owners of vacant lots and made much easier miles, a distance greater than from the Capitol to New York City. The total the work of getting petitions-for the improvement of streets. surface of all th~ streets and avenues in Washington is, approximately, 14,- This system of street improvement was regulated by ordinances passed 840,814 square yards. All this was to be graded, metalled, paved, drained, from time to time, notably by three passed in May, 1853; one providing for sewered, li~hted, and kept in repair. To gain a conception of the street work to be done m this city alone, imagine a street 100 feet wiae, extending from commiesioners of improvements, the act concernin~ paved footways, and Washington to New York City, graded, with its carriageway a.sphalted, its the act relating to paved ca.rriageways. (Sheehan's uorp. Laws, 110. gutters made, its curbstones set and sidewalks laid, with drains, sewers, The new powers of the corporation increased its receipts, but the pressure lampposts, and shade trees. In the Senate report above quoted the follow for urgent street repairs was too great to be resisted. In 1818 the city debt ing statement is made: had grown so large that $50,000 of it was funded, and a fourth of each year's "The District was the creation of the Union for its own purposes, the plan taxes was set aside for its redemption. (Webb, 166.) The different wards of whlch was formed by the public authorities, the dimensions of the streets also became insolvent and their debts were funded in 1821. (The amount of determined by them without interference by the inhabitants or regard to ward debts in 1837 was $108,513.11.) In 1829 a joint committee of the citv coun- their particular convenience or interest, a plan calculated for the magnifi cil reported on the state of the corporation finances. • cent capital of a. great nation, but oppressive from its very dimensions and The debt, not including a million due for stock subscriptions, was arrangement to the inhabitants, if its execution to any considerable extent stated at... ---- __ ------__ ------____ $361,826.92 was thrown upon them." ~~~:t ~i~e;E~:sa~t: :::::::::::::::::: :~:::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::: ~: ~: ~ THE UNITED STATES IMPROVED THE STREETS. Abundant proof of this exists in the records of the city commissioners of Leaving a. probable annual surplus of ... ------16,586. f4 that period. A few facts on this point will sumce for the purposes of this which if continued, and if the debt for stocks should not be called for, would memorial. On the 14th ot December, 1795, President Washington wrote to payoff the current indebtedness for street work in about twenty-eight years 1 the coiD.l)lissioners: If the stock subscriptions should be called for, the corporation was hope "When you are in a situation to begin the opening of the avenues, it is lessly bankrupt. presumed those which will be more immediately useful will be first cleared." From the last date until1865, Congress was resonant with the despairing August 29, 1801, Jefferson wrote to the commissioners: cries of this corporation. Citizens petitioned, and the mayor and councils "GENTLEMEN: Your favor or the 24th is duly received. I consider the erec memorialized the Senate and House for relief. (See particulars House Doc tion of the Representatives Chamber, and the making a. good gravel road ument No. 14, second session Twenty-third Congress; House Document G8, from the new bridge on Rock Creek, along Pennsylvania and New Jersey first session same Congress; Senate Document 23, of January 2, 1834, and avenues, to the Eastern Branch as the most important objects for insuring House Report 366 of same session.) At the end of this period the city debt the destinies of the city which can be undertaken. * * * $4,000 for four was stated by the mayor in his message at $793,000. miles of road were then estimated to besutncient, but, from your statement, And yet, with the single exception of the subscription to the Qhesapea.ke $3,695.99 have been expended, and half the distance (though not half the and Ohio Canal stock, no improvidence or unfaithfulness could be imputed work) remains to be finished. * * * Butifanythingremains of that fund, to the city corporation. The taxes had been diligently co ll e~tad and hon I will venture to direct a. further portion of the price of the site to be paid est.ly applied. Prior to 1835 the expenditures by the city for local improve you for completing this road," etc. ments had been $430,000, in addition to the amount contributed by the United In a. message by President Jefferson to both Houses of Congress, January States. 11, 1802, he savs: . The enormous outlay upon the streets and avenues of the national capital "The l:ots ill the city which are chargeable with payment of these moneys would have sumced to put the final touches of improvement on any city of are deemed not only equal to the indemnification of the public, but to in narrow streets like St. Louis; but as every Union soldier in the late war who sure a considerable surplus to the city, to be employed for1ts improvement, visited Washington at that time will testify, none of its best avenues were provided," etc. then in good condition, and most of its streets were muddy in wet weather XXVI-175 #, ' 2786 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARcH 9, and ankle deep 1n dust in dry weather. Mud n·rues, dirt and cobblestones The names of th~ streets and avenues improved ·are: were the rule. It is not to be w011£l.e.red at that a fewWesternmenproposed Penn-sylvania avenue. indiana avenue. to remove the capital to t. Loui . It must lJe admitted 1ihat a.1i tha.t time Opening and improving streets and Maryland avenue. the capital city did not a.ppea.l tot.hepride or resthetic tas:t;e of the American people. One of the potent causes of its condition was it had for many years avenues. New Jersey avenu~. been regarded by an influential and sometimes dominant political element PaVing Fifteenth street. Twelfth and Fourteenth stree-ts. as the capital of a conft:>deration soon to pass away. Its public buildings Four-and·a-half street. Delaware avem:le. we:re temporary barracks, and its broa.d avenu~s we.re soon to 'become pas ~e;t~~!;e~t:t~~reet. .., ~oa%~ha ~!~~!.sewer traps. ture grounds. The duty of Congress to the caprt.al mty was, however, never Improvements, per act of May 17, ISiS. Missouri avenue. repudiated and seldom torgotten. Flagging sioowalks. Virginia. avenue. V. FIFTH PERIOD, 1865-1874. East Ca:pirol street. Arch over Tibar Creek. The enactment of the law of Feb:ruary 23, 1865, was one of the first symp Sixth street west. B street south, Sixth to Seventh west. toms of the popular consciousnes~ of established nationality. It was the Executive avenue. Sewers under Pennsylvania. avenue. first movement of the new population of Washington to make the city what Miscellaneous improvements. Sewer under Fifteenth street. a national capital ought to be. The limitation of $3 a front foot in the ex Completing the grades. pense of street improvements had made them cheap and rude; and the pro The above expenditures began in the last century and ended in the first hibition of such improvements, unless petitioned for by the owners of more half of 18i6. If to the more than $7.265,000 expended by the United States we than half the abutting property, had enabled rich men and syndicates of could add all the expenditures made by the city corporation, and the special landowners to prevent the layin~ of sidewalks and the paving of carriage taxes paid by the property-owners, and the expenditures of the Territorial ways. The new law abolished the ~ita.tio~ and prohibition. The ~ity government durlng the same time, we would have the sum total up to Hli6 or corporation began to act freely. Ordmances m great number ordered un the cost or street improvements in the national capital. provements, the total cost of which was to be taxed on abutting property. But, although the city corporation and lot-owners have contributed to the The charges were onerous and caused much discontent. , expenses of avenues and streets, they have never had, or pretended to have, Discussion and a~itation involved the entire district and Congress, andre any proprietary right in them. This has been asserted and exercised by the sulted in the enactment, February 21, 1871, of a lawprovid.ing'a Territorial United States. From the time when it gave away to colleges and charitable Government !or the District-of Columhia. This law gave to the people the societies lots deeded to tt tor other purposes by the origin:~.l proprietors, the election of the Hous.e of Delegates and of a Delegate to Congress; and to the Government ha::; been the master in this matter. Congress has ordered the Preside.,t the appointment of the governor, the council, the register, there sale o! reservations and parts of streets, has appropriated to its own uses corder, the attorney, the marshal, and the board of public works. This board lands -reclaimed by filling up the canal, and has granted to railroad and was given "entire control of * * * the streets, avenues, alleys. and sewers other corporations, with or without considerat~on, franchises worth many of the city" and the right to assess special taxes and disburse the moneys millions in the streets of the capital and even in the roads of the District. when collected. These special asseRsments were against abutting property It is but a short time since the Sevi:'nth stl·eet road, on-eo! the oldest ap and were not to exceed one-third of the cost of the improvement, a reduct.on proaches to the city (tmilt and kept in repair by the levy oourt and used favorable to owners. The former system of charging the whole cost was op chiefly by farmers for the transportation of their products to our markets), pressive, tending to force owners in straitened. circumstances to sen out to was, without consideration, practically confiscated by the Government for capitalists. the benefit of a passenger elect-ric railway line. The consent o! citizens has lD. practical operati acres of the county, according to the scheme of "'the subur'b.an street law, will :United Statu property lying in Washington CitY-Continued. be divided as follows: Acres. Taken by the United States for streets, avenues, etc ______19,422 Square. f Lpt. Square Left to the owners __-______------______------10,578 I feet. Total number of acres ______------. 30,000 1152 ______All______M,384 u:m ______All______58,950 Thestreets, av13nues,etc.,in the addition would be 1,250 miles in aggre 115! ..•••• All______40,243 1155 ____ ------80,598 ga~~~e:i~!rh~ity will be more -than 1lve -times as large as the present one. 1155 ______------62,332 When its improv~ments will be finisherr it is har-d to foresee. If it has taken ll57 ______------58,950 more than a century to bring wa.,hington into its present half-finished con 1158. ____ ------6, 400 dition, it may take several centuries to verfect the District-even if Con- 1159 ______------80,700 gress should be liberal. . . 1160 ______------62,332 When we turn from the grandeur of the plan to the means proVIded for 1161. _____ ------42,436 paying the first cost of the land to be taken for the streets and avenues, our ad 1162 ______------62,332 miracion is changed to astonishment. In the fifteenth section it is provided 1163 ______------62,332 in effect that one-half of the value of the land taken shall be assessed to land 1164 ______------20,600 benefited and the other half to the District. The United States is to pay ab 1165 ______------80,597 solutely nothing, but gets a clean title to 19,422 acres I Thus, the owner of a 1166 ______------62,332 hundred acres has his farm latticed with streets and avenues, nearly two thirds of it taken, and is told to look to the District for half the dama ges 1167------80,546 and to his neighbors for the other half. As his neighbors are in the same 1168 ______------62, 332 plight with himself and look to him ror their damages, he must rest conte11t 1169 __ ------__ ;_ 80,597 with his claim of half against the District treasury! I170 ______------62, 332 The owners ot small county properties which are cut diagonally by ave nues will be left with valueless tria.Iigular corners. It is said that the ex ,. ------r~::;:~- ~::: tension of Sixteenth street, whieh is 160 teet wide, through Mt. Pleasant, will destroy more than twenty dwelling houses, and throw numerous prem ises into form~ and sizes unavailable for any purpose. *Reservation. Tbe ~o-called "system" is one of collfiscation, under color of law. It will certainly give rise to much litigation_ To the above should be added the Maltby Building, the Butler ·Building, A large majority of our citizens would probably have voted for the exten the new post-oiDee, and all other land and improvements acquired in Wash sion of three or f our city avenues to the District boundaries; a respeetable ington City since 1889 by the United States. minority, we think, would have voted for the extension of all of them; but The 3,606acres 1n the eitv streets and avenues.are not included. hardly~ vote would have been .cast 1'or the law a~ it stands on the statute UNITED STATES SUBURBAN PROPERTY. book. Acres. IX. THE BULK OF REAL-ESTATE VALUES EXEMPTED. 1 The.number of -square feet of real estate owned by the United States in Ba!t~Ii!sf:~r~~!~~~~~~~~~~~:~::~~~~~=:~:=:~:::::~~===~====~~~====ttle Cemetery __ ------· ______------.... ______~:1 ~ Washington City. exclusive o! the streets., ave11ues, and alleys, and of a fe'Y Howard University Park. ______------______------____ 1l recent .acquisitions. is 3!.828,362. The number of acres owned by it in the suburban part of -the District is 3,.384. The bulk of the city property is the Smith's spring ____ . ·------______------______------..... 1 White Hous~ lot, the Treasury, Interior, -G-eneral Post-O:ffi.ce, and Capitol buildings and grounds, the Judiciary Square, and the Mall, -all situated in ~:: ~~~:~;g~ = ===~======~======~=====~======:. ~: ~ the heart ofthe.city. We claim no valuation tor them di!l'erent from that United States Military Asylum (Soldiers' Home) ____ ------____ 474.75 of the private property in -their vicinity. 'Taking a tair average valuation Columbia Institution tor Deaf and Dumb------110.42 on the above principle, the-value of the United States -eity land is not less Reform School .. ______------____ .... 266.84 .than ______.------1!!130,000, 000 Government Hospital for Insane .. ------423.26 Cost value of improvements, etc.------______60,.000, 000 United States Navy magazine .. ____ ------...... __ .... ------____ 84.03 Rock Creek Park------______1, 515.27 ~:~~: g~ ~~~~~~~~~=~=-==~====~======~~======-=== f~:~ ZoologicalP.ark ____ ------______------166.48 198,£00, ()()() Total ______:_ ..•. __ ------___ -----.•.. -----··-.....•.. ---- '3, 383.90 The District of Columbia property and the churches and charitable insti In support of 'these comclusions, we present a detailed statement of the tutions should be appraised on the same principle-the-valuation of property area and designations of parroels taken from -the District .surveys and Tee- · in their vi-cinity. '!'here is no official valuation of recent date, and we are ords. obliged to form~n .approximate judgment .from situation of land and value Unitetl States property lying iln Washingwn City. of improvements. The District properties, including engine houses, prop erty yards, .schoolhouses and t heir sttes, are worth six millions. The two hundred :churches and their sites certainly average $20,000 each, equal to four Square. Lot. Square millions, and the land and improvements of cemeteries and of educatiollal, feet. art, and charitable institutions ma.y'fa.irly be va.lned at five millions. The following estimate of exempted -property is approximately fair: 225, _____ 1 ·to8 ______153, 240 Columbia Ho.spital. United States land and im:provements ______$198,500,000 14L. _____ Of 11 ...... 1, 500 Old engine house used !or school. District 'Of Columbia-land and improvem-ents______-6,000,000 .169 ______Subsl,6,17, 31, 394 Winder Building. Other property exempted by statute.______9, 000,000 18, l9. 221.. ____ Of .3, 4., 6. 7 23,075 Department of Justice. 213, 500, 000 of£. Deduct total assessed value (1893) of taxed property------191, 417,80! 231. ______13to25_____ 70,920 Buroo;t.I of Engraving and Print:in.g. Engine house, Ex-cess of exempted p.roperty. _____ ------______. ______. ____ ------22,082, 1!!6 Stable, Post-Office 'Depart.ment. Th-e excess of property not taxed is m.ore than tw~nty-two millions. No ~~===== ~Of 10______l~====~=== 2,~9,612 Medical Museum. result widely difl'ering f1·om this {!aU be reached by anyone who will adopt 624 ______55to62,part "59,015 Gov~rnment Printing Om.ce. the most recent valUations of private property as a. rule for appraising pub 686 ...... Of 12 -of.13.. 11,442 Architect's Office. lic and other exempted property. 683 ______!______14,775 Engin-e house. 249 ______All______174,416 Franklin Square. X RAPIDLY DECREASING TAX LISTS. 43Q_ •• ---- All------64,299 United States General Post-OIDce. 927 ______All______156,175 Within a very few years the following are among the properties trans Uilited States Marine Barracks. ferred from the taxed to the exempted cla.ss: 948 ______All______30,711 United States Naval Hospital. 10* ______Of 38, 39 _____ i,{)19 The Maltby House, the Butler House, the City Post-Office, the Winder Sto11ehouse for Congress1onal Globe. Building, t.he Department ot Justice, the New Observatory, the Zoological 82. ----- All______10,610 Park, and the Rock Creek Park. Expensive buildings have been erected on 158.------18, 19 ---.---- 2t, 828 the ex.empted property, the cost of the marble building alone at the Soldiers' 985.------1, 2, 18.------14,010 Home being m.ore than a million. The following squares have been at dit 100 ____ .___ Part------.3, 354 ferent times condemned to the uses of the United States and ma:le nontax '230. ______------~ 14,£061 Ground south of square 230. able: Nos. 169, 221, 430, 505, 506, 548, 549, 687,688,729,730, 731, 883, 88!, and 885; 259 ______------9,-664 Grounii south of square 25\l. and also two lots in square 636. 260 ______------9,·666 Ground-south·of square 260. Under the existing law the injury to the District, caused by the removal 2* •...•••. ------1,1178,172 Agricultural building hothouses. of property from t he tax' lists, is double the loss of the taxes and the loss of 2*------· 2, 553,378 Smithsonian Institution, National M.u- an equal am-ount appropria1:ied. Five hundred dollars lost in taxes is a loss seum. ot one thousand to the re¥enues. 2*------1,~54, 354 Armory building, etc. For example, take recent purchases and condemnations by the United 3* ------. 3,631, 562 Washington Monument. States, valued as pe-r last assessment, or at cost: 4* _____· _ ------839,074 United States Observatory. Valuation. 5*------3,054, 017 Arsenal buildings. • 161,201 The Maltby Buildmg, cost.------____ ------il30, 000 6* ------The Butler Building, cost about______161,250 8* ----.------ 181,221 Pat-entOIDce building. National Library site and buildings d~stroyed. ______------____ 556,924 il* ------. 836,.374 Judic1ary Square. - 13*------8,361,199 New jail, powder magazine. Post-Office site, Pennsylvania avenue, a.nd buildings destroyed____ 583,975 14*------1, 871,.333 Navy-yard. 15,'16* .•.. ------us, 752 t Total property taken from tax lists ...... ------1,432,149 - 17*. ------1, 300, 191 'l'otal of taxes los.t .. ------.... ______---- ____ ------21,481 2, 636,865 Ca-pitol grounds. Total of reV"enues lost .... ------______,______··-· 42,952 487,417 Botanical Gardens. .As with the growth of the operations o! the Government, its necessities 4,600.222 intersecting str~et circles, -spa&s, -etc. tormor.e land are ever incr-easing. it is ea.,--y to foresee the time when, if the 3.92 ..Qt 0 National Li:bl:ary. • · present policy is pursued the taxable real estate in the District will be very U40 ...... 2, 9, 12 ...... 20,301 small in proportion to the nont axa-ble, and, consequently, unable to con 1140 ______6 to '9 ______1'6, 821 tribute.more than a small part of the revenue necessary to meet the expen 1-142 ______3 to 9 ...... 31,162 . ditures, This r.esul t 1s unavoidable. It can not 'be prevented by raising val 1150 ______All------58,950 uationsor rates. ' The problem now pressing for solucion is how to raise 1151...... All------62,538 from less than hal! the real estate in the D~strict and irom special taxes on 2788 CONGRESS! ON AL RECORD-HOUSE. MARcH 9, occun:1tions, enough revenue to meet halt the expenditures of a city which, Statistics of cities in the United States-Continued. owing to its plan, is more expensive than any one of the same population in the world. It is a problem which will, in a few years, task the ingenuity of the most exacting Chinese taxgatherer. Esti- Per oC XI. CONSEQUENCES OF REPEAL, Area mated Assessed cent in popula- s The enactm-ent of Mr. DEARMOND's bill (4582) would result in an immediate Cities. Net public valuation of of ac- ~ winding up of Distdct atiairs. The receipts of the District of Columbia from square tionJan- debt. all prop- tual 1-t all sources- miles. uaryl, erty. >l val- ~ I• In 1892 were. ______------____ ------______$2,826,861 1894. ue.a 8 Al:d in 1893 .. ______2,946,8!)2 They may, in 18:l4, possibly reach.·------3,000,000 Columbus, Ohio------110,000 $7,183,400 $58, 203, 605 40--50 $2.80 Though the hard times may make them much less. Colmcil lllul'fs, Iowa c. 36,000 146,000 The expenditures for 1891 will not be less than for 1893, in which year they ~rt 5, 700,000 eZ.:> 2. 20 were. ______$5,594,012 Dallas,Covington, Tex Ky______------2! 40,000 2, 249,300 19,000,000 100 2.07 Sf 45, 000 1, 971,600 23,131,600 66~ 1.50 Deduct possible receipts. ______------______------3,000,000 Davenport, Iowa ______8 35,000 275,000 9,580,555 50 1.75 ~ayton, Ohio __ .______10i 76,000 1, 979,275 Deficit ______------___ . ----- ____ -~-- __ ------____ 2,594,012 40,500,000 50 2.52 enver, Colo------43i 150,000 1, 852,768 72,000,000 20 1.00 This deficit can be greatly reduced only by closing the schools, dismissing Des Moines, Iowa _____ 54 76,000 Detroit, Mich ______760,220 16,246,547 25 5.40 the police, stopping street repairs and improvements, or suspending pay- 29 300,000 2,163,292 199, 681,210 70 ]. 51 ment of the interest on the funded debt. Dubuque, Iowa ______11 40,000 863,142 21,000,000 75 1. 50 It must not be forgotten, too, that in the last twenty years the officials of Duluth, Minn. c .••••••• 44 45,000 1,466, 650 34,649,792 50 2. 62 the United States have incurred a large debt, in the name of this District, Elizabeth, N. J ______9 40, 'lOO 3,591, 880 15,963,868 70 2. 98 and that the funded part or it amounted on the 1st day of July, 1893, to $18, - Elmira, N. Y ------7.4 37,000 570,000 15,669,505 50 1. 53 575,400, on which the annual interest i8 $710,414.40. · Erie, Pa ------s••~6 50,000 901,200 15,740,000 60 1. 50 The only connection we, as real estate owners, have with this debt, which Fall River, Mass ______41 90,000 2, 650,494 00,534,005 90 1.74 was contracted without our vote or consent, is that we can be forced to pay it. Fort Wayne, Ind ______4 40,000 688,000 20,500,000 66 1.10 We have entire confidence in the justice, wisdom, and statesmanship of Grand Rapids, Mich .. 17t 100,000 1,860,100 25,000,000 25 Congress, and most resp3ct!ully submit for its consideration, as just and Harrisburg, Pa ______12 45,000 1,102,600 22,500,000 100 .80 equitable principles: Hartford, Conn------17 56,000 1, 724,391 48,890,060 75 1. 05 That the burdens of local land taxation should not be imposed upon less Haverhill, Mass------24 31,500 356, 6i2 20,411,395 75 1. 81 than half the real estate situate in the District, but upon the whole; Hoboken, N. J ------li 52,000 1, 094,750 22,895,195 66 2.08 That if for reasons or public policy and the supposed interest of the United Holyoke, Mass. ______6 40,000 776.877 25,649,656 60 1.58 States any portion of real estate should be exempted by Congress, the just Indianapolis,. Ind ______15 115,000 ' 1, 384; 500 103, 547, 925 80 .75 assessment against that portion should be assumed and p().id by the United Jacksonville, Fla. ______s• 25,000 200,000 12,540,800 100 1.05 States; Jersey City, N. J. c ____ 12!" 16,700,000 85,000,000 70 :3.8! That if Congress shall make appropriations for monuments, statues, park Kansas City, Mo ______13} --i5o;ooo· 880,500 64,792,975 40 1. 02 improvements, or salaries of a national character, the taxpayers of the Dis- Lacrosse, Wis __ ·------9 32,000 451,500 12,325,031 66 2.00 trict shall not be required to pay except as other citizens of the United States; Lawrence, Mass------7 50,000 1, 258,571 1. 68 Lincoln, Nebr ______33,007,372 so And also, that a greatnationalcapnal should be maintained and extended 1~t 63,000 1,052,000 6,000, 000 9 3.90 by the nation, and n ot by a few individuals who happen to live in it. Little Rock, Ark ______4D,OOO 238,593 11,428,503 33 2.17 Respectfully submitted to the special committee. Long Island City, N.Y. 7! 41,{)(!() 2,151,000 17,000,000 40 WILLIA.M BIRNEY, Los Angelea, Cal ------29 80,000 4, 330,600 47,281,788 40 ·c20 Subcommittee on Memorial. Louisville, Ky ------14 180,000 9,211, 000 90,000,000 75 2.17 Suumitted on behalf of tha special committee. Lowell, Mass.------13! 2,570,051 64,088,275 1. 56 ELLIS SPEAR, Ghai1•man. Lynn. Mass------13t ---65;ooo· 2,671,099 49,969,309 85 1. 64 Adopted January 11, 189i, at a joint meeting _o! the following executive M~nchester, N. H ______33 50,000 8~2,933 27,439,642 70 1.85 committees of citizens' associations: Memphis, Tenn ______._ 4 75,000 3,101,40:> 35,645,732 60 1. 75 East Washington: J. W. Babson, A. F. Sperry, .M:. I . Weller, F. A. Leh- Milwaukee, Wis_ ------21 265,000 5, 0-!4,000 135, 884, 570 65 1. 52 man, William Birney. Minneapolis, Minn ____ 200,000 7,482, 500 142, 490, 887 40 2.00 Northeast Washington: W. J. Frizzell, A. J . Donaldson, Evan H. 'l'uclrer, Mobile, Al:!. ------~~ 40,000 2, 269,000 13,500,000 33 .60 N. L. King, J. D. Hintenesch, A. N. F. Holstein, Walter A. Johnston. Nashville, Tenn ______11 90,000 3, 354,000 40,000,000 55 1. 50 Georgetown: Dr. L. W. Ritchie, JoseP.h H. Lee, W. H. Manogue. H. B. Newark, N. J ------18 210,000 12,249,594 127, 875, 134 GO 1. 82 Looker,-8. T. Brown, E. P. Berry, Archibald Greenless, George W. King, J. New Bedford, Mass ____ 17 55,000 1, 760,000 g 44, 475, 095 1. 75 Blundon; R. B. Tenney, John Marbury, F. L. Moore, George Hill, J. G. New Brunswick, N.J. 5 20,000 1, 237,245 10,200,000 70 2.48 Waters, G. G. Boteler. New Haven, Conn. ____ Si 94,500 918,524 54,344,500 60 1. 95 Mount Pleasant: W. L. Cole, N. E. Young, John B. Sleman, Ellis Spear, New Orleans, La------60 255,000 15,871,047 136,fY77,107 100 2.00 S. R. Raby, L. S. Emerl, J. w. Somerville, E. W. Woodruti, F. L. Campbell. Newport, R. !. ______7.9 ~1,000 351,171 34,853,800 100 .92 Takoma. Park: S. S. hedd, George A. Warren, J. A. Finch, Morris Bien. Newton, Mass ______16 27,000 2,252, 302 41,853,800 100 1.48 Brookland: J. A. Massie. New York City ______41 1, 914,148 98,996,392 h1,933, 518, 52:l 1.82 South Washington: J. Harrison Johnson, Charles B. Church, 0. T. Thomp- Omaha, Nebr. ______24t 160,000 3, 011,100 22,000,000 10 4.40 son, W. T. Walker, J. N. Birckhead, R. A. Walker, Andrew Archer, Hamil- Peoria, lll ______5! 55,000 609,500 8, 000,000 17 6.39 ton Gray. Peter:oburg, Va ------3 25,000 1,223,100 10,410,240 100 1.50 Brightwood: A. L. Keene, A. G. Osborn, Daniel Ramey, '1'. W. Lay, C. G. Philadelphia, Pa. ··---- 129! 1,170,000 22,141, 063 752, 763, 382 75 1.85 Stone, W. H. Heron, W. A. Gatley, H. Darling, J . L. Norris. Pittsburg, Pa ··------27~ 240,000 8, 872,940 2i5, 650, 000 100 1.10 Anacostia: R. B. Buckley, George H. Armstrong, J. N. Minnix,W. Marden Portland, Me ______12t 42,000 1, 3b"7, 661 36,823,990 100 2. 05 King, Carroll W. Smith, J. W. Tolson, George 0 . Watson, F. H. Kramer, Portland, Oregon i. ____ 22i 90,000 1, 450,000 48, 000,000 40 1.00 James E. Halley, Charles Kerby, George P. Pyles, Dr. A.M. Green, George Poughkeepsie, N. Y ____ 2t 23,000 1, 771,00() 12, 623, 135 . 66 2. 50 H. Gray. Providence, R. I------15.7 150,000 11,781,921 159, 812, 560 100 1.00 35,000 1, 580,400 5,383,112 2.') 6.88 Reading,Quincy, lll Pa. ----·------______6t APPENDIX. 7 80,000 1,111,500 41,000,000 66 1.30 Richmond, Va. ------5 90,000 6,525, 065 59,227,318 100 1.40 The following statistics taken from the World Almanac for 1894, refute the Rochester, N. Y ------l8k 160,000 6, 730, 000 103, 891, 282 100 1.59 st.atement made in the House, that the rate of taxation in this District is Rockford, Ill ______35,000 281,100 7,200,000 20 5.39 lower than in any city, large or sma:n, in the United States. They should Sacramento, CaL ______30,000 800,000 15,363,175 66 2.20 have included another column showmg the total revenues collected in each Saginaw, Mich ______12:1! 58,000 1, 162,500 2.70 city. The taxpayers of this District paid into the Treasury last year $2,946,- 32,000 " ...,. 000 60 1. 73 S:J2. Is there any other population of 260,000 which has paid in that amount Salem. Mass------7 i901, 475 26,901,956 I -- San Diego, CaL ______14! 17,000 417,000 14, 483, 464 50 .85 in one year? San Francisco, Cal ____ 42} 350, ()()() i617, 914 3-!2, 643,179 60 1. 61 The statistics in the following table were furnished to the World Almanac Savannah, Ga.------6 60,000 3,525, 450 32,798, 396 101J 1. 50 by the mayors of t.he respective cities: Sche.· ectady, N. Y ____ 5 25,000 396, 000 9, 300, 000 50-7<> 1.65 Statistic& of cities in the United States. Scranton, Pa ------19! 85,715 534,641 18, 612, 773 33 3.50 Seattle, Wash------31 60,000 3,165,000 38,239,738 60 12.60 Sioux City, Iowa i. ____ 42 45,000 834,000 19,000, ()()() 33 3.00 Esti- Per ..::> Somerville, Mass ______50,000 1,279, 500 41,713,600 100 1. 55 Area mated Assessed cent Springfield, TIL ______35,000 916,000 5, 694,434 6.50 popula- Net public $ ~ 17 Cities. in valuation of of ac- ~ Springfield, Mass ______37 50,000 1, 632,471 55,239,919 100 1. 28 square tion Jan debt. all prop- tual S pringfield, Ohio------11 3i,OOO 950,000 17,250,000 50 2.05 miles. uary 1, erty. val- M'"' St. Joseph, Mo. ______~ 7 58,000 1, 450,700 2~,909,063 33 1.55 1894. ue.a 8 St. Louis, Mo. ______61§- 650,000 21,376, 021 279, 810, 390 50-60 1.40 St. Paul, Minn ..... ____ 55 175,000 10, ~14, 628 125,239,589 50 2.00 9 100,000 $3,202,865 $54, 717, 210 Syra cuse, N. Y ------15i 110,000 3, 937,500 47,780,720 100 1. 72 Albany, N. Y ------100 $1.80 30 55,000 3,083,803 41,553,440 1.00 Allegheny, Pa ------7! 115,000 2, 186,500 72,000,000 90 1. 75 Tacoma, Wash------60 100,000 2, 954,000 54,526,078 Taunton, Mass------50 27,000 225,812 19,000,000 100 1.80 Atlanta, Ga.------9~ 50 1.50 Toledo, Ohio ______28! 110, 000 4,337,589 50,000,000 60 2.70 Baltimore, Md ------31! 525,000 16,100,854 292, 000, 000 75 1.55 Topeka, Kans ______6 6 33,685 337,000 9,329, 353 33 1.58 Bay City, M.ich .... ----- 35,000 565,000 10,654, 013 70 1.90 Troy, N. Y ___ ---- ______65,000 944,899 1. 32 Binghamton, N.Y ••... 10 40,000 3'26, 500 19,152,208 1. 51 5i 47,082,352 100 Birmingham, Ala _____ 45,000 1,405, 000 """50" Utica., N. Y ------6 50,WO 37,500 19,116,827 60 1.68 8~ 22,000,000 .50 265,000 202, 624, 167 1. 50 Boston, Mass.c ------37 478,000 30,539,290 893, 975, 704 100 1.29 Washington, D. C.----- 6~ 19,~~·;: """i9" Bridgeport, Conn ______1, 469,600 Wilkesbarre. Pa. i. .... 40,000 5,600,000 4.80 55,000 25,522,181 50 2.40 Williamsport, Pa .••••• 7 30,000 li34, 958 j8,623, 613 6:> 1. '13 Brooklyn,~- y ______Mf 999;046 46,847,912 4!!6, 054, 706 70 2.84 Wilmington, Del ______42 320,000 10,967, fl77 222, 572, 885 9t 67,000 1, 599,600 38,000,000 100 1.10 Bnfl'alo, N. Y ------1. 67 Worcester, Mass------36 95,000 3,368, 435 84,076,705 100 1.50 Burlington, Iowa ______11 30,000 328,000 4, 500,000 20 - .33 Yonkers, N. Y ______Cambridge, Mass ______6l 75,000 1,666, 720 76,281,689 100 1.54 12~ 35,000 2,000, 000 26,000,000 95 1. 56 Camden, N. J ------60,000 1,269,800 32,590,988 100 1. 80 Charleston, S. C ------~ 63,000 3,887,000 21,9~, 122 d50 2.30 Chattanooga, Tenn .... 4i 50,000 935,000 16,500,000 45 1. 30 a This i~he percentage of assessment upon actual valuation. b Tax on Chelsea, Mass ______33,000 800,900 21,413,285 100 1. 56 each $1(j of assessed valuation. c Report of 1893. d On realty only. Chicago, Dl ______18~ 1,500,000 18,476,450 243, 732, 138 6. 00 e Not to exceed 25 per cent. .!Report of 1891. g Actual value. hAssessed - Cincinnati, Ohio ______24:! 340,000 26,077,490 190,000,000 58 2. 70 I value of real property, $1,562,582,393; assessed value of personal property, Cleveland, Ohio .••• ____ 330,000 5, 600, 9!2 121, 280,015 2. 79 $370,936,136. iReport of 1892. jTotal State. county, t<.>wn, city, and school Cohoes, N. y ______~t 24,000 319,319 11,356,365 100 1.00 taxes. 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2789 [Mr. KILGORE withholds his remarks for revision. See Ap by orders of the directors was evidence of glaring fraud, and pendix.] ought to have forfeited its charter; and if this body does its duty now it will cut short the reign of this legal robber. Mr. KEM. Mr. Chairman, there are many features of this bill Commenting further on this report, Dr. Bland says: that I would change if I had the power to do so. I heartily agree The committee reported that the company could furnish gas at $1 per with the remarks which the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE 1,000 feet at a good profit. Yet the bill failed to pass. ARMOND] made yesterday with reference to District taxes, and In April, 1890, I called Mr. Ingalls's attention to this report and urged him shall support his amendment. But in the, limited time at my to take action to relieve the people of the District and the Government from the exactions of this stupendous monopoly. command 1 will confine my remarks to that part of the bill which He said: "I know all about it, for I was chairman of the District Commit relates to lighting the public buildings and grounds and the tee when that report was made. But what are you going to do about it?" streets of the city. I believe in the principle, Mr. Chairman, I replied that I could only urge men in his position to act in the matter. "Well, Congress can do nothing, for whenever a. bill that is objectionable to and have advocated it before my people, that it is the duty of the company is introduced, the officers of the company and the 650 stock government to see, so far as it is possible, that no corporation or holders use their influence against it in so vigorous a fashion that it can't combination of men shall control any of the necessities of the pass. The only remedy is for the Government to purchase t he gas works or build new ones, and if you will prepare a bill I will introduce it." people: for it is evident that, when such conditions exist., the I at once prepared a bill which provided for the purchase of the W ashing party or the p0wer having control of such necessities will also ton Gaslight Company's plant, if found practicable, and if not, then the have the power to extort for those necessities more than the erection of gas works or electric-light works by the Government. Mr. Ingalls introduced this bill (by request ), and it was referred to his people ought to pay as a matter of justice and equity. committee, where it slumbered till Mr. PEFFER succeeded Mr. Ingalls in the Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I believe each municipality should Senate. I called Mr. PEFFER'S attention to the bill, and he introduced it control these necessities, such as local transportation of freight, January 5, 1892, and followed it up. The District Committee of tha Senate humanity, or intelligence, water systems, and lighting plants, by referred it to the Commissioners of the District, who replied as follows: "COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, its own municipal government. lbelieveinformingamonopoly " Washington, June 25, 1892. of all the people to control the necessities of all the people for "DEAR Sm: The Commissioners have considered Senate bi111271 , for the the sole benefit of all the people of each municipality. And in purchase of the Washington Gaslight Company's works, which was referred cases where these necessities are national, affecting the interests to them for their views thereon, and have to report that they do not think that public policy requires the enact ment of such a measure at present, as of the whole people, I believe it is the duty of the National Gov it is evident that several millions of dollars would be required to make the ernment to take control of them in the interest of all the people. suggested purchase. • · A municipal or national monopoly for the purpose of control " Respectfully, "J. W. DOUGLASS, ling any of the necessities of the people, in which all the peo "President Boa1•d of Commissioners, lJistrict of Columbia . . ple are par tners and alike reap the benefits, is always right; but "Senator JAMEs McMILLAN, amonopolyof anysuch necessity by a few private individuals for "Chairman Committee on the lJistrict of Cnlumbia, private gainisalwayswrong, and should cease. Congress should Umted States Senate." never again grant a charter, franchise, or subsidy to any indi A fortnight later, July 8, 1892, the committee, by Mr. GALLINGER, submit vidual or corporation through which public necessities may be ted the following adverse report- " The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the controlled. bill (S. 1271) for the purchase of the Washington Gaslight Company's works, This is the principle I believe in. It is the principle I have having considered the measure, make an adverse report thereon" advocated before my people. It is the principle they sent me Accompanied by the Letter of Commissioner Douglass quoted above. This adverse report was, I am informed by the clerk of the committee, here to advocate, and in behalf of the taxpayers of the Union, I adopted unanimously, or, to use his exact words," There was no objection offer these remarks. In direct opposition to this principle, we to its adoption by any member of the committee." find by referring to Senate Document No. 91 that Congress in 184-8 The bill appropriates $1,000,000 with which to purchase the Gaslight Com pany's plant or build a new one. The sole objection to it offered by the Com chartered whatisknown as the Washington Gaslight Company, missioners is tnat it would cost several millions of dollars to purchase said and by that charter gave a private corporationcontrolofoneof plant. They failed to give an opinion as to the cost of a new plant. The the necessities of the people. As a resultofthataction, thetax committee seems to have been governed entirely by the Commissioners. Who governed the Commissioners? Did the Gas Company have any influ pa,yers have paid millions of dollars to its stockholders that they ence over them? The Commissioners evidently conferred with the officers ought not to have paid. of the Gas Company; else how did they find out that it would cost several ·.- In the pending bill reported by the committee I see that they millions of dollars to purchase their plant? It is worthy of note that the Commissioners entirely ignored the sections of the bill which provide for have reported some reforms along this line, and have slightly building new gas-works or electric-light works incase of failure to purchase reduced the cost of this necessity. For this they are to be com- · the plant of the Washington Gaslight Company. ~ mended; but in my opinion, Mr. Chairman, the only solution of It is the opinion of experts in such mat ters that less than $1,000,000 woul duplicate the plant o! the Washington Gaslight Company, and if so, the this question is for the Government, instead of granting these United States Government would make quite a saving on the lighting of charters and special privileges to private corporations and the public buildings, grounds, and streets of the capital by 'building its own thereby enabling them to fleece the people, to purchase or erect gas works, to say nothing of furnishing gas to the residents of the city. By reference to the appropriation act of last year, I fl..nd that $140,000was ap its own lighting plant and supply its own necessities. propriated to pay for lighting the nubile buildings, grounds, streets, etc. The taxpayers have not only been paying more for illumina That is 14 per cent on $1,000,000, and fr the present price of gas to private tion than they ought to have paid, but they have been paying consumers should be maintained the profits wonld meet the entire cost of public lighting and leave a h&.ndsomesurplus besides. Pb.ila.delphia makes for a very poor quality of light. To further illustrat'.:l and prove two-thirds of the g as consumed in that city, and buys the other third from the extortion of this corporation, and that it has been looting a private eompany at 38 cents per 1,000 feet. The people pay $1.50 per 1,000 the Treasury, I again refer to the fact that this company was feet, and the pro fl. t arising from the gas sold -to the people meets the cost of lighting the public institutions, streets, etc., and leaves a handsome surpl1s organized in 1848 (I quote from Senate Executive Document No. in the city treasury. 14ti 0, first session Forty-ninth Congress, dated July 20, 1885) with a capital of $50,000, and that in 1886, when the report of Senator Thus we see at various times vigorous protests and investiga Spooner's committee which investigated it was made, the cor tions have been made, but with little apparent effect. Can-it be poration had a capital of $2,000,000, which undoubtedly by this true, as Mr. Ingalls said, that the stockholders are too much for time has increased half a million. In addition to this we fiJJ.d, Congress? Let this be as it may, he was undoubtedly right according to the same document, thatthe officers of the company when he declared, as I have declared t<>-day, that the only rem; acknowledged to the committee that the enormous sum of $6,201,- edy is for the Government to purchase the lighting plants or 812 had been divided amop.g the stockholders in the form of build new ones. profits, of which sum $5,699,000 was paid during the nineteen In the Fifty-second Congress I introduced practically the same years from 1866 to 1885, an average of $285 ,000 per year. bill, providing for the purchase of the old or erection of new Dr. T. A. Bland, of this city, in a very able review of the re plants, and in the succeeding camp:1ign my Republidm opponent port of this Committ':! e found in Senate Miscellaneous Document, and the Republican press of my district attacked that bill bit No. 91, in reference to the enormous increase of capital stock terly. They garbled it and misrepresented its meaning. They from $50,000 to $2,000,000, makes the following startling state arraigned me severely as one who pretended to be working for ment based upon the report of Senat<>r Spooner's committee: the interests of the people but in fact was aiding corporations. The incre:tse was made at different periods. In 1852, $300,000 : 1855, $150,000 ; Mr. Chairman, I believed that bill right then, :k:nd, after ad 1866, $500,000. It was now $1 ,000,000, In 1883 t he secretary of the company, ditional consideration of the subject, I am more cobvinced than acting under the orders of the bo::.rd of directors, destroyed the records of ever that it was right and is right now. In my opinion the t h e company from 1848 to 1866. The officers of the com pany were, therefore tmable t o tell the committee how the capita.l was incr eased. The inference thing this Government ought to do, the thing this Congress is that i t was increased by water or surplus profits, and that the original ought to do, is to pass such a bill as that and take from this cor capital of $50,000 had grown to Sl,OOO, - . 2790 CONGRESSIONAL RECOR~HOUSE.- MARCH 9, that report I clip the· fta.tes Electric Lighting Company pays $2.%, or a. trifle over the served and perpetuated. recdpts upon one and O?e-half arc light,' and. act the same time there: was MF. HENDERSON o:li Iowa. Mr-. Chairman, there are, I be apil:' '"~ ria.tedfrom the DlStrlct revenues for the benefl.t of this sam-e company· lieve, twenty minutes under-our control on this side. I yield . the :;um of ~.9..fi001 ten minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. WALKER]. _ Thus we. see in evecy instance that the contract or c.ol'porat~ Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, I can not forbear saying a system costs much m0re than them-unieipal, and in Washington word or two upon the· subject just alluded to by the gentleman it costs 3& time~more th!t,n it doos iu some other citiesL from Nebraska [Mr-. KEM]. I wish to say· thn,t there is not a I particularly desire to call a.t tentio.n. to that par-t oi there particle· of evidence to justify· his line· of rem::1rk or statements. port referring 'to the amount of taxes paid. by this electric lig-ht Wealth has been aecumulatting with s-urprising rapidity; but it io:g company, as ~sample o~ the manner in which these corpora: is more evenly distributed than' ever before in any day since the tions escape bxation. Is Lt: any wonder these fellow& want to sun rose upon this· earth. It i"S more evenly distributed fu. this hold on to their job? Is it any wonder the people-a>re complain country than in any other country. The 10 per cent of our pop ing? Have they not a right to protest against the· continuance ulation that are at the bottom are receiving more wealth every of this thing? These corpo.!'ations not only receive- enormous day, and out of all proportion to what the same cla£s. ever- re rates for their light~, which ure poor a.nd dangerous, but they ceived before, and out of all proportion. to what is received by fail to p:tytheir just proportiono.f taxes in support of the Gov the 1(} peP cent of population that are at the top as compared with ernment which gave them existence and from which they re- any former period. Some enormous fortunes are being made and ceive all their benefits. . all fortunes are being distributed as rapidly. On the average I find also in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of this present they are distributed among the masses of the people every forty month a "Further indorsement of these views in the shape of ru years. Not one fortune in one hundred, outside· of the farming resolution, It was introduced in. the- Senate by Mr. MANDER class, ever reaches a grandchild in any fraction of it, and not SO. , a Sen.ator from my own State, and upon it he made some one in three ever reaehes a child. remarks, which I will ask the Clerk to read. Mr. Chairman·, this g-reat Governmen-t has two distinct func The Clerk read as follows~ tions. This Congress is called upon to make general laws for ELECTRIC PLANT FOR W .A.SHINGTON. all the people. It furthermore is. called u-pon to conduct an 1'.11:. MANDERSO~. I submit a resolution. Preparatory to introducing it I enormous business amounting to more than·$500,000,000 annually; desire, by the unanimous consent of the Senate, to say a few words. The Committee on Rules ha.s ha-d its attention called to the condition o! and I do beg of this body to remember that it becomes us to con matters connected with the Capitol building and the public grounds sur duct our business enterprises just as any wise, clear-sighted, rounding it. The electric plant to give light to this building is notoriously long-headed business man conducts his business. It is the busi inefficient aud h as many short omiugs. &killed electricians even go to the exten t of saying that it is a dangerous thing in. the Capitol in its existing ness of this Congress and of this Government to hunt proper condition. Very shortly the great new b_uilding for the Congre~siona_l Li places to make its investmenbs a& business men do-investments brary will have to be lighted. The co'!!l.nnttee has made exl_lloration Wl~h a for the people. Tiie idea of bxation which prevails here is three view to seeing what it would cost to put in a proper electric plant to light the Capitol, the I\hltby annex, the public buiUings and grounds,' and t.he hundred years old, yes, a thousand years old. The moJ;ley which Library building. We find that at least $200,000 would have to be expended we take from the people in taxation we invest for the use of the people in services or permanent improvements; and the sooner fo{J:~~~:~~~enea.r the city of Washington a water power that is almost unexcelled as to force by any in the country. It is somewhat amazing that we invest it, the sooner we erect buildings in which to conduct capitalists and men of enterprise have not ma:le use of the Great Falls o!. our public business, the sooner we provide the necessary custom~ the Potomac !or some useful purpose. B eyond peradventure, that is the houses, post-offices, etc., while land is-cheap, just as a manufac place to erect an economical and effective electric plant. There is undoubt turer would do in his buainess matters, the batter for the nation edlypow ~r en.ou-:1;h there to li ~ht not only all th3 public buildings of the city or Wa.sh.ington , but the streets as well. Perh::tps the Little Falls of the and for each one of the people. Land does not cost us what it Potoma.c. as suggested by the Senator from Connecticut LMr. PLATT], that will cost in the near future, growing as rapidly as we do. And are nearer to the city, might well be used for this purpose. With a view to an exploration of the matter, I submit a resolution, and this ought to be our policy. _ aslt that it be now considerad in the Senate. I wrt'nt to use this bill as an illustration of what 1 have to say. The resolution was read. as follows: • 'l'his bill is a thorough disgrace to the committee that has reported "Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to investigate and repm:t to the Senate the feasibility and advisability of using the water power ot the it-to the Democrats first o! all, with the Republicans a close Great Falls of the Potomac for the purpose of lighting byelectricit;y-the second; in fact, it is pretty hard to tell which is ahead; for the public buLdings. grounds, and streets of the District of Columbia. Said re- Republicans had no right toconsentto the reporting o! any such p ort shall suggest the method by which the right to use said water can be acquired. and what steps should t>e taken, by legislation or otherwise, to ac bill to the House. I say this in the interest of the masses of the quire said water power and the land needed adjacent thereto; also a general people, the wage-workers of the country. plan or the electric plant ~eeded at said fall~ . aD:d o~ the wires ne~ded be Mr. COGSWELL. ThB minol'ity members of the·subcommit tween said plant and the difrerent parts of sa1d DIStriCt. and an estrmate of the cost: also whether said power will probably be sufficien-t to furnish Light. tee, of which I was one, did n.ot favor these illiberal appropria- to private cO!lSumers within said District, and suggestion. ot the terms and tions; but what could we do about it? - regulations under whieh it shall be furnished." Mr. WALKER. What could you· do about it? Do· you want Mr. Chairman, I desire to call attention to the: above resolu an answer to that question? tion~ particularly the attention of my Republican friends. I Mr. COGSWELL. Yes, sir. 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RE.CORD-· HOUSE-. 27.91 - Mr. WALKER. You eould have brought: in a minority re- as it was· and on which you got us out.of power in the Fifty-sec port~ you could have fought this bill on this- ftoor; yo.u could ond Congpess. Until both parties have the honesty and the. have notified the majority of this committee that if they would cour11ge to come up here and appropriate what is honestly due. not make appropriations large enough for the· health and co:m- the creditors of this Government and cease to be. legislative fort of the District. so that the peple would n'Ot be. subjected to thieves while personally honest, we shall fail in our duty to. typhoid fever, scu.rlet fever, grip, and all the other diseases that the ·creditors of our country. We officially steal the money that arise for want of proper s!llnitary conditions-if the;y would not· belongs to the creditors of this Government to get ourselves re provide properly for the education of the. children of ~his Dis- elected to Congress. That is what we all do. [Laughter and. trict and otherwise make this bill what it ought to be-they applause-.] would h ave to have their own majority here to pass every item Now, the last Congress a.:Qpropriated for the current year for in the bill. ll I had been on that committee-I would have noti- streets in thiEr District $200,00@; in this bill you appropriate for fied the majority of the committee to that effect, and would next year beggarly $100,000, $375,000 less than the DistrictCom b:ave stood out on that. position to the bitter end. missioners ask for. In the health department the Commission- Mr. COGSWELL. Will my colleague permit one: more re- e-rsaskforsewers$85,000, and you give them$40,000. By pursu- mark? ing a policy of this kind you are morally accountable for death :tl1r~ WALKER. Certainly. after death in this city; for if you. have water in a city and have Mr. COGSWELL.. ·We have made a minority report, a. very not proper sewerage you invite typhoid fever, diphtheria, and· full and. satisfactory one, l think, which. you ought to have listened every contagious disease, and you. will surely have such diseas"Ss to when brought to the attention of the House yesterday by my ·in epidemic form because of wicked paraimony. associate on the committee, tbegentlemanfromiowa[Gen. HEN-. · Furthermore·, for schoolhouses the sum of $220,000 is esti DERSON]. Talk about fighting this bill. We have- not got mated and asked for by the Commissioners of the District, and. through it yet~b.ardly begun on it. you appropriate- $39,000. Why, before I would cut down one Mr. WALKER. Do not take this out of my tiine. dollaroi that; I would not buy a suit of clothes for myself fo~ Mr-. COGSWELL. The trouble with you, my friend, is that five years. I would wear a farmer's frock,; and linsey-woolsey you sometimes shoot," too previous." [Laughter.] and moccasins, or go in my stocking feet. tApplause.J Mr. WALKER. L want to say that the people do not see, do [Here the hammer fcll.] not know, do not care a snap about your minority report. They Mr. HENDERSON of Iow.a.. I find this morning that a few do not see, they do n.ot know, they do not care a snap about any members of this committee are much disturbed bec:mse they un amendments which you may offer here. They neve-r know and derstand that a great deal o! money is contributed for Catholic can not be made to knowanything about such: things and never· instituthms; and I have been assured by one intelligent gentle cara anything about them, as we all know. But if you would man that we want to be o :~.reful how we appropriate money for bring the country to a s:tandstill or legislation in this Congress Catholic ins-tittttions, as there is now great agitation in the land to a standstill on this outrageous bill, the people would see it on this queation. and be made to know of it. I want to state a few facts for the information of the commit- Now. what does this bill come to? The people of this· District tee in regard to the appFopriation made in this bill for the un.• are willing to tax themselves to the extent of $15 per- one thou- fortunate. of this District, for the insane, for- the deaf and dumbt sand, equal to the average taxation over- the country~ They a.sk for the homeless, fol" those who do not know who tbeir fathers the Government1 on the. theory that the Government here owns and mothers are, for all of that unfo!"tunate class~ for whom be hal! the property in. the District which also- should pay bxes. as nevolenee and wisdom must provide. well, tha.t the Government shall tax itself to the. same extent on This bill covers a total of $!09, 777 for- the unfortunate of the what it owns. The people here tax themselves three- million District. I will give you the item&. and a half of dollars; and we ought to put three million and a For the Washington Asylum, which has three elements-a. poor half of dollar s more with it, making $7,000,000. You have house,areformatory,andaprison-thereisappropriated $62,450. brought in a bill here appropriating only $5,000,000, which will For the Reform Schoelfor Boy&, sent there- by order ot the court, leave in the District treasury fund at the end of the year, of $±1,462. For the insane, $96,480. Then we have our dispensa money which has been raised by taxation, $1,000,000 that it can ries, Emergency Hospital, and other institutionKof that kind. In not spend. A most outrageous proceeding on the part of Con· all they aggregate $-!09, 777. Here is the list: gress. The people here have asked for $415,000 for streets, and with Ap_p?·op?·iationsjorthe unfortunates of the District. a. p enuriousness that is a disgrace to this Congress you have Washington .Asylum------$62,450 given them $100,800. And when that $100~000 shall have. been Reform S~hool( boys) ______------______------__ 41,462 given and expended you will have wasted more than $100,000by delaying until next year the laying out, working and widening Support of the insane------96,480 1 Instruction of the deaf and dumb------~------10,500 o( streets, bec-ause next year the land and work will cost very Relief of the poor ______14,000 much more. Municipal lodging bouse ______4, 000 I want to say that the gentleman. from Indiana [Mr. HOLMANl Temporary Home for ex-Union Soldiers and! Sailors____ 2, 500 the" watchdog of the Treasury," has cost this Gov-ernment mil Women's Christian Association______4, 000 lions upon millions in his leadership of the· Democratic party Central Dispensary and Emergency HospitaL______10, 000 hundreds of millions! Why, sir, the Fiftieth Congress cheated Columbia :Efospits.l and Lying-in A:::ylum ______20, 000 and robbed the honest creditors of this Government out of more· Children's HospitaL______10, 000 than $50,000,000it ought to have appropriated. And just cred National Homcepathic Hospital Association______7, 000 itors of this Government are haunting these corrido1·s and they Freedma;n's Hospit:tl and Asylum .. ------53,025 and their children after them are dyin~ off while they are wait Reform School (girls)______15,610 ing to receive the money which you as a. Government owe them Washington Hospital for Foundlings ______6, 000 as much as you owe as individuals the rent of "the houses you Association for Works of Mercy______2, 000 live in or the bills for wha.t you eat and for the clothing you Board of Children's Guardians______50,750 wertr. This is the meanest Government an God's earth in respect t.o TotaL--: ------_--. ______. ______409, 777 the payment of its just debts, and you all know what I say is true. The Republican party, when it gets into power, if it does Of that vast sum $13,647 go to institutions managed by the what it ought to do and what its conscience calls for, would ap Catholic Church, under the Board of Children's Guardians. pror riate very much more than Democratic Congresses appropri You can take these figures home with you to your districts and ate to make up for what Democratic Congresses cheat the people tell what you have been doing, without fear or favor to any out of. But we have not the courage to d(}it because the dem body, and I will say further that that $13,647 is expended wholly agogue prevails in the land. for the benefit of little orphans. Mr. COBB of Alabama.. Why did not your people pay these I have, myself, visited almost every -public institution in this debts in the Fifty-first Congress? Districtr excapting the Insane Asylum, and I may be be carted Mr. WALKER. Let me tell the gentleman that in the city there sooner or later if I have to meet ;tll these objections se in which I live I preach the doctrine I am preaching here; and riously. I can say conscientiously that this vast sum of money the people act on it. is, in· my judgment, being wisely and economically expended for 1\'!r. COBB of Alabama. The gentleman did not understand the unfortunate among our fellow-citizens. my question. I say, why did not the Fifty-first Congress pay In making these appropriations we do not consider who is do these debts which the gentleman s ::tys ought to 1.ave been paid? ing the good work, but what is done; i& it needed, and is it done, Mr. WALKER. Bec:1use your party had cheated these cred well. itors so long, that we knew you would go around singing, as you Now, I want to make a few observations-and! can o.alymake di~, "billion-dollar Congress!" 'rhat was one part oi your cry a few in th~J limited time I have-in regard to what is known - ~792 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 9, as the De Armond amendment to this bill, namely, to take away conformity with the provision contained in this section of the the 50 per cent contributed by the General Government to the Constitut]on. The executive power is now conferred upon a expenditures of this great District. board appointed by and responsible to the Federal Government, I call your attention to a few facts, first, that the General and the legislative power absolutely remains with the Congress Government paid not one dollar for all the real estate that it of the United St::t.tes. It is, sir, the only form of government owns in this District. Of the proparty that was donated to it, ever adopted in this District which in my opinion is in conform it has given away and sold property amounting to $2,612,246.29. ity with the provisions of the Constitution applying to the case. It owns to-day ·in this city lots amounting to 34:,828,362 squa1·e Gentlemen talkaboutlocalself-government. Why, Mr. Chair feet, worth $198,500,000, upon which this District does not g et man, under that provisionof the Constitution you might as well one dollar of revenue. And that does not include the streets, talk about giving local self-government to any dockyard or public avenues and parks, nor alleys, of which there are 3,606 navy-yard in the United States, as to the District of Columbia. acres. The provision is identical, and bears alike upon one as upon the Now, let me call your attention to another fact. The District other, and the gentleman with all his refinement of distinction of Columbia is as powerless as the Washington Monument to can not find a difference. exerc=se any control over this District, the assessment of its This, Mr. Chairman, is a se'fitled question. It is one which property, or the appropriations. All is absolutely controlled by has never been controverted by any Congress which has ever ex this body. We have it in our hands to do with it as we please. isted or held its sessions in the building in which we are to-day, Let me call your attention to anotherfact. Thisbillasit now and never can be until that provision of the Constitution is stands, carries with it $4,927,194.97 . The estimated revenues of changed. the District for the next fiscal year, for which we make this ap Mr. KILGORE. Will the gentleman allow me, before he propriation, are $3,464,740.51; so that the appropriation, if all leaves that proposition, to ask him if it is not a fact th ~t they taken out of the District, will exceed the revenues of the District have had a city government here in the past, elected by the . by $1,462,450.46. On the basis of the current law, deducting the paople? _ estimated revenues for the fiscal year 1895, they will fall short Mr. COMPTON. Yes, and such is the record of that govern of the current law by $1,683,896.46. ment that the proba.bilities are they will never have another. In addition to that there is now a debt against this District of Mr. KILGORE. That may be, if you say the people can not $18,575,400, with an annual interest chargeof$710,414.40, a charge be trusted. largely put upon this District by the Congress of the United Mr. COMPTON. I say again in reply to my friend-and I States in its different sessions, burdens which the people of the hope he will not interrupt me unnecessarily-that I do not be· District had practically no hand in laying upon their own shoul lieve that government was in keeping with the limitations pre ders. Now, with this great debt of nearly twenty millions, and scribed by this article of the Constitution, and I believe the ex an annual interest charge of nearly $1,000,000, you propose, with isting government is, and I believe it is the only form of gov all this vast property paying no taxes toward the expenses of ernment which can be established by this District which is in the Di3trict, that the General Government shall take its shoul keeping with the provisions of that section of the Constitution. ders from under this load, and make the District bear the whole Why, Mr. Chairman, Lam as much in favor of local self-govern burden. I say the Congress has not been born yet that will be ment as my friend from Texas or any other gentleman; but if come a party to such disgraceful proceedings. [Applause.] you compare the conduct of go.vernment existing under what I yield the balance of my time to my colleague on the commit was known as local self-government in ~he District of Columbia tee [Mr. COMPTON]. I believe I have three minutes remaining. with the conduct of the government which is existing in this Mr. COMPTON. I will yield the three minutes accorded to District at the present time, I should be ready to exclaint with me by the gentleman from Iowa to any gentleman who desires the poet: to speak. [After a pause.] If no gentleman desires to speak, For forms of government let fools contest, then I will proceed. That which is best a.dminiswred is best! Mr. Chairman, I shall address myself at the outset, and indeed Now, Mr. Chairman, this provision the Constitution defines I may say in all proba.bility, entirely to the proposition submit the legal relationshipof the FederalGovernment to the District ted by my friend from Missouri [Mr. DEARMOND]. of Columbia. What does history show as to the purpose and in I confess, Mr. Chairman, to a good deal of surprise at the char tent of those who embodied this provision in the Constitution, acter and extent to which this amendment goes. I had learned and who secured for the location of the Federal Government that the gentleman proposed to offer a radical amendment to the site which it now occupies? this bill, but from some source, which led me astray (not from In looking over the records of Congress touching upon this the gentleman from Missouri), I supposed and believed that the sub ~ ect, although I find an unbroken line of precedents all look purport of his amendment would be to reduce the proportion to ing to the same end and all in the same direction, I find nothing 25 cents to be paid by the Gov.ernment, and to increase the pro to compare with a report which I hold in my h and, m n.de by portion to 75 cents to be paid by the District. That, Mr. Chair Judge Poland, chairman of the Committee on the Judich ry in man, would in my opinion have been not only a r adical but a the Congress of which he was then a member, the Forty-third radically improper proposition. The one which my friend has Congres3, reviewing this whole question; and I am so satisfied submitted strikes me, if he will pet·mit me to say so with perfect with the conclusions, the fair and unbiased st::ttements, and the respect, as absolutely enormous. . absolutely irresistible deduct]ons in this whole report. that I Mr. Chairman, it seems to me from what has fallen from the shall adopt much of its statements in the speech which I shall lips of my friend from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND] and from deliver. Indeed, sir, I believe this House would be mo1·e en other gentlemen who have addressed the committee upon this lightened, and I believe the. propositions are more tersely put particular proposition, that they misapprehend what is the legal by the report itself than by any language which I could employ relationship of this Government to this District and what is to r epresent them. the true r That all the said lands are hereby bargained and sold, or such part thereof streets are its property, and to be regarded as altogether under its control, as may be thought necessary or proper, to be laid out, together with other it is not easy to perceive why it should call upon or permit others to keep lands Within the said limits, for a Federal city, with such streets, squares, that property in order; and if the streets are to be regaro.ed as for the joint and parcels and lots as the President of the United States for the time being convenience of the Government and the inhabitants, the expenses of main shall approve. taining them should be joint, and in proportion to their respective interests; and that the early action of the Government was in conformity to this prin There, Mr. Chairman, is the entire central idea which should ciple. be kept in mind by every man who undertakes -to investigate this question. The express provjsion is that the conveyance is Sir, the whole line of precedents from the hour this question for the establishment of a Federal city. This, Mr. Chairman,is became one for consideration by Congress down to to-day, by the a Federal city. Not only is it the capital of this great nation, ablest men who have grappled with it, tended all in one direc but it is made so in express terms, and defined as a Federal tion and to one conclusion, so far as I know, without a single variation. 'rhat was the report of the Senate Committee in 1835. They regarded the city as the child of the nation, as the crea city.Now, Mr. Chairman~· 1oo k at t h e manner m· w_h" 1c h the or~gi-· · nal ideas and purposes of those who designed this great capital tion of the nation, for its own purposes, according to the deSign were carried out. Look, Mr. Chairman, how farseeing those of the Constitution and its founders, which was that the Govern great men were. Why did they select this point? They say, ment should have absolute and unlimited control, and that it and Madison says in his letter upon this subject, expressly and should be regulated and governed by them without the partial only because it gave them absolute control of this territory; and interference of tbe States; and Judge Poland in summing up this was the only purpose why they selected this place, beca~se bear in mind the yery question which we are considering to-day it placed the Federal Government absolutely apart from and In is the one which Judge Poland and his committee considered dependent of any State or Territory,and fro~~ny influence th.at says: if There is something revolting to a proper sense of justice in the idea .that. might grow up the ground were selected mside of any partiC the United ~tates should hold free from taxation more than one-half otthe ular State of the Union. Look upon the scheme or plan upon area of the capital city, should require to be maintained a city upon an un which this great city was laid out. What does it show upon its usually expenslvescalefrom which the ordinary revenues derived from com merce and manufactures are excluded; that in such a case the btH'den of very face? maintaining the expenses for the capital should fall upon the resident popu· Look, Mr. Chairman, at the contemporary history and see if lation. it does not demonstrate that that was the purpose. Why, sir, I will not read further, sir. I simply desire to state what was it shows upon the very face of it that the purpose and object was the conclusion to which thiscommitteecamein the report made simply to make and build up a great home for the capital of a by Judge Poland, of Arkansas. The conclusion they rea-ched was great nation. Whoever supposed that such streets and avenues to the effect that it would be unjust, improper, unwise, and un and such reservat ions as exist in this city were designed for a fair to do otherwise than to divide the expenses for the mainte commercial mart? No, sir, it was designed !or a Federal capital, nanca of this District. for the home of a government of what promised to be, even in Now, Mr. Chairman, as I said, this is no new question. On the prophetic eye of the great men who had fought to make it, April15, 1878, when the present organic act of this District was one of the grandest constellations of States that ever ornamen teil pending for consideration in the House of Representatives, a the sky of political history. This is the primary thought and proposition or amendment was submitted by Judge Reagan, of idea, Mr. Chairman, that runs through the whole history of the Texas, requiring the Government to pay 25 cents on the dollar, plan which made this city what it is-a great Federal, national and the property-holders of the District 75 cents on the dollar city. But, Mr. Chairman, that is not all. for the maintenance of the government in this District. The Now, I want to take the liberty, in confirmation of the thought RECORD shows, sir, that when that question was submitted to which I have thrown out, to readaparagraphof Judge Poland's the committee, Judge Reagan could not obtain in this House a report upon this subject: sufficient number of members for a second for tellers, or for the This brings us to the consideration of the question as to the extent and character of expenses contemplated in building the Federal city. It is per yeas and nays, after an exhaustive argument in this House, so fectly manifest from a moment's examination or this plan that a city was pronounced was the opinion of Representatives upon this floor laid off here for the use of the United States upon a scale hitherto unknown upon this question. · in this or any other country; upon a plan to carry out which would inevita bly lead to an expenditure entirely beyond the requirements of a city for Again, sir, on May 7, in the same Congress, Judge Reagan .re business purposes. It was a plan havin~ reference peculiarly to the wants of newed his amendment, modifying it to some extent, seeking to the Government and not to those of its mhabitants; its streets and avenues, reduc-a the so-called burden upon the United States and increase in number, length. and Width, are upon a scale that was appropriate for a national capital, but was entirely inappropriate to the demands of a sparse the burden upon the people of the District of Columbia. What population not engaged in manufacturing or commerce, and where manu was the result? Finally a vote was had, the yeas and nays were factures and commerce were not encouraged to come. Not only are the taken, and the yeas were 92 and the nays 134. Among the nays streets unusually-wide and numerous, but throughout the city are large res ervations, so that it may be estimated that the whole area thus set apart I find the name of the present Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. embraces much more than one-half of the whole city, the streets and avenues ALDRICH; I find the name of the present Senator from Kentucky, alone, of which there are 260 miles, varying in width from 90 to 160 feet, Mr. BLACKBURN; I .find the name of my distinguished friend amounting to one-half of the entire area of the city. from Texas, Mr. CULBERSON; I find the name of the late dis I will not weary the House by giving the details or go into tino-uished Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Kenna; I find the the manner in which the city was laid out under the eye and di na~e of Mr. Ewing, of Ohio; I fin·d the name of Mr. Forney, of rection of Washington, for whom it was named, by a trusted Alabama; I find the name of Mr. Durham; I find the name of officer upon his staff during the Revolution. Mr. MILLS, of Texas; I find the name of Mr. Muller; I find the Says J-udge Poland, in conclusion, on the point t.o which I have name of J. Randolph. Tucker, and a host of leading Democratic referred, it was to be a city where the improvements made and and Republican lights who shone with extraordinary brilliancy expenses incurred were to be for the benefit of the whole peo in that Congress. ple. So, sir, I present to you the evidencetbatwhenever this propo This, Mr. Chairman, I repeat again, is the great central thought sition has been brought up here it has been whistled down the around which every suggestion or proposition of consideration wind by the best talent of both political parties assembled in the legitimately revolves; propositions which gentlemen should House of Representatives. But the bill passed the House and it never lose sight of. went to the Senate; and now listen to the language of one of the But, Mr. Chairman, I do not content myself with what I have ablest men to-day in American politics, a man of judicial mind, already read from this absolutely unanswerable argument made a man who holds the balance evenly, the bright light of whose by Judge Poland in this report. mind looks into the kernel of every question that he touches and Says Judge Poland: whose integrity of character and intellect has never been as In 1834 the question involved in the resolution now under consideration sailed, Thomas f. Bayard, of Delaware, the present honored was fully before Congress, and was act-ed upon atnrmatively in accordance With the views herein expressed. representative of this country at the court of St. James. This is the language which he used on this subject: That is the proposition as to what proportion the District If it is to be, as I think it ought to be, a Federal city, worthy of the great should pay and the taxable inhabitants of the District should nation whose seat of government it is, then it seems to me that by far the pay. . greater proportion of the expenses must be borne by the Federal Govern· ment and not by the local inhabitants. Is it just that one-halt the expenses A very full report was made to the Senate Feb.ruary 2, 1835, in which the of these broad avenues, of these extensive improvements, of these luxurious relations of the District are very clearly defined. streets, is to be borne by the local inhabitants of this city? It seems to me, Now listen to the language used in the report: Mr. Preside-nt, it is unreasonable, and I can not agree to any such proposi The committee are of the opinion that the Government was bound by every tion. principle of equal right and justice to pay a proportion of the expenses in Again, after arguing at length this proposition, he concludes cun-ed upon this subject equal to the amount- as follows: · And I must now specially ask the attention of my friend from In that I express my own opinion as indicated by these unpremeditated Texas [Mr. KILCORE] and my friend from Missouri [Mr. DEAR remarks. that the proportion is too great in favor or what I may call the people of all the other States who come here and use this District as a tempo MOND]- rary residence for a few months or a few weeks, as against those who are of property which it held, and which was to be increased in value and bene compelled to live here and compelled to keep it up for the convenience of fited by it, and this would have been greatly more than one-half. If the others and absent persons. · . 2794 CONGRESS! ON AL RECORD--HOUSE_. MARoH ~' 1ilr. Chairman, I have cited these facts and this argument property that is upon the ta.x lis-t, will gentlemen continue to simply to show the members of this committee that the question stand here and seriously contend that the Government of the is not a new one, that it ha.s been argued fully and ably in both United States should be exempt from bearing its due proportion Chambers of the Congress of the United States upon more oc of the burden necessa.ry fm: the maintenance of this city and this casions than one, and that on every occasion the same result has District? In conclusion I wish to say simply this. I have lis· been reached, namely, that it has been thought just and proper tened carefully to the argument of myfriendfromMissouri, [Mr. that the Government of the United States should bear at least DEARMOND]. Ihavelistened to my fr iend from Texas[Mr.KIL one-half of the burden. GORE], and others here. If there be wisdom in their contention, But, Mr. Chairman, my friend from Missouri {Mr. DE AR it isachar~wter of wisdom which is beyond my poor comprehen MOND}, as I understand, disputes the proposition that one-half sion. If there bestate::>manshipin their claim, it is a character of or more tha;n one-half of what would be taxable property if all statesmanship so sublime that I do not aspire even to the hope the Government property in this District were taxed, belongs of appreciating it. If those gentlemen believe that this is a to the United States. Now, as to that my friend is entirely in broad and well-graded avenue which leads to the heights of par error. amountp0pularity, I undertake to say here (though they know If I can demonstrate that he is incorrect in that, then-there is their peDple better than I do) tha.t if they put this proposition no foundation for his argument. Now, in view of the fact that fairly to the intelligence and p .1,triotism of their constituents the Government of the United Statespossessaslargely more than they will :find that it is a tortuous course that leads to the morass one-half the property in this District, pr:oper:tyw?ich, !-f taxable, of political destruction. I take. issue with my friend from Mis would produce more revenue than that wh1ch 1s derived from souri, and I say to him now, with all due respect to him, that _I the property possessed by private citizens, in view of the fact would be ashamed to go to my people upon a proposition such as that this is a Federal city, made for the Government and for the he has submitted: to this House. Sir, can it be that the love of home of the Governmen.t, in view of the fact that this city has country, the spirit of patriotism which 'clusters around this been so laid out and constructed that no body of people living 'favored capital of the greatest nation on God's earth, has so far. here could possibly bear the burden. and expense necessary to passed out of existence that men will stickle as to dollars and maintain it on the existing scale and in the existing condition cen.ts about how this capital city shall be mainta.ined and ex I do not see that my friend can, in justice, maintain the doctrine tended as it should be in proportion to the grand extension of w:hich he has asserted here. the entire country? I do not believe it, sir. I will not believe I hold in my hand, Mr. Chairman-and it is the most author it until such a verdict has been rendered by the constituencies itative e vidence- that I cs,n o-btain on this point-a communica ol those of us who represent. the people upon this floor: tion from the office of the assessor of the District of Columbia, Why, Mr. Chair1Ill:'.,n_, have gentlemen forgotten that the slo dated March 2, 1894, sent to me in response to an i:nq;uiry which gan, the rallying cry, for the defense of the Federal capital - I made the other day. brought l:nore troops to t-he columns-of the-Federal Army than OFFICE OF TEE ASSESSOR, DISTRICT OF COLUM13IA., any other slogan that was sounded in 1861, save and except, per Washington, Mar ell, 2, 189-l. haps, that wh-ich called them to the defense of the nation's flag? DEAR Sm: In compliance-with your verbal request or yesterWI.y, I have Have gentlemen forgotten that this-_capital of the nation was the honor to submit the following statement compiled from the records of this office: purchased and designed by the grandest of the men who made Taxable real estate in the District of Columbia. ____ ------______$191,417,804 the form of government under which we live, and who devoted their lives as a sacrifice to secm·e it? Have they forg-otten that liTnited Sta.te.s property, nonta:xabl&.------·----======198,058,139 this great capital has been secured and sanctified to th.e people District of Columbia. property nontaxable______------3, 653, 820 of the United States by the expenditure of perhaps more blood Other exempt property _____ ------·------9,446, 029 and treasure than was ever expended in any war on the face of Totainontaxable proi!erty ______211,157,988 the habitable globe? Showing the. percentage' of each as follows: But, Mr. Chairman, outs-ide of all that-away above any con Per cent. United States ______.... ______.. ___ ... ------__ ------49.20 sideration of justice or ot patriotism, can even it be that we will Dis-trict or Columbia. ______.. ______.. ------.. ------. 91 stand here and higgle about dollars and cents in the preserva tion of this magnificent'home of this grand Government. I be· ~:~~~P:_~~~~:::::~===:====-====~:-~::::=:~==~======Very respectfully, · ======4~:~g lieve-and I shall be greatly disappointed if such a result does MATTHEW TRIMBLE, not come-that this Congress will decide this question, .as it has Assessor, .District of Oo~umbia. been decided by e very other Congress that has dealt with it, on Hon. BARNES- COMPTON, (JhairmA.m Subcommittee on Appropriations, the side of right and justice and patriotism and the nation's House of Re-presentative~ glory. [Loudapplause.] I now yield to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. SPRINGER] so I have here, sir, a paper I have prepared which for the sake much of mv remaining time as he may desire. ofbrevity and accuracy I will read as a part of my remarks: Mr. SPRINGER. Mr. Chairman, I am opposed to the propo When the ~t of .June u, 1818, was passed it was thought fair and just to make the provision. which at present exists, requiring the Government to sition submitted by the gentleman from Missouri rMr. DEAR pay 50 cents on the dollar on all approp:riations ~de_ for. the support ?f the MOND] to withdraw the proportion which the United States District. It was supposed then that this was a frur d.1viswn, because 1t w_as Government has been paying of the expenses of the District of estimated that the value of real estate held by the Uruted States, the District of Columbia., and exempted owners in the District of Columbia was about Columbia. The gentleman from Maryland fl\1r. COMPTON], who equal to that held bY other parties. Since then it is believed that the value has just taken hi& seat has submitted a statement from the as ot property held by the Federa:l q-overnment has _bee~ greatly increased. sessor of the District showing that the Government of the United and is in excess of that held by mdividuals in the D1str1et. The only va.luation of property which I have been able to discover since States owns property in this District valued at $211,000,000, the passage of thB act above referred to was in 1880, and under that valua while the property of private individu nothing to do.with this ma.tte:r.. I am stating that, the- prop~~ty, has a rpopulation. of 2,500!000, while the population of France is real nnd personal, which the Government of the United: StattJS 40,000,000. So we may take the citiE-s of Pekin, Constantinople, owns in thi!'t District an United s ·t::ttes should establish a civil government; here, and Government employes dwell here. Those 17 1000 employes are allow the people of the District to elect their own officers and' largely unmarried people, as we all know. But if e very one of exercise legislative and police power for themselves-; but I now them were the head of a family with the- usual. complement of regard that view asthing is said about the property rented by the Government in this District_ To-day the population here is·.smaller in pro~ and made valuable because the Government is here as a renter: portion. to the population of the CO\llltry than that of any-of the Nothing is said about the enhanced value of property lying ad ~reat capitals of the world. The population of London, the cap- jacent to the Government buildings, such as that upon wpich 1tal oity of Great BritRirr. is about· 4-,0 JO,OOO, while the popuia'- thi& splendid Library building is. now irr process of erection. tiou of th€5 kingdom at la~ge numbers ahou.t.3l,OOO.,OOO. Paris Nothing is: said. about the adv8tllce of property in value and in .. 2796 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 9, taxable worth on account of the construction of the new post in behalf of the amendment offered by the distinguished gen offi ce building. The whole question narrows down to this: If tleman from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND]. we are going to act fairly and upon system, we will separate We have heard much about the grandeur and glory of this from those things which the Government ought to pay wholly capital city of our nation. I sympathize with the idea and with or partly those things which it ought not to pay at all. Those the sentiment that it is a grand city, and the capital of the expenses which are purely municipal, which are no greater and greatest nation upon the earth, but I do not coincide with the no different than they would be and are elsewhere in the Union, idea that the men, women, and children who toil in the cotton OUD"ht to be borne by the local community; and no eloquence fields of the South eleven months of the year, under the hea.ts of ab~ut this magnificent city, no fine periods about marching the summer sun and the frosts of winter, shall be forced to con troops and about patriotism, no comparison between this city and tribute, through the taxes they p3,y, of their meager and scanty / other cities, no grandiloquence whatsoever can destroy the fact earnings, to build up this great metropolis. I know of no reason that so far as these expenditures are purely local and have ref why the people who choose to reside in the District of Colum erence solely to the needs of the local community and do not af bia, as citizens of the District, should be exempt from taxation fect the general public, this community ought to bear them. similar to that which my constituents pay at home in Arkansas Mr. SPRINGER. Will the gentleman allow me to interrupt to their respective county collectors. him? I protest against the principle. In my judgment it is indefen Mr. DE ARMOND. Yes. sible that the people of this Union should be called upon to con Mr. SPRINGER. Do not the people who own property ad tribute through taxation to build up this great city. As the joining these public buildings, which property has been en gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND] said yesterday, if his hanced in value, have to pay an increased amount of taxes on amendment were adopted it would necessitate some chano-es in .. account of the increased value of their property? the law,and it would be necessary to make appropriations for the Mr. DE ARMOND. Certainly, and therefore the District support of such things as the ·Government should legitimately loses nothing. The ver~ point I ma~e is tbat the property is pay for. increased in its taxable value by the construction of these great Why, it has been s3,id here just now that you ought to appro Government buildings, and that there is more made up to the priate this money to give employm~nt to workingmen? Who? District than the District loses. How many workingmen from Alabama or Minnesota would be Mr. WALKER. Mr. Chairman, when my time expired I was employed on your public works here if you were to appropriate saying that for new schoolhouses you have appropriated by this $10,000,000? I tell you, gentlemen, that the people who toil .in bill only $39,000, when the estimate calls for $220,000, and yet the fields and factories and workshops of this land are tired of you are so far behind now in schoolhouses in tl).is District that the extravagance which bas for y.ears prevailed in the adminis children are obliged to be kept at home half the day, that other tration of this Government. It is, in my judgment, time to call children may take their places the other half, because you have a halt. not room to take all of them into your schoolrooms. Further As I said, I expect you will pass this bill, but I want to pro more, you are obliged to hire schoolhouses in which to educate test against it in the name of the taxpayers of this land, in the a part of ~our children. The gentleman from Maryland [Mr. name of those people who toil twelve mo~ths in the year and do COMPTONJ says that there has been spent $1,250,000 for school not get a comfortable support at that. It is very easy to talk houses in the last seven years;- I do not care if you have spent about grandeur and glory, and how we are all proud of this city, $5,000,000; that is not the point. If you need $220,000 now for of its circles and monuments, its broad avenues, and its palatial schoolhouses it ought to be expended, and expended at once. resjdences. We are all proud of it. But, so far as I am con Furthermore, by every single dollar that you fail to expend, cerned, I think the people who live in these palatial residences what the wants of this District call for for these children, you should pay their own taxes, and not call upon my constituents not only rob the children of their schooling, but you rob the who toil in the cotton fields to help pay them. working people of this District of a chance to labor in building Something has been said about school privileges here. I do those schoolhouses, and it is the right of these workingmen to not believe that the people of this Union outside of the District have a chance to do this work in building these schoolhouses if of Colurn bia should be called upon to con tribute one cent toed unate they are needed. anybody's children in the District of Columbia. If I, as amem E'urthermore, this Government is withholding to-day, in the'se ber of Congress, should choose to bring my children here and troublous times, when the wage-workers of this country need the place them in school, I ought to pay for it. I do not live here money to live upon, millions upon millions of dollars already a:p and am no taxpayer here, and if my children were to have the propriated for public buildin f!S, robbing the workingman of their benefit of the public schools of this city, which they do not, I dues. In this very city we are paying $180,000 to $200,000 a ought to pay for it, just as in my judgment every employe of year in rents, in many cases paying 10 per cent on the ·value of the Goverment who comes here and is not bonafide citizen of the the property, when we could spend $6,000,000 on public build District should pay for the tuition of his children in the"public ings and not cost the people in taxation one single cent more in schools. the way of interest on the $6,000,000 than it is now costing them Mr. Chairman, I do not care about taking up any further time for rents of buildings used for Government purposes. And you of the committee. I know it has been the law since 1878 that are robbing the working peopleof$6,000,000i.a wagas. Further this Government should pay one-half the expenses of maintain more, except the Army, Navy and State Building, there is nota ing the g-overnment of the District of Columbia, but I think public building in this city that ought not to be duplic3,ted in it is an outrage on the ts.xpayers of the country. I say in my the interest of the people. You have crowded your rooms in the judgment it is time to call a halt. No batter day, no better year, public buildings so thoroughly with persons in the Government no batter hour could be found than this 9th day of March, in the employ that, were they inspected by the inspectors of buildings year of grace 1894, in which to make the start. I am in hearty and factories in Massachusetts, the inspectors would turn the sympathy with the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMONDj, p eople in them out and lock the doors-were your public build and I do hope we will at least develop a respectable showing in ings in the State of Massachusetts-and compel you to get decent this House to-day, and that twelve months hence the voices of places for your employes to work in. . the people will be heard and heeded in this House, until this ex Furthermore, the miserable, contemptible parsimony of this travagance will be cut off, together with other needless burdens Government is defacing the public buildings of this city. You now and for years past borne by the people of the United States. have built in the area of the Treasury building a one-story, mean, Mr. BLAIR. Mr. Chairman, there is no other community in contemptible building, destroying the symmetry of the court in the United States, of equal numbers, which does not enjoy the the center of that building, and have put people in there to work, benefi ts of a republican form of government, except the city of where they can not get proper air, in order to save money for Washington. As one of the distinguished Senators, lately rep this great, rich Government. You are defacing the Butler Build resenting the State of Kansas once said, here is a loc1l despot ing here on the southside of this Capitol with ugly brick attach ism. We have nearJy 300,000 people, a community constantly ments, and you are defacing other public buildings of this city, enlarging, with no apparent contemplation of a change in its to the discredit and disgrace of the nation and to the robbery present relations to the General Government, or of the time ever of the working people of this country of the wages which they coming when it shall be clothed with any of the elements of ought to have for constructing these much-needed public build self-sovereignty or of self-government. ings. I will vote against this bill, and every man ought to vote It is inevitable that with such a community, in view of its to refer it back to the committee, and direct them to bring in a constant and certain increase, evils of the kind which have been bill that shall make sufficient appropriations for the pressing mentioned here upon this floor to-day will exist, that they will needs of this District. grow rapidly and r adically worse and worse until this will be [Here the h 3.mmer fell.l come as corrupt a government, or rather misgovernment, as Mr. NEILL. Mr. Chairman! I do not expect the remarks I ever characterized the condi tion of any municipality whatever. can make in the brief five minutes allotted to me will infiue.ace There can be no real remedy for this until the people of the QJlybody in regard to this bill; but I do desire to raise my .voice United States realize that here at the very foundation, the very . 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2797 center of their Government, they have implanted a principle l s~der these 9-uestions upon tJ:eir me:its; if there is any disposi which is in its nature as hostile and deadly to republican insti- twn to consider them from time to time as we ought to do when tutions as is the upas tree to animal life. we pass on these matters, to determine what is a just and proper There should be that amendment of the Constitution which apportionment, the proposed reduction being comparatively a would give to this District representation, with the voting power; small one, amounting to one-sixth of the whole appropriation, for there is no other real representation in both Houses of Con- there should, it seems to me, be no reason why this amendment gress. We should contemplate that as a necessity, conforming ought to meet with serious opposition. to the trend of the popular mind, and in that direction we should Mr. COMPTON. Mr. Chairman, I mightcontent myself with seek to remedy the evils which have been depicted upon this resti~g upon the declarat~on made by the gentleman in ?I-is ~ery floor and the floor of the Senate ever since I have known any- openrng, namely, that this amendment was not as mentorwus thing of public life, and which will continue as long as this remedy a~ amendment as the amendment. voted dow~ so largely a _few is not applied. I formerly introduced or prop quorum ought to be made. It is proper to .have a quorum upon Sperry, .T.awney, Washington, Wilson, W.Va. this important question. Stone, C. W. 'Taylor, Tenn. Weadock, Wise, Stone, W. A. Thomas, Wells, Wolverton, T.h.e UdAIRMAN. The point of no quorum is made, a,nd the Storer, Tyler, WeveT, Woodard, Chair will appoint to .act .as tellers the gentleman from Missouri Straus, Updegra.tr, Wheeler, Ill. Woolll'er, Sweet, Wadsworth, White, Wright, Mass. [Mr. DEARMOND] and the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. COMP Tarsney, Wanger, Wilson, Wash. Wright, Pa. TON]. The committee again divided; and the tellers reported-ayes The "SPEAKER. Upon this cEL11189 members have answered 53., noes 111. to their names-more thana quorum, and the committee will re The CHAIRMAN. No -quorum has voted. Under the l'Ule sume its session. the Clerk will call tbe roll. The Committee of th-e Whole accordingly resumed its session, The roll ~vas called. Mr. McRAE in the chair. The committee rose, and the Speaker having resumed the The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment of the Chair, gentleman from Missouri [Mr. DE ARMOND], on which tellers Mr. McRAE, as Chairman Qf the Committee of the Whole were ordered. The vote will be taken again. House Dn the state of the Union, reported that the committee The committee again divided; and the tellers reported-ayes harving had under consideration a bill (H. R. 5481) making ap 52, noes 129. propriations to provide !or the expenses of the government of So the amendment was rejected. · the District of Columbia, etc., and finding itself wit1wut a The Clerk read as follows: Forsinking·fund o'fllce, under control of the Treasurer of the United States: quorum, he had directed the roll to be called, and now reported For one clerk. $1,500; one clerk, $900; in all, $2,400. the names of the absentees to the House. Mr. BOATNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask to have my name re Mr. MORSE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out the last corded. word. I desire to offer an apology for an -error of my own which The SPEAKER. The gentleman can not be recorded now, in I made on yesterday, i.n which I did a great injustice to the gen the Hou8e. tleman from Maine [Mr. REED], and for which I beg his pardon, and offer an apology to the House. On pa(J'e 3380of the RECORD Mr. BOA..TNER. Is this in the House? 0 The SPEAKER It is. The rule requires that whenever the of this morning occurs a colloquy betwoen Mr. REED and my Committee of the Whole finds itself without a quorum the Chair self. Tn revising my remarks it did not occur to me that !·had man shall cause the roll to be called, .and that the committee nota right to alter anything-sa.id by .myself in the colloquy. I shall then rise and the Chairman shall report the names of the completed some sentences and made some additions to my own absentves to the House. remarks in the colloquy with Mr. REED which I should not Mr. BOATNER Mr. Speaker, it has been iihe custom here have done, and though it was 'llOt observed at the time by me, tofore to '(}all the roll twice. I now see that the additional words placed Mr. REED in a wrong The SPEAKER. Not in Committee of the Whole. Gentl-e light. f-or which I am very sorry, and for which I apologize to me!:! should understand that this is not a call of the House. Mr. REED and the House, and will correct the same in the pel' Mr. B ATNER. Well, Mr. Speaker, 1 desire to state that I manen t RECORD. w~s present.aad failed to hear my name on the first-call and was Mr. REED. What I desire, Mr. Chairman, is simply that waHing wi.th the intention of responding on .the second call. -the matter·sha.U be printed as the Official Reporters prepaTed it. .Mr. WHiTING. I, also, was present, Mr. Speaker, and ex- Mr. MORSE. I will -see that that is done. I withdTaw the pecting a -second call. 'pro forma amendment. The Clerk read as follows: Tb.e SPEAKER. The Clenk will repoTt the rule. SubSurface division (englneer's <:>m.ce): ·one inspector of -asphalt and ce The Clerk re.:td as follows: ments,l2,400; one inspector ol gas.and meters; $2,000; one assistant inspector When:ever a Committee-of the Whole tlouse finds itself without a quorum, of gas and meters, $1,000; one mes&enger, $!80; one supmntendent of la.mps, the Chairma.n shall cause the roll to be called, and thereupon the committee $1 ,000; two inspectors of lamps. at$90U each; one inspector of sewers, $1,200; shall rise, and t:'he Chairman shall report the names of the absentees to the one-superintendent of sewers! $2,400; one -general inspector or sewers, $1,300; House, which shall be entered on the Journal; but if on such call a quorum two assistant engineers, at ,500 each; one draftsman.~,A$1,'200; one leveler, shall appear, the committee shall •thereuvon resume its ·sitting without $1,200; three rodmen, ar. $78() each; three chainmen, at oo50 each; one clerk, further ordel' of the House. $1,200; two clerks, at $1,000 each; two inspectors of property, at $936 each; two sewer tappers, at $1,000 each; one permit clerk, $1,200; one assistarnt tper- Mr. BOATNER. But, Mr. Speaker, I think it has been the m.it clerk, !!840; in all, $66,232. · practice heretofore to call the roll twice. The SPEAKER. Not in Committee of the Whole. Mr. COMPTON. Mr . .Chairman, I offer -the .amendment Mr. McCLEARY of Minnesota. I ·wasin the Hall, Mr. Speaker, which I send to the .desk. expecting to have an op.portunity to answer on the second call. 'The amendment. was read, as follows: Page 6, line 2, strike out "two inspectors of lamJ>s" and inseyt ·"three m Mr. DOCKERY. Mr. S.peaker, would it be in·o:rderbyunani spectors of gas and-electric lighting." In lines 16 and 17, strike out ".sixby mous consent to enroll the names of gentlemen who were present, SlX" a.nd "li:wo" a.n1 insert '' sixty-seven" and "one." but who under a misapprehension failed to answer? The amendment was agreed to. The SPEAKER. It would. The Clerk read as follows: Mr. DOCKERY. Then !,ask unanimous ·consent.that gentle Extension of highways: To pa-y 'the expenses of preparing'a :plan f.or the men who were present, but did not hear their names upon the extens:i.on-of.a per-manent system of higlliways in conformity Wl.th the "Act _ caJl, or who were waiting for a. second call in order to respond, to provide a permanent-system of hlghways in that part of the District of Columbia. lying outside of cities," approved Mareh 2, 1893, $6,000; 'to be paid be permitted to have theirnames ent~red as present. wholly out of'theTevenues ofthe Distri.ct of Columbia. There was no objection} and it Wd,S so ordered, and several :ad Mr. KILGORE. Mr. Chairman, in line 6 I move to strike ditional members were entered n.s present. rout "$6,000" and insert "$1.'' I offer thisamendment asa basis The following is the list of those who failed to answer on the :for an inquiry that I want to make -on this subject. I have no call: -expectation of procuring the passage of the amendment, but I Abbott, Crain, Harter, McKeighan, Adams, Kv. Crawford'y Heiner, McMillin, understand irom the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. COMPTON] Adams, Pa. Curtjs, N. . Henderson, N. "C. Morgan, who has charge of this bill that these appropriations for the .Aitken, 'Dalzell, Hendrix, Moses, country roads and for the extension of streets outside o[ the Alderson, Denson, Hicks, New lands, Aldrich, Dingley, Hines, Northway, city, but within the limits of the Distl'ict, are to be paid for, not Apsley, Dolli~r, Holman, ·Oates, "UD.der the act of 1893, but under the old law of 1888, wllich re 'Belden, Donovan, Hooker, N.Y. .Patterson, quires that the appropdation shall be made half out of the reve Holtzhoover, Draper, Hopkins, ru. Perkins, Berry, Durborow, Hopkins, Pa.. Phillips, nues of the District of Columbia and half out of the Treasury of Black, lli, Everett, "Houk, Post, the United States. Now, if that is so, the act of 1893 is a nullity. .!B.la.nd, Fielder, liulick, Quigg, The purpose of that act was to have all the improvements out Boutelle, Fithian, Hull, Randall. Brattan, Fletcher, Hunter, Ray. side of the city limits but within the limits of the District paid Breckinridge, Ky. Forman. Ik.irt, Rayner, for by the improvements under the act of 1893 if that act does not require rolled bills of the following titles; when the Speaker signed the them to be made in the manner I have stated, because if youare same: going on to make the appropriations, half out of the treasury of 'A bill (H R. 9) to transfer the Morris Island life-saving ata the Diskict and half out of the Treasury of the United States, tion, near Charleston, S.C., to Sullivans Island; then the old policy i :> not changed, although the purpose of the A bill (H. R. 5258) granting a pension to Hannah Lyons; and law of 1893 was to change the policy. A bill (H. R. 56-±6) making appropriations to supply further If that law is to be repealed by construction, and by the con urgent deficiencies in the appropriations for the fiscal year end struction of the Committee on Appropriations at that, then there ing June 30, 1894, and for prior years, and for other purposes. is no necessity to make a map of that region with the view of LEAVE OF ABSENCE. carrying on the improvements. In a preceding paragraph they appropriate $2,500 to make a map under the act of 1888, which is By unanimous consent, leave of absencewasgrantedasfollows: all unnecessary, unless the improvements are to be carried on To Mr. WANGER, for five days, on account of important busi in accordance with the act of 1893. That act provided for the ness. making of this map of the country outside of the city and within To Mr. TALBOTT of Maryland, for one day, on account of im the limits of the District, and it made, I think, an appropriation portant business. of 815,000 fol' the purpose of completing the surveys and the To Mr. McDEARMON, for ten days, on account of important map, and now it is proposed to add $6,000 more to make a map business. which will be worth nothing, so far as giving any information Mr. KILGORE. I ask that my colleague, Judge ABBOTT, be to Congress upon which to base appropriations for the improve· excused from attendance at the evening s2ssion, on account of ment of that region is concerned. I-t will not be worth the pa sickness. per it is put upon, and I think the appropriation ought to be There being no objection, it was ordered accordingly. stricken out, or this bill ought to ba so framed as to limit the Mr. COMPTON. I move that the House now take its recess. appropri~tion and make it payable one-half out of the Treasury The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. BRO K- of the United States and the other half out of the treasury of SHIRE] will perform the duties of the C~air at t .J e evening ses the District. sion. And now, if there be no objection, the Chair will declare Mr. COMPTON. The gentleman from Texas [Mr. KILGORE] the House in recess until 8 o'clock, the business of the evening is crossing the stream before he comes to the bridge. I give session to be in accordance with the order prescribed by the him warning that we propose to offer an amendmentto this bill rules for Friday evening. providing for the repairs of certain outlying streets already laid There was no objection; and accordingly (at two minutes before out under acts of Congress passed long ago, and therefore 5 o'clock) the House took a recess until 8 o'clock p. m. within the limits of the law and properly coming under the ap propriations of which the District and the General Government EVENING SESSION. each pay one-half. The proposition to which my friend has ad dressed himself is absolutely inappropriate here. This is simply The recess having expired, the House reassembled at 8o'clock an appropriation to carry out the provisions of the act of 1893, p. m., and was called to order by Mr. BROOKSHIRE, as Speaker and to arrange plans preparatory to laying out that outlying p?·o tempore. section of the District which, under the law of 1893, must be im ORDER OF BUSINESS. proved out of moneys taJ_mn altogether out of the revenues of The SPEAKER pro tempo-r·e. The Clerk will read paragraph the District. 3 of Rule XXVI, under which the House meets this evening. Now, the gentleman says that this provideR for an appropri The Clerk read as follows: ation of $15,000-- The House shall, on each Friday, a.t 5 o'clock p. m., take a recess until 8 Mr. KILGORE. That was my impression. o'clock, which evening session shall be devoted to the consideration of pri vate bills reported from the Committee on Pensions and the Committee on Mr. COMPTON. Why, sir, $5,0:-lO, and only $5,000, was ap Invalid Pensions, to bills for the removal or political disabilities, and bills propriated last year; and this bill carries $G,OOG simply to lay removing charge!'! o! desertion only; said evening session not to extend be out and plan for the extension which under the law must be vond 10 o'clock and 30 minutes. paid, every dollar of it, out of the District treasury. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I move that the House resolve itself Mr. KILGORE. I withdraw my amendment. in to Committee of the Whole for the purpose of considering bill,s The Clerk read as follows: on the Private Calendar under the rule just read. Southwest section schedule, ~13.000. The motion was agreed to. Mr. KILGORE. I move to strike out the para.graph just The House accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the re~d. I make this motion fo~ tbe -purp?se.of submitting an in Whole, Mr. DOCKERY in the chair. quu·y to the gentleman havmg the b1ll m charge as ·to the ADDISON M. COPEN. meaning of this provision. Would it not be better to specify The first business in order was the bill (H. R. 1868) for the re how this money is to be expended, instead of referring to a par lief of Addison M. Copen. ticular schedule; or do you provide in another part of the bill Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. This bill has been twice passed over what this schedule means? - already. I now ask that it be passed over again, retaining its Southwest section schedule, $13,000. place on the Calendar. Now, I do not know whether it is necessary to er~ct any Mr. CLARK of Missouri. I wish to ask a question for infor,. "schedule" in this District, or whether $13,000 will be required mation. When one of these bills is laid aside, as the term is, for the purpose. [Laughter.] I see there are several other "without prejudice," does that give it any better standing than "schedules" which follow. Now, I think the bill ought to be a it had before? little more explicit. The CHAIRMAN. It does not. The bill simply retains its Mr. COMPTON. If the gentleman will turn to the appendix place on the Calendar. of the Book of Estimates, he will .lind a list of all these streets Mr. CLARK of Missouri. Then I have no objection. that are to be improved. The CHAIRMAN. If there be no objection, this bill will be Mr. KILGORE. Well, I can not l11g that book about with me. laia aside without prejuice, retaining its place on the Calendar. Mr. COMPTON. Outside of that book, I can not give the 'rhere was no objection. gentleman the information he desires. MRS. MARTHA R. HITCHCOCK. Mr. Chairman, I observe it now lacks only five minutes of 5 o'clock, the hour fixed by the rule for the recess. With the Mr. JONES. When the Committee of the Whole rose last consent of the gentleman from Texas, I will move that the com Friday night there was a bill under consideration which I sup mittee rise, and we can recur to this matter in the morning. posed would be first in order to-night-the bill \H . R. 798) grant Mr. KILGORE. Yes; I agree to that. ing a pension to Martha R. Hitchcock. As that bill was under Mr. COMPTON. I move that the committee rise. consideration and not disposed of, I did not suppose it could lose The motion was agreed to. its place. The committee accordingly rose; and the Speaker having re Mr. GROUT. With reference to that bill, I request that it be sumed the Chair, Mr. McRAE reported that the Committee of allowed to be passed over, retaining its place on the Calendar. the Whole House on the state of the Union had had under con Mr. JONES. I object. sideration the bill (H. R. 5481) making appropriations to provide Mr. CAMINETTI. I believe a Senate bill of similar purport for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia to this-granting a pension to .Mrs. Hitchcock-came over from for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895; and for other purposes, the Senate to-day. and had come to no resolution thereon. The CHAIRMAN. The bill will'be re:.td. The b~ll as published in the proceedings of last Friday night ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED. was agam read. _ Mr. PEARSON, b·om the Committee on Enrolled Bills, re Mr. GROUT. With reference to this billl will say that at the ported that the committee had examined and found truly en- beginning of the session I introduced it by request. I have no ~ - 2800 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARon 9, acquaintance with the lady named in the bill; have never met With an amendment as follows: her. I presume I was asked to introduce the bill because Gen. In line 5, strike out the words "pension laws" n.nd insert the words "act Hitchcock was a Vermonter. He was a grandson of Gen. Ethan of J·une 27, 1890; " so that it will read; · Allen and was for a lonQ" time in the service of the United States, "Subject to the provisions and limitations of the act of June 27, 1890." as the report shows-was engaged, I believe, in three wars, al Mr. CURTIS of New York. Mr. Chairman, how is it that we though I have not familiarized myself with the factR, except by are going back? That bill was considered last Friday. The looking over the report. I supposed that as other widows had next bill in order on the Calendar is calendar No. 86, I think. been pensioned under similar circumstances, this lady woula be The CHAIRMAN. The Chair is advised that this bill was pensioned. considered and amended in the Committee of the Whole on last I have no interest in the bill, and no feelii.tg about it. I re Friday evening, but was not ordered to be reported to the quest that it be laid aside, to retain its place upon the Calen House. dar, for this evening, because the gentleman from Minnesota Mr. WHEELER of Alabama. I think one bill has been passed [Mr. TAWNEY], who reported. the bill and who is in possession over. of the facts concerning it, desired to be present when it was The CHAIRMAN. Let us dispose of this bill. The Clerk considered. will read the report. Mr. BRETZ. Mr. TAWNEY made his statement the other The report (by Mr. APSLEY) was read, as follows: night. 'l'he Committee on Invalid Pensions have considered the bill (H. R. 3560) Mr. GROUT. The gentleman from Virginia [Mr. JONES] will granting a pension to Martha A. Geerr, and submit the following report: not, I trust, object to the bill being laid aside, to retain its 'l'he petitioner is the widow of Thomas Gee, who enliste:l October 18. 1862, in Company H, Forty-first Massachusetts Infantry, and died June 10, 1855, of place. a disease which was not incurreu in line of duty and not properly chargeable Mr. JONES. I shall be obliged to object to that. The bill to his military service. This petitioner filed a claim in the Pension Bureau July 28, 1865, which was rejected on the ground that the soldier's death was was under consideration on Friday night last, and was discussed, not chargeable to his military service. and her claim under the act of June and it seems to me that a bill ought not to be discussed on one 21, 1890, was rejected on the ground that the soldier, having died in the serv- evening and then laid aside on another evening as unfinished ice, was never "honorably discharged." · The proof of marriage, continued widowhood, and dependence is satisfac business. tory, and your committee is of opinion that the widow should be pensioned Mr. GROUT. Let me state again, if the gentleman from Vir as she would be it her husband's death had occurred after discharge, and ginia [Mr. JONES] did not hear me, that the gentleman from ~herefore return the bi_ll with the recommendation that it do pass after be Minnesota [Mr. TAWNEY] has been called a~ay on account of mg amended by striking out the words "pension laws," in line 5, and in the sickness of a friend in the neighborhood of Gettysburg, so I serting in lieu thereof the words "act of .Tune 21, 1890." am. informed. He is in possession of certain facts which he The CHAIRMAN. The Chair is advised that this bill was wishes to submit in connection with this matter. Although I under consideration and the amendment recommended by the introduced the bill, I have really no connection with it what committee was agreed to. The question now is on the laying e ver beyond that fact, and can not furnish the House with any aside the bill as amended, to be reported to the House with the information beyond what the report furnishes. Under the cir recommendation that it do pass. C"Jmst:.tnces, I hope the gentleman will be willing to let it be laid The bill was ordered to be laid aside to be reported to the House aside until the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. TAWNEY] re with the recommendation that it do pass. . turns, in order that he may present the matter fully to the House. I was not present the other evening, but I am told that REBECCA RISLEY. the Ho:1se adjourned while Mr. TAWNEY was addressing the The next business on the Private Calendar was the bill (H. R. Chair uuon this bill, and before he had submitted his reasons 4517) granting an increase of pension to Rebecca Risley. why the· bill should pass. How that may be I can not say, but The bill was read, as follows: gentlemen so inform me. Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he hereby is, directed to pay to Rebecca Risley, widow of the war of 1812, a pension of $40 Mr. JONES. !think, Mr. Ch::~,irm a. n, that thegentlemanfrom a month, in lieu of the pension she is now receiving under certificate No. Minnesota [Mr. TAWNEY] h ad concluded his remarks. The same 9969, as the widow of James Risley, the said Rebecca Risley being now 96 request was made by Mr. TAWNEY that the gentleman from years old, entirelyhfllpless, and almost blind. Vermont [Mr. GROUT] now makes, and the request was b::tsed \Vith an amendment as follows: last Friday evening upon the ground that the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. GROUT], who had introduced the bill, was absent. In line 5 strike out "torty" and insert" twenty." Mr. GROUT. If the gen~leman will allow me, I understood The report (by Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana) was read, as follows: the objection to the consideration of the bill was that I was not The Committee on Pensions, t-o whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4517) uresent. I did not understand that the gentleman from Min ne- granting an increase of pension to Rebecca Risley, have considered the same sota [Mr. TAWNEY] desired to have the bill delayed in order that and respectfully submit the following report: . b Mrs. Risley is the daughter or James Risley, who served from November I mig-ht e present. 10, 1814, to May :.J, 1815, in Capt. T. Joyce's company or Kentucky militia in Mr. JONES. Oh, yes; he did. the war of 1812, and she is now in receipt orthe 112 per month pension allowed Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Yes, that was the reason. by the general laws to the widows of soldiers of that war. . t' · t d The beneficiary is now 96 years old, entirely helnless, and nearly blind, M r. GROUT . I t was b ecause the o bJeC lOU was m tirpose ' and her only source of income is the small pension -above referred to. The then. facts are shown by the testimony of John H. Moore, Brook Sohn, and M. M. Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. On the part of the gentleman from ~~~;r;J~~:~~~ ~Ji~~~eH:~~e~nd by the st:1.tement of the gentleman Minnesota LMr. TAWNEY] and on the part of myself, on your ac- There are several precedents for the allowance of increased pensions to caunt. r ... ~-< widows of this class, and in the light of the claimant's great age and neces· Mr. JONES. If the gentleman will examine the RECORD, I sitouscircumstances your committee recommend the passage of the bill . k h '11 h t th tl f M' 4-~ [M T with an amendment striking out the word " forty," in line 5, and substitut- t h1n e Wl see t a e gen eman rom Inneso= - r. AW- ing iu lieu thereof the word "twenty," so as to fix the rate of pension at $20 NEY] raquested it because of the absence of the gentleman from per month. . Vermont [Mr. GROUT] and the absence of the chairman of the The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment. committeeMr. GROUT. . I presume the gentleman is correct. Mr. TALBE R T 0 f Sout h c arolina. I rise toaskif the gentle- Mr. JONES. I think the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. man in charge of the bill" present, so that he may explain it. TAWNEY] said he knew very little about the bill himself, and he Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. This bill was introduced by the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. CARUTH], but it was reported desired that it should be passed over, in order that the chair- by myself. The particular thing that appealed to the commit- man of the committee and the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. h f h . h · GROUT], who had introduced it, mio-ht be here. Objection was tee was t e extreme age 0 t e app1 10ant and t e merits of the 0 case. made , and the bill was taken up. Mr. Chairman, I move that Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. I understand she is 96 the bill be laid aside to be reported to the House with the rec- years old. ommendation that it lie on the table. Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Ninety-six. The motion was agreed to. The amendment reported by the committee was agreed to. Accordingly the bill was laid aside to be reported to the House The bill as ·amended was ordered to be laid aside' to be re- with the recommendation that it lie on the table. ported to the House with the recommendation t~at it do pass. MARTHA A. GEER. DOLLIE E. VEDDER. The next business on the Private Calendar was the bill (H. R. The next business on the Private Calendar was the bill (H. R. 3560) granting a pension to Martha A. Geer. · 4320) for the relief of Dollie E. Vedder. · The bill was read, as follows: The bill was read, as follows: Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to place on the pension roll, subject to the provi- authorized and directed to place the name of Dollie E. Vedder, widow of the sions and limitations of the pension laws, the name of Martha A. Geer, late Capt. Simon C. Vedder, of the Nineteenth Regiment, United States widow of Thomas Geer, late of Company H, Forty-first Massachusetts Vol- Army, on the pension roll, at the rate of $30 per month, in lieu of the amount unteers. she now receives. 1894. CONGRESSIONAL ·RECORD-HOUSE. 2801 The report (by Mr. MOSES) was read, as follows: his retirement. Capt. Vedder was a man who possessed extra The Committee on Pensions, to whom· was referred the bill (H. R. 4320) ordinary qualities in a certain line. They were called for, and granting an increase of pension to Mrs. Dollie E. Vedder, having had the he spent much of his time on the frontier in the const ruction of same under consideration, beg leave to submit the following report: Mrs. Vedder is the widow of the late Simon C. Vedder, who a.t the time of telegraphic lines and as a signal officer; a,nd it was there that he his death, December 5, 1892, was a captain of infantry on the retired list. exposed himself for a second time to the inclemency of the The soldier was appointed captain of volunteers on June 22, 1864, and be weather and such exposure as a person must necessarily incur fore his muster out on June 14, 1855, attained the rank of brevet major United States Volunteers. During his volunteer service he was stationed at Alex who is engaged on the frontier. There ise·verythingin this case andria, va. to commend it to your favorable consideration, and I sincerely Mr. Vedder accepted appointment as second lieutenant Twenty-eighth trust that this House will go to the extent of passing this billin United States Infantry Aprilll, 1867, and was promoted to be first lieutenant Nineteenth Infantry on March 18, 1818. He was retired from active service favor of Mrs. Vedder, who certainly deserves, as she absolutely February 20, 1891, as a captain of infantry, on account of disability from or needs, the small pittance which it will give her. ganic disease of heart arising in line of duty. Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. What is the amount? Capt. Vedder served with his regiment in Arkansas, Colorado, and Louisi ana; on signal duty at Fort Whipple, Va.; in charge of military telegraph Mr. LANE. Twenty-five dol1ars; an increase from $17. lines in New Mexico; with his regiment in Washington Territory and in Mr. STALLINGS. What increase is made? Kansas, and finally in charge of the construction of public buildings at San Mr. CURTIS of New York. It is an increase of $8 above that Antonio, Tex.. Mrs. Vedder married the soldier on November 25, 1863, and has remained given her husband, actual rank, on account of the injuries hav his widow since his death. On December 10, 1892, she filed an application at ing been incurred when he had. the rank oE a first lieutenant. He the Pension Bureau, which was allowed January 18, 1893, at $17 per month, had subsequently served as a captain and discharged the duties that being the rate allowed by the general laws to the widow of a first lieu of that rank, and for a long period as major ; and by comp::trison tenant. It is reliably shown in the testimony which was filed with the bill that with other cases, he ought to have been put upon the retired list Mrs. Vedder is in delicate health, with but little, if any, means of support at the higher grade, that of major, and the compensation aside from her small pension, and that what little means she had were used in paying otf her husband's debts. should be commensurate and equal to that of major; and that is In view of the soldier's long and arduous services, and in the light of the why the committee has allowed $25. widow's necessitous circumstances, the passage of the bill is recommended, Mr. STALLINGS. The bill which we nasse'd a few moments with an amendment fixing the rate of pension at $25 per month. ago for an old lady 96 years old allows her $20 per month. I The CHAIRMAN. The question is on agreeing to the amend understand that is what the bill which has just been passed ment recommended by the committee. allowed. Mr. TALBERT of 'North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I think Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. That is right. some statement ought to accompany the bill. Mr. STALLINGS. I want to ask the gentleman if he thinks Mr. MEREDITH. Mr. Chairman, if my friend will permit that the widow of a soldier who helped to make the Governme.nt me. I will make a short statement. I introduced this bill, be or Union, does not deserve as much at the hands of the country lie"ing that it was a case in which a pension ought to be granted as you would allow tQ the widow of one who preserved it? to this lady. Her husband, Maj. Vedder, was a distinguished Mr. CURTIS of New York. My friend now asks me to dis soldier. He was an excellent gent~eman. I knew him well. cuss a question which involves very important considerations He lived in my district. I have known his wife for years, and apart from this personal application for a pension. If you are 1 know that the report states the facts when it goes on to say that to select men for prominent po3itions in the Army, charge them she is in delicate health, possessed of little or no means; and I do with great responsibilities, and require them and their families know what little means she possessed went ·toward paying the to live in accordance with the ranks which those positions give debts of her husband, who had been on the retired list for some them, it is only in accordance with the policy of this Govern time by raason of ill health, and who had been ill for months at a ment, and of every other government, so far as I know, to afford time. I believe, Mr. Chairman, and I imagine that gentlemen them some corresponding compensation by way of pay, or by · upon the floor of this House will not charge me with being very way of pension when a pension is allowed. I do not think that active in getting pensions through this body, that this is a case a system carried out upon the principle suggested by my friend in which the relief sought should be rranted by this House; and I from Alabama would be in accord with the policy of this Gov ask that it be favorably considered. ernment or of any other government in respect to the grant.ing Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. What is the amount? of pensions. Mr. MEREDITH. Twenty-five dollars a month. Mr. STALLINGS. Mr. Chairman, I do not think this lady is Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Will the yentleman yield to me entitled to any more pension than the lady 96 years of age to for a question? whom we have just allowed only $20 a 'month. I would bs pel· Mr. MEREDITH. Certainly. fectly willing to see this bill amended so as to allow this appli Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. What was the rank of this soldier? cant $20 a month, but not more than that; and if the gentleman Mr. MEREDITH. He was a captain on the retired list, I be- will amend the bill in that way I shall.offer no further objection lieve. to it. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I desire to ask further what spe Mr. CURTIS of New York. It is the bill of the gentleman cial reasons there are why this widow should he rated at $25 a from Virginia [Mr. MEREDITH]. I am vm·y sorry that the gen month? tleman from Alabama tg_kes that position. I recognize his Mr. MEREDITH. The reason is given in the report. She p~wer to secure the reduction, but I think it will appear to him has no means to live upon. Her husband was a gallant soldier; to be rather ungenerous if he will examine the question with he was an estimable gentleman; and it is absolutely necessary reference to the principle governing the pensions granted in tha.t she should have something to sustain hel". I yield to my other cases. friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. CURTIS], who was Mr. MEREDITH. Mr. Chairman, only a few days ago a one personally acquainted with Capt. Vedder. armed Confederate soldier came down here and begged me to Mr. CURTIS of New York. Mr. Chairman, Simon C. Vedder h ':Lve this bill passed for Mrs. Vedder. So favorably had Maj. enlisted in the service o! the United States in April, and was Vedder impressed himself upon _my people, and in such high mustered into the United States Army as the first lieuten:mt of esteem is his widow held among them, that soldiers who fought · the company, of which I was captain, May 15, 1861. He served on the other side are coming here and asking to have this bill with the regiment, the Sixteenth·New York Volunteer Infantry, passed, and passed speedily. Five dollars a month 'is a very until aboutthe1stof September, 1862; commanding thecompany small sum, and if my friend will hkeadvantage of the occasions from about 7th of May, 1862, at which time I was wounded, until that will arise hereafter he carr easily save the Government July, when I joined the army at Harr~on's Landing, and very much 1rore than that. · soon left it again to go into hospital with typhoid fe·ver. I Mr. STALLINGS. I suggest to my friend from Virginia that returneci to the regiment about the time Lieut. Vedder left it we ought to save as we go. through ill health and went to Alexandria. He made the ac Mr. CURTIS of New York. I would suggest to my friend from quaintance of this young lady during the time the regimentwas Alabama, who certainly expresses very commendable regard'for · encamped at Alexandria, in the winter of 1861-'62. She was the this old lady 96 years of age, that when this bill is passed at $25 daughter of an old Virginian, whowenttotheMexican war, and a month he make a motion, and let us adopt it, to increase that was there killed when she was a young child. old lady's pension to $25 a month. We think that will be more I have known Her more than thirty years, as I have known in accord with the gentleman'a views and with the generous · Maj. Vedder. He was my friend. I attended his funeral as a feelings of this House. [Laughter.] · pall bearer, and learned the condition of his family, of the indebt · Mr. STALLINGS. The trouble is, Mr. Chairman, that I edness upon the little house built by them at Fairfax CourtHouse, think $20 is sufficient for the lady 96 years old. I am not mak which was the home of her family. I have been deeply inter ing my'objection on the ground that that is too low, because I ested in this measure, perhaps as much as the gentleman who think $20 is sufficient, and if this bill is amended so a.s to fix has introduqed the bill, grQwing o.ut of my knowledge of the the rate at $20 a month I shall not object to it. · I note what the circumstances connected with his-offioialliie and their lives since gentleman from Virginia [Mr. MEREDITH] says about a Confed- XXVI-176 ' 2802 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 9, erate soldier coming here and making an appeal for the passage Mr. MEREDITH. But the re:p()rt says, and I call the gentle· of this bill, but that h as no more effect on me than if a soldier man's attention to the fact, that this lady is in very delicate - from the other side came. That does not enter into our legisla health. Ought not that to count for something? tion here. The question is whether this right or wrong. Twenty Mr. DE ARMOND. If that is to determine a question of this dollars a month, I think, is enough for this lady, who can not be kind, then we ought to have a genet·allaw that there should be over 50 or 60 years of age, especially when we refuse to allow a a certain 'rate of p tJ nsions Lor per.sons who are robust, and a cer woman 96 years of age more than $20 a month. tain other rate ior those whose health is infirm. The theory of Mr. LANE. Mr. Chairman, I want to submit a few remarks the law is that every pensioner is in need of a pension-that the on t his question. I fully appreciate all that gentlemen h ave said soldier himself is so infirm, so disabled by wounds and disease, in favor of this bill, but they have said nothing that justifies that he ought to have a pension, or that the widow by r eason of granting this pension. I think that all soldiers were brave sol h er dependence ough t to h ave it. Now, if gentlemen are to diers, and if they were to be pensioned on that ground this bill proceed on the theory that the gen eral law pensions those who would be right. But h ere is a case of a widow, who is already do not need pensions and that special bills like this ar e for the get ting $11 a month. That is according to law, and I am not benefit of those who do need or desel've them, then we ought to going to find fault with it now. Some gentlemen insist that the have a general law to r each this case. The whole fn.ct about widow of a private soldier is entitled to th.e same pension as the this case, I presume, is that this lady, a constituent of the g en widow of an officer, but it is not necessary to discuss that ques tleman from Virginia and no doubt a very worthy lady, thinks, tion in considering this case. The question here is, what is or some of her friends think, that it would be just as well to pass there in this case to appeal to this House for relief? Apartfrom a bill through here for her relief, if it can be put through, to the high estimation in which these gentlemen: hold the soldier give her first $30-then when that does not suit the committee, and his widow, what is there in this case? Simply a charity. $25, and then when the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. STAL Now, if we are here to administer charity, that tbrows the LINGS] thinks that is too large, $:20, or anything that can be put matter clear open; and the trouble with this p ension legislation through. . is that when an applicant for a pension has a friend in the House Now, I do not think there ought to be anything given in this the bill comes up and goes through, and then when we str ike particular case; and I say this without the least degree of hos another case of exactly the same kind, but where the applicant tility toward this worthy lady and without the least feeling of has not so many friends, the point of no quorum is raised, or ob indifference toward her condition or sufferings. jection is made, and the bill fails. I do not think there is any Mr. VAN VOOREIIS of New York. !will ask the gentleman ground in the world, ap rt from pure charity, for raising this what would be the pension o! a major? woman's pension from $17 to $25 a month. I want to call atten Mr. DE ARMOND. I do not know. tion to the fact that $17 a month is quite sufficient, ordinarily, Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. It would be $25. Now, to support one person. There is no testimony that this lady has would you not give this widow the same pension her husband any children or any one dependent on her; neithe1· does the tes would be entitled to? timony show how far she is incapa.cita.ted for performing labor. Mr. DE ARMOND. I would give this widow exactly what The report says that she is in poor health, and that is as far as the law gives her, just as I would do with the widow of any other it goes. Seventeen dollars is in accordance with the law and man.. Why should the widow of this particular man be sinO'led I think it is quite enough; and, from the sbtements made here, out and provided for by special bill, when tens of thousands of I see no res.son for "taking this case out of its class, and. I shall widows, per-haps even more n eedy and in a more delicate state not consent to do it. The committee, I think, made a mistake of health than this woman, for aught we know, are content with in r-ecommending the pass:1ge -of this bill. the pensions they are now getting. Mr. srALLINGS. I move to amend by striking out" $25," :Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. Is it not the policy of and inserting '$:W, " as the amount of this pension. the law to grant a pension according to the rank of the soldier? Mr. MEREDITH. I will accept th:1 t. Mr. DE ARMOND. I understand this lady is now getting the The CHAI RMAN. There is now pending an amendment o! pension which the law gives her, and the pension which the law the committee to tr ike out "$30 " and insert '' $25." Does the gives her is no doubt based upon the rank of her husb and. gentleman from Alab::tma [ wfr. STALLINGS] offer his proposition Mr. CURTIS of New York. Will the gentleman from Mis as an amenclmen~ t o the amendment? souri [Mr. DE ARMOND] allow me to explain that point? Mr. STALLINGS. Yes, sir; I will put it in that form. Mr. DE ARMOND. Oh, yes. The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the motion of the gen Mr. CURTIS of New York. Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Vedder is tleman from Alab:tma to amend the amendment. receiving the pension due her as the widow of a first lieutenant, Mr. DE ARMOND. Mr. Chairman, as has been said by the in which position the foundation of the disease which carried gentleman from illinois [Mr. LANE] and some others, it would her husbmd prematurely to his grave waalaid; but following seem to be just as well to arrive at a correct principle on these that , he discharged the duty of a higher rank, and added to his matt.ers in this case as in any other. Some of us b .:l lieve it often disa.bilities while in that r ank, and this pension is only to give happens that special pension bills are passed her e for cases which her that amount which would have been given her had he h ad ought to be covered by the general law and which are covered the actua.l rank of the position to which he was assigned, and so far as they are meritorious. Some of us believe. that special the labors and responsibilities of which he actually incurred. pension bills are passed here for cases which the general law 11r. TAYLOR of Indiana. What is that rank? does not provide for and in which p ensions ought not to be Mr. CURTIS of N ew York. The duties which he performed 'I granted. were those of a major. Here we have clearly a case provided for by general law, and Mr. MARSH. What p ansion is this lady drawing? no r eason p1•esented, I think, for a departure by means of a spe Mr. CUR TIS of New York. Se\enteendollars. Herhusband cial act, except the general idea oi giving to this woman as a was afterward a capts.in, and $20 is moved as an amendment by gratuity whatever sum she may be a ble to get from Congress my friend from Alabama [Mr. STALLINGS]. She would be en· above the $17 which she is now receiving-whether it be $:W, titled to that as the wife of a captain; but the disease started $25, or $30. How anyone claiming that these pension bills ought while he was in the rank of a first lieutenant, and without r e to be carefully scrutinized can vote for a m easure of this kind I gar ding its complications and increase in the higher rank, the can not see . though, of course, I do not criticise the action of office has done what is customary under its rules, adhered to gentlemen who support the bill. There will hardly be presented the pension to which the rank in which the disease was first dis to this committee a bill in b3half of which so lit~le can really b e covered would entitle this lady. Now, her husband continued said. You may talk about this being the case of a worthy and a in the service, was assigned to duty in a place in the country poor woman. But the same can be said about thousands and where his health was very materially affected by the water , the tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people in this air, and the exposure, and was discharging the duty of a captain co·untry. If the p ension laws are to be enlarged in special cases and performing also that of a major. for the benefit of each and every person in whose behalf it can Now, the motion made by friend from Alabama [Mr. STALL· be said that he or she is worthy and poor, you might just as well INGS] is to amend, by making the rate $20 per month. The make a law for each particular case. gentleman has the power, if he insists upon it, to make the bill I take it that under~ a proper construction of our pension policy conform to his individual notion, in a House of this size. That these special pension bills ought to provide simply for worthy amendment only brings it up to the rank of a captain, and it meritorious cases which for some peculiar and special reason are does seem to be an injustice on the part of our friend from Mis outside of the provisions of the g ener:1llaw. They ought not to souri [Mr. DE ARMOND] to insist upon going back to the plain ~such cases as this, where the only thing urged, the only thing let ter of the law, when the spirit and practice is to grant a pen claimed, is that the pensioner wants more pension than the gen sion in accordance with the highe3t position in which a man per er--dl law allows in the particular case -more than is given to forms valuable service. tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of other people Mr. DE ARMOND. If th:tt is the spirit and ~he practice, what h_aving equ ::1lly good claims. is the reason that the Pension Office has not granted it? : 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2803 Mr. CURTIS of New York. It is not the letter of the law. What are the grounds upon which the increase is asked? My Mr. DE ARMOND. If it is not the letter of the law, that opinion about that is this: that an increase should be granted, ought to be the end of it. wherever the cireumsta.vces show such facts as would justify an Mr. CURTIS of New York. Let us pass this bill, and take increase regardless of the question of rank. What is there now up a general law at some other time. in this case? I regret very much to appear here in the attitude Mr. BROOKSHIRE. Will the gentleman from Missouri {Mr. of seeming to oppose what a committeedeems to be right. But DE ARMOND] yield for a question? what are the grounds in this case? It _is simply a question of Mr. DE ARMO~-l"D. Yes. rank. It is nothing else. I think that wherever the widow of Mr. BROOKSIDRE. I would ask if marriage is not one of a gallant soldier who has lost his liie in the service is entitled_ the highest considerations known to the law? to an increase above that granted by the law, it ought to be on Mr. D 8 ARMOND. I believe it is pretty highly esteemed. grounds that rise above the question of rank, no difference what Mr. BROOKSHIR.E . Asamatterof fact! without treating my the r ank of the soldier was, what were the circumstances. SU O'Il'estion as a jest, marriage is considered as one of the high If the circumstances1 either at the time of the death of the hus eBt~oru;ide rations know to the law of contracts, and it does oc band or now, are such that she ought to have an increase, then cur to me that where a lady marries a gentleman of r ank in the let us give it to her. But now what are they to-day? Why Army, knowing that he is a soldier and has a salary of certa.in should this lady-and I speak of herwith the greatest respect proportions, tha.t is .a matter to be considered ?Y Congress when why should this lady to-night, by a vote of this committee, be a question of th1s kmd comes before us, espe01aUy where a man granted an increase when there are thousands and tens of thou has lost his life by exp osure in t-he service. sands of widows to-night whoarereceivingtheireightortwelve Mr. LANE. If the husband h ad died fl'om the result of his dollars a m onth, simply because of the question o1 the rank of service while a major, could she not get the pension of a major's the husband? Why should we do it? rank under the general law? Mr. VAN VOORHIS of. New York. May I ask you a ques Mr. BROOKSHIR E. Yes, I think that is true. tion? Mr. LANE. There is no question about that. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Yes. Mr. BROOKSHIRE. But it seems to me in the light of the Mr. VANVOORHIS of New York. Howmuch did you give circumstances which have been detailed here, the gallantry of the widows of Gen. Gx·ant and Gen. Sheridan? this soldier, that the rate recommended is not e.xces~ive. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I was not here then. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Mr. Chairman-- Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. The'questionof rank had Mr. DE ARMOND. I wish to say a word or two more, but I something to do with that. yield for the time being to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Now, let me say to my friend, that MARTIN). I have never served on any other committee but the Committee Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I dislike of all men, on Invalid Pensions. The Speaker in the Fifty-first Congress I suppose, more than any other in this House, to seem to oppose appointed me a member of that committee without my request. the recommendation of any committee, but I am forced to say I served there. I was. on that committee in the Fifty-second to-night that I see no reason for the increase proposed in this Congress, and I am on that committee in the Fifty-third Con bill. I respect very highly the recommendations made by the gress. I have never served on any other committee in this Committee on Pensions, of which my colleague fram Georgia Congress; and God knows my heart goes out with love and devo [:Mr. MOS,ES] is chairman; but l see no reason why this pension tion to the soldier who did his duty, and to the widows and or bill, increasing this widow's pension, should be passed. I will phans of those who lost their lives in the service of the country. be the last man in this House, I think, to raise the point of no LApplause.] In the Fifty-first Congress, when a bill was re quorum. I will not raise it upon the p 3.ssage of this bill, nor ported granting a great pension to Mrs. McClellan and another up-on the question now presented to the committee. I hope, to the widow of Gen. Fremont (and I speak of them in the terms without meaning to infringe on the rights of any other gentle of highest respect), I filed here, by myself, as a member of man. that the question will not be raised to-night, but I see no that committee, a minority report against granting those pen reas ~m why this increase should ba gran ted. Let me say in sions, because I believed that it was not right to make that dis brief what my opinion is about this matter of increases of pen tinction. sions. Mr. VAN VOORH£9 of New York. But the m 3.jority dis3- Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New· York. Do you see any reason agreed with you. why this lady should have any pension at all? Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. . I do not know that I ever have, Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I do. She is entitled to it. She is except in the case of the widow of Gen. Caster, subscribed to getting now all that the general law gives her. the idea that the widow of a general officer should be preferred Mr. \f Al'f VOORHIS of New York. If she is entitled to it, above that of a private. why do you not give her the pension which the rank of her hus Mr. MADDOX. Will the gentlemen yield to me for a ques band would entitle her to, that of a major? tion as chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions? Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. He never was a major. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Certainly. Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. It appeara that the Pen Mr. MADDOX. As chairman of the Committee on Invalid sion Department have gone back through his rank of a major to Pensions, if this man was a major, as it was claimed he was, tbat of a lieutenant, which he was when the disea.se was first what is there to prevent his widow from showing that fact in con tracted. the Pension Department and draw what she is entitled to by law? Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. The gentleman makes a mistl:Lke 1\ir. TAYLOR of Indiana. He was not a major. in supposing he ever had the rank of a major. Mr. MADDOX. If he never was a major, whatis to be gained Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I will refer the gentleman from by raising the question here now? New York [Mr. VAN VooRms] to the statements in the report Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. This is a special bill. of the committee. Mr. MADDOX. If he was a captain, let her prove his rank. Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. If ·my colleague vrill permit me, I am simply asking this question for information. Is there thegentlemanfromNew York [Mr. VANVOORHIS] makesamis any reason why the fact can not be shown in the Department take if he s ~ pposes that this officer was ever commissioned as a that he was captain so that she may get the pension that his major. He was not even a captain at that time, as I understand. widow is entitled to according to the rank of her deceased hus He was a lieutenant. band? Is there anything in the general law that provides for Mr. CURTIS of New York. He was a captain for several years. that? Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Not at the time he received the Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, the general law disabilities complained of. I understand he was afterwards a prescribes that the widow shall be entitled to receive a eertain capt:iin, but he was never a major. pension, commensurate with the rank of her h uband at the time Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. So I now understand the he received the disability of which he died. She has received gentleman from New York [Mr. CURTIS] to say. that in this case. Mr. MEREDITH. If the gentleman will read the report, he Mr. MADDOX. Then this question of rank plays no part in will see what the facts are. This man contracted the disabili this discussion. ties in the regular service. and not in the volunteer service. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I think it does. I think there is Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Yes, in the regular service, not no other reason in the world urged for the increase of this pen in the volunteer service. sion except the matter of rank. Mr. MEREDlTH. The regular service certainly ought to Now. Mr. Chairman, lest I should be misundersto in this, I do take rank with the volunteer service. It is very much easier to want to say that as chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pen be a captain in the volunteer service than in the regular service. sions I ha\re always felt it my duty, and as the years pass I feel Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I do not lay the it m<;>re and more my duty to bring this question of pensions ground of my objection as to what service he incurred his disa down squarelytothe ground of merit and not totreat itasamat bility in.; but the point that occurs to my mind is squarely this: ter of rank. I do not oppose this bill because it comt}S from 2804 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARoH 9, another committee of the House. I oppos~ it upon the principle In the light o:f the :foregoing facts your committee believe that the bill is a meritorious one and its passage is recommended with an amendment, that the idea of granting an increase of pension merely on the striking out the word "1Hteen," in line 7, and inserting in lieu thereof the ground of rank is one that ought not to be recognized in this word" twelve," so as to allow a pension o:f $12 per month. House, and that can not be recognized with my consent. Mr. GROSVENOR. Now, Mr. Chairman, this soldier, ac Mr. LACEY. Mr. Chairman, I desire to make just one sug cording to the statement in the report, is entitled to $12 a month gestion in reply to the gentleman from Indiana. He says that under general law, and while I never try to prevent anybody this case turns on rank wholly. I think he ignores the fact that from getting a pension, it is mere child's play to be passing a this soldier served over thirty years in the army. Thirty years special bill here simply to do for this man what the general law of service ought to count for something in a case like this. will do for him, and I object to the bill on that ground and on The amendment offered by Mr. STALLINGS was adopted-ayes that ground alone. 39, r:.oes 2. Mr. STALLINGS. What pension is this soldier drawing at The amendment as amended. was adopted. present? The CHAIRMAN. The question now is on laying aside the A MEMBER. Eight dollars. bill as amended to be reported to the House with the recommen- Mr. STALLINGS. Under the general law is he not entitled dation that it do pass. • to $12 as a Mexican veteran? Mr. DE ARMOND. Let us have a vote upon that. Mr. PICKLER. Yes, sir. The question being taken, the Chairman declared that the Mr. STALLINGS. Then what is the object of this bill? ayes seemed to have it. . Mr. PICKLER. I give it up. Mr. DE ARMOND. I ask for a division. Mr. STALLINGS. As the bill has been amended by the com The committee divided, and there were-ayes 50, noes 11. mittee so as to fix the pension at $12 a month, and as the gen Mr. DE ARMOND. No quorum. eral law gives that amount. what is the use of passing this bill? Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I hope the gentleman will not Mr. BROOKSHIRE. Why is not the man receiving $12 a make that point. month now? Mr. DE ARMOND. The gentleman from Virginia can with Mr. GROSVENOR. Simply because he has not applied for draw his bill if he chooses. It ought to be beaten, and this is the increase. He is entitled to $12 under the law, but he has just as good a place as anywhere to raise the point. taken this short cut, hoping to get $15. The committee, how Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I ask the gentleman not to make ever~ have cut him down to $1~, leaving him just where the the point of no quorum. general law leaves him, without the intervention of any special Mr. DE ARMOND. I must make the point. If the gentle act. man chooses to withdraw his bill he can do so. Mr. STALLINGS. Therefore, let him go to the Pension Mr. MEREDITH. No, sir; I will not do it. Office and get his pension. Mr. DE ARMOND. Very well; thenyoumusthave a quorum Mr. GROSVENOR. That is what I insist he shall do. I to pass it. move that this bill be reported to the House with the recom The CHAIRMAN. The point of no quorum being made the mendation that it lie on the table. Chair will appoint as tellers the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Mr. NEILL. Mr. Chairman, I do not know anything aboui MEREDITH] and the gentleman from Missouri[Mr. DEARMOND]. this bill, but it was introduced by my colleague [Mr. TERRY], The committee divided, and the tellers reported 42 in the af and as he is not present, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be firmative; but before the count was completed- laid aside without prejudice. Mr. MEREDITH. Mr. Chairman, I ask that the bill be laid There was no objection, and it was so ordered. aside without prejudice. The CHAIRMAN. If there be no objection the point of no JESSE DAVENPORT. quorum will be withdrawn, and the bill will be laid aside with The next business on the Calendar was the bill (H. R. 898J out prejudice. granting a pension to Jesse Davenport, of Company A, Second There was no objection, and it. was so ordered. Regiment Oregon Mounted Volunteers, in Oregon Indian wars GEORGE L. FRYMIRE. of 1855 and 185ti. The next business on the Private Calendar was a bill (H. R. The bill was read, as follows: Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, 3076) granting a pension to George L. Frymire. authorized and directed to place on the pension roll the name of Jesse The bill was read, as follows: Davenport, o:f Roseburg, Oregon, and late o:f Company A, commanded by Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary o:f the Interior be, and is hereby, au Capt. Edward Shetfield, Second Regiment Oregon Mounted Volunteers, thorized and directed to place on. the pension roll, subject to the provisions commanded by Col. John Kelsay, in the Oregon Indian wars 0f 1855 and 1856, and limitations o:f the pension laws, the name ot George L. Frymire, a S!)n o:f and pay him a pension at the rat<:l <>f $25 per month. William C. Frymire. late a member o:f Company B, Fifty-sixth Regiment lllinois Volunteer Infantry, and pay him a pension at the rate or 1512 per The amendment reported by the committee to strike out "25" month. and insert '' 12," so as to make the r ate of pension $12 a month, The following amendments recommended by the committee was read. were adopted: Mr. JONES. Let us have the report in this ease read. Line 6, after the word "a," insert "permanently helpless," so as to make The report (by Mr. MosEs)was read, as follows: the clause read "a permanently helpless son." The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 898) Line 8. strike out the words •· and pay him a pension at the rate of ~12 per granting a pension to Jesse Davenport, have considered the same andre month.'; · . port as :follows: The olllcia.l records show that Jesse Davenport served from February 8 The bill as amended was laid aside to be reported to the House until May 10, 1856, in Capt. Edward Shemeld's company (A), Second Regi with the recommendation that it do pass. ment Oregon Volunteers, in t-he Oregon Indian war. The testimony shows that the claimant is about 60 years old, and a suf MOSES W. CARPENTER. ferer :from chronic rheumatism to such an extent as to wholly disable him :for the performance of manual labor. It is further shown that the rheu The next business on the Private Calendar was a bill (H. R. matism from which he suffers is directly traceable to the privation and ex 2561) for the relief of Moses W. Carpenter, of Johnson County, posure undergone while participating in an arduous campaign against the Ark., Mexican war veteran. Indians during the period of his service. . . The bill was read, as follows: It also appears that Mr. Davenport has no trade or profession by which to support himself, and his physical condition is such that he can not gain Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the In_terlor be, a~d he is hereby, a comfortable living by manual labor. · · authorized and directed to place upon the penswn roll, subJect to the pro The :facts are shown by the testimony of Col. John Kelsay, of the claim visions and limitations of the pension laws, the name o:f Moses W. Carpen ant's regiment, and also by his comrades, George W. Cox and Henry H. ter, of Johnson County, Ark., Mexican war veteran, at $15 a month. Woodward, and by the allldavit of Dr. N. J. Ozias, all o:f Douglas County, Oregon. The committee recommended an amendment striking out the Mr. Davenport resides at Roseburg, Douglas County, Oregon. word "fifteen" and inserting the word "twelve" before dollars, The passage o:f the bill is recommended with an amendment striking out so as to make the pension at the rate of $12 a month. the word ••twenty-five," in line 10, and inserting in lieu thereof the word The amendment was adopted. "twelve," so as to ll.x the rate of pension at !12 per month. Mr. GROSVENOR. Mr. Chairman, what is the ground upon Mr. JONES. I should like to hear some statement of the cir which a Mexican pension is being allowed by special act at $12 cumstances of this case. a month? The general law allows that rate. I ask that there Mr. HERMANN. Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced by port be rea(!.. myself, and the report was presented. to the House by the chair The report (by Mr. MOSES) was read, as follows: . man of the Committee on Pensions, the gentleman tram Georgia The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 2561) in· [Mr. MOSE.SJ. I have known this old man for pos ibly aquarter creasing the pension ot Moses W. Carpenter, have had the same under con of a century. He resides in my town; I am also acquainted with sideration and respecfully report as follows: Mr. Carpenter served from June 30, 1846, to September 15, 1840, in Company the witnesses who testify .in his behalf. I have conversed too c First Arkansas Mounted Volunteers, Me:::rican war, and he 1s now receiv with those who participated with him in the Indian battle in nig a pension at $8 per month on account of said service. which he took part. This nian is now poor and crippled, in The testimony accompanying the bill shows that Mr. Carpenter is 77 years old, unable to labor, and in great need. He and his invalid wife are living capacitated for any manual labor whatever. He is really a sub alone, and have no children to wb.om they can look :for support. ject of charity, oomg suppol·ted in part by neighbors and friend.t 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2805 and in part by some of his relatives, who are themselves poor. that if the Government has reimbursed the State, and if this He incurred these disabilities in the line of the service while man was a member of the Oregon militia, then the State of Ore taking part in one of the most severely contested engagements gon has been reimbursed, and Oregon, like other States in the in which the whites and the hostile :Indians at anytime partici Union, ought to providfl for men disabled in its service. pated. Mr. HERMANN. These troops were received by the Gen Mr. CABANISS. This service was rendered, I believe, in eral Government. 1855. Mr. JONES. They were never mustered into the service of Mr. HERMANN. Yes, sir. the United St'ltes, as I understand. Mr. CABANISS. Nearly forty years ago. Now, when did Mr. HERMANN. This man belonged to the Second Oregon this rheumatism develop? · Mounted Volunteers, and performed services which were recog Mr. HERMANN. He has been an in valid ever since that time, nized by the Gener~l Government, in_ the way that bas been more or less. stated. Mr. CABANISS. Why has he not applied for a pension be Mr. JONES. Is there any record of that in the War Depart fore? . ment? .Mr. HERMANN. For the simple reason that for many years Mr. HERMANN. Most assuredly, and the committee had the he was able to support himself through means which be pos military record of this applicant before it. It is before the Com sessed. He was at tbe time of this engagement the owner of a mittee on Pensions. little farm, and by the as:3istance of his son he was able until Mr. JONES. I would like to have that read. recently to maintain himself on the proceeds of that far:m. Mr. HERMANN. This man was a member of the Second Within the last few years, however, the farm, together with Oregon Volunteers, and the chairman of the committee submit every particle of other pr:operty that he owned, h as passed out ted a request to the Adjutant-General of the Army for the mus of his possession. He is to-day penniless; and now for the first ter roll of this particular regiment, and the services of this Jesse time he appeals to his country for this benefit, of which he is, I Davenport were regularly certified to the Committee on Pen think, so justly deserving. sions, so that there can be no doubt about it whatever. He participated in one of tbe most hotly contested engage Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Have you the certification? ments of the Indian wars. The colonel of the regiment, who Mr. HERMANN. The certification is before the committee. . was subse:J_uently one of the circuit judges of my State and for The clerk of the committee was here just a moment ago. He is many yeP~rs one of its most noted lawyer~, t-e~t~fies that he was familiar with these cases. present in that engagement, and at the time this poor fellow re Mr. BLAIR. Mr. Chairman, in all analogous cases, for in ceived his very severe wound. dismounted from his own ho r s~ , stance in the case of the Missouri State Militia, in the war of lifted this wounded soldier upon the horse, and took him to a the rebellion, the compensation to the State by the General place of safety. '.rhere is also the ~stimony. of witnesses w~o Government has always been considered as equivalent, in the h r~ ve knowu this old man from that time to this, and who testuy co!JSideration of these claims, to the actual mustering of the vol to his continuing disability. Taking into consideration all the unteer into the service of the United States. He is· under the circumst·mces, this is a very meritorious case. necessity of going to the General Government for a special act Mr. JONES. Is it not true that the reason this man is not en simply because there was no formal mustering in of these troops: titled to a rension under the general law is that he was never ~'l:r. JONES. So far as the whole regiment was concerned. in the service of the United States at all; that he was in the Mr. BLAIR. So far as anyone disabled in the regiment is Oregon militia? concerned. Mr. HERMANN. The fact. is, there is not and has never been Mr. JON~S. Does not the gentleman thinkitwould be batter any general hw as to the survivors of any Indian war, until to have a general law? recently; and this rem!trk applies to the Cherokee and other In Mr. BLAIR. It would l::e well to have a general law, and sev dian wars prior to 1842. · eral attempts have been made in that direction, but they have Mr. JONES. Was not this soldier a member of the militia of not been successful. the State of Oregon, and not in the United States service at aU? Mr. HERMANN. I wish to say here thatthisgentleman was Mr. HERMANN. Well, I will say to the gentleman from not a member of any militia, Territorial or State. These were Virg-inia, that the services of the Oregon volunteers were ac volunteers that were raised in order to suppress Indian hostili cepted by the General Government, and they were really u~der ties. They went into the field and offered their services to the the command of a regular officer of the Army. General Government and were placed undercommandof an offi Mr. JONES. Is it not true that the United States Govern cer of the regular· Army, and the General Government recom- _ ment has reimbursed the State of Oregon, as well as California, pensed the State so far .as their actual services were concerned .. for expenses incurred by them in this Indian war? in the field, athough the Territory itself supplied the arms, Mr. HERMANN. It is not; and I will say to my friend, be equipments, etc. But they were regularly recognized, and the ing myself a member of the Committee on War Claims, that there rosters of these various companies are on file in the War De is to-day pending before that committee a bill for the reimburse- p::~,rtment, and we have been making an effort for many years to ment of the St.•te of Oregon for such expenses. · have these parties placed under the regular pension laws of the Mr. JONES. Then Oregon has received nothing from the United States. · General Government? I offered an amendment myself when the bill which granted Mr. HER.MANN. She has received reimbursement as other a pension to the Indian war veterans of the old Cherokee war States have in certain particulars, but not for any claims con passed, up to as late as 1842, but I failed to get it considered, be nected with this Indian war in 1855-'56-not in the matter in re c ause this service was as recent as 1855; and a bill is pending spect to which the gentleman is now interrogating me. to-day to do this small volunteer band the same justice as was But, anyhow, these troops were received by the General Gov meted out to the veterans of the Cherokee war. · ernment. They were under the command of an officer of the Mr. JONES. I think we ought not to establish these prece regular Army, ·who, I understand, subsequently served in the dents, but if a soldier is to be pensioned, it should be under the Confederacy. general law itself. Mr. JONES. I understood that the Government_ had recog Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. I want to ask the gentleman from nized these men's services, and had to some extent reimbursed Oregon a question. the .Btate of Oregon. That is my information, but the gentle Mr. HERMANN. Certainly. man nrobably knows better than I do. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Was this soldier wounded in battle? Mr: HERMANN. I will say to my good friend from Virginia Mr. HERMANN. He was wounded in battle, as testified by [Mr. JONES] that even if the Government had reimbursed the the colonel of that regiment, who picked him up on·the battle State of Oregon for the expenses incurred, this individual has field and placed him on his own horse and carried him to a place • · no relation to that reimbursement. of safety. This battle was fought during the winter season, and Mr. JONES. I simply wish to know the facts. the winter season in my State is a season of rain. This man lay Mr. HERMANN. This individual comes here for a pension. upon the wet ground, and through that exposure he incurred He has received a disability. He served his country faithfully rheumatism, from the effects of which he never recovered, but on .- and well during the Territo~ial days of Oregon. He rendered the contrary, he became worse and it disabled him more and valuable services, arid received disabilities while engaged in more, until to-day h~ is a helpless invalid, I will say to the those services. He is Iiot connected in anyway with the reim House, penniless, incapacitated for any manual labor whatever, bursement of the State or Territory by the General Government. and he is a cp.arge upon his friendsand upon my neighbors. He I can not see the application of the inquiry of my friend. Fur is a worthy man, a sober and temperate man, a man who stands thermore, there is no general law which appertains to this class well. and who is a member of one of the old families in the Ter- of cases. Every Friday night almost we are having c 1.ses of ritorial history of the State. · · this kind before us. · Mr. MARTI :r oi Indiana. If the gentleman will allow me, I Mr. JONES. My inquiry is only pertinent to this extent, asked that question only in order to find out whether this case · • 2806 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 9, .came within the rule that obt::tin.s in the Committee on Invalid body, and making loose .atatements~ I1 this matter is referred Penslons. The answer the gentleman gives me is perfectly to the Interior Department I , for one, am perfectly willing that satisfactory. The only distinction we make, or have ever made this man.ahall be pensioned for his service when he shows that so far, has been this, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior the disability for which he desires a pension is the result of in such a case to receive proof to show that he was a.ctually in either exposure or wounds in this Indian war. jured in a battle with the enemy and to give him .a pensio.a Mr. HERMANN. I kn.ow my friend would not desire the result commensurate with those injuries. And l want to ask him a that would be sure to follow if that circuitous course were question now as to whether that is the purport .of this bill? adopted. That result would be the death of this old man before Mr. HERi\fANN. I will say to the gentleman from Indiana he got a pensi-on. He would not live to see the determina.tion of that the disability incurred in that battle was subsequently the question by the Pension Department. cured. He was cured of that particular dis.'.l.bility, but the Mr. JONES. Well, that h.appens in thous nds and thousands rheumatism be incurred from the exposure at that time he has of cases. never recovered from. Mr. HERMANN. Under the bill as originally introduced I Mr. WHEELER of Alabama. Will the gentleman from Ore asked for $25 a month. I did not think that was one dollar too gon allow me to a k him a question? much, in view of the circumstances surrounding this case, but Mr. HERMANN. Certainly. the committee belleved that the amount should be reduced to Mr. WHEELER of Alabama. As I understand, this is a case $12, and an amendmenp is now pending to make it $12. where a soldier was wounded in b:1ttle some forty years ago, Mr. JONES. He probably wouldnotgetmorethan$8amonth and the only question raised is that of my friend from Virginh under the general law. (Mr. JONES], with whose efforts to scrutinize these matters I Mr. HERMANN. I have the record of his official services. I sympathize fully, that the man was not must9red regularly into quote from the report of the committee: the service. The official records show that .Jesse Davenport served from February 8 Mr. HERMANN. No, sir; the gentleman is mistaken. He until May 10, 1856, in Capt. Edward Sbefll.eld's company (A), Second Regi had been regularly mustered in, and the muster roll showino ment Oregon Volunteers, in the Oregon war. that fa.ct is on file at the War Department. This record the committee obtained from the War Depart Mr. WHEELER of Alabama. Then the objection is that he ment. Mr. Chairman, I know this old man. I have known him was not mustered into the service of the Army of the United for a quarter of a century. I have known him in the days of States? . sunshine, and for the last few years in days of storm, almost of Mr. HERMANN. He was never in the i·egular Army. starvation1 and I have it from my neighbors, old, gray-headed Mr. WHEELER ol Ala.bJ.ma. Is it not true that all the sol men who participated with him in that terrible battle, that he diers who fought at the b.1ttle of Bunker Hill were not regulars. fought the best battle of any of them and received thia wound in the Army,and that those who fought at Coneord and at Lex and subsequently lay out night after night writhing under his ington were not mustered into the service at all; but if any of wounds and disabilities. them were wounded in those engagements certainly they would I have known him ever since that time, and I can say that no have been entitled to pensions? worthier case could come before the committee. Other cases Mr. JONES. Not unless there was some general law under come before us not so meritorious .us this, and they are not re which they would get it. ferred to the Pension Bureau. There is no general law requir Mr. WHEELER or Alabs.ma. But the very difficulty in this ing him or au tho1·izing him to go to the Pension Office~ This is case is that there is no general law; and hence this special act is a special case, resting upon special circumstances, and I think applied for. 1 think we should carefully scrutinize all of these that, in view of the reduction of the amount to $12 a month, and private pension bills, and oppose them when they are not estab in view of this man's advanced age and enfeebled condition re lished by good an.d .auffic!ent evidence; but we sJ:.ould avoi~ op sulting from these disabilities incurred in the line of service, I posing them upon untenable ~rounds. The obJect of pr1vate can appeal to my friend feom Virginia to abstain from carrying bills should be confined to meritorious cases which do not come his opposition further. If I did not know so many of the cir up to the requirements of the general law. I am opposed to ex cumstances of the case myself I should not be s.o confident or so tending the general law so as to make it broad enough to t:1ke urgent in this man's behalf, but I do know them and I know in these cases. It would of ne.cessityembrace cases which ought many of those who testify in his behalf, and they are among the not to be pensioned. " best people in our State. Mr. HERMANN. That is the object; because there is no Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I have no general law by which to obtain this relief. And I will say, as doubt that every word the gentleman from Oregon has said is the gentleman fromAlab:tma is on the floor, and as he likely was true, but there is a view of this matter that I desire to present. familiar. with considerable of the history pertaining to that war, As I understand it, there was a law passed on th~ 27th of June, Gen. Lane was in charge of the State troops at the time, and 1890-- Gen. Lamerick was there. They were regular army officers, and Mr. BLAIR. That applies only to the war of the rebellion. I think they and the gentleman were at West Point at the same It does not cover this case. time. Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. The pensions allowed under Mr. WHEELER of Alabama. And Col. Haines was also the law to those who were engaged in Indian wars apply only thel·e. to the time between 1832 and 18-12; but after 1 42 there were sev Mr: HERMANN. Col. Raines was also in that campaign, but eral serious outbreaks of the Indians. Now,as I have said, I have in a subordinate command. no doubt that every word the gentleman from Oregon says about Mr. JONES. I would like to ask the gentleman a question this case is correct, but the question is, can we reach this man's there. _There seems to be some confusion about the facts in this case and others like it? Have we a right to take up their claims case, and I think they ought at least to be explained clearly. and pass them in this way? I have introduced a bill, which I Mr. HERMANN. That is right. hold in my hand, to extend the provisions of the general law Mr. JONES. Now, I did not understand from this report, a.s from 1842 to 1856, in order to include all who served in Indian it was reau hastily, and in the confusion I did not catch every wars between those two periods. thing that was contained in the report. I do not understand Mr. HERMANN. That is right. I offered an amendment to that this man has asked for a pension on the ground of any wound that effect, but it failed. received in this engagement. I understand that he is asking Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. It seems to me that un for this pension on the ground of rheumatism, and not on the less we p::tss a general law of that kind we can not reach these ground of any disability incurred in any battle or in anything of cases. t.hat sort. Mr. VAN VOORHIS of New York. Mr. Chairman, it is evi Mr. HERMANN. I will say to my good friend from Virginia dent that we can not pass a general law to-night, and it is also that this rhe1.1matism is the disab~lity which this ~an incurred evident that we can not pass any pension bills. I therefore move in the line of duty upon that fatal battlefield, from which he has that the committee rise. never recovered~ and from which to-day he is a helpless invalid. The question being taken, the motion of Mr. VAN VOORHIS Mr. JONES. The suggestion made by the chairman of the was rejected. Committee of Invalid Pensions meets my hearty approbation. I Mr. HERMANN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the bill beluid am perfectly willing, so far as I am concerned, that this bill shall aside to be reported to the House with the recommendation that be amended so that the case shall be referred to the Interior De it do pass. partment and this applicant be allowed such pension as his grade The amendment recommended by the committee was adopted, would entitle him to, upon his making proof before that Depart and the motion of Mr. HERMANN was then agreed to. ment of his disabilities. But I am not willing to take such tes timony as comes before the committee here. I h.ave served on WASHINGTON HISLOP. the committee myself, and I know the character of the testi The next business in order was the bill (H. R. 5020) granting mony they receive-people coming in there, r.elatives of some- a pension to Washingt-?n Hislop. • _. ' . 1894. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 2807 The bill was read, as follows~ l Mr. BRETZ. I desire to say further to my friend from Alar Be it enacted, etc:, That the 8ecretary of the l!tterlo1'be, ~d he is hereb-y:, bama [Mrr STALLINGS] that there was an engagement between authorized and instructed to place on tne pensiOn roll, subJect to the condl- Morgan and the home guards near Salem, Ind.:~ in which this t1ons and limit1ons of 1\he pension laws, the name of Wasltington Hislop, h · k' f ta d' · " t ... t all late of the Marengo Light Guards, Indiana Legion, the said Hislop ha-ving man; w 0 1.8 now as lng or a S n mg 1n ..,our ' .... as ac u Y received injuries in the :r.wrgan raid. . wounded in the forehead. Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. Tb.atis what! wished to say. The amendment reported b.y the Cl}mmittee was read, as fol- Mr. STALLINGS. Wounded where? lows: Mr. BRETZ. Shot in the forehead. Now, the bill specific- Strike out all after the word "Legion," in line 7, and insert in lieu thereof ally says that if he can show to the satisfaction of the Secretary the words "at a1 ra.11e proportionate to the degree of disability from such gunshot wound of the forehead as may be shown to the satisfaction o! the of the Interior that he did receive a gunshot wound in that en- Secretary of the Interior to have been incurred in an engagement with the gagement, in the forehead-- enemy during the Morgan raid." Mr. GROSVENOR. And that he is now suffering from it. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, this amendment will Mr. BRETZ. And that he is now suffering from it; that he be considered as adopted. · received it in the defense of his State and in defense of the -Several MEMBERS. What is the amendment? property of his State, that he shall be entitled to such pension as The amendment was again read. the Secretary of the Interior thinks his injuries will warrant. Mr. STALLINGS. I would like to know whether~ this m an Otherwise he will get nothing. is now drawing a pension? Mr. GROSVENOR. Such as his injuries will warrant, under Mr. BRETZ. He is not drawing a pension now, and can not the law. under the law. I will state what the bill provides. This man Mr. BRETZ. Under the law. alleges that he was wounded in an action when .Morgan invaded Mr. STALLINGS. So that when he gets into court, he will Indiana. He proves that to the satisfaction of the committee, have to make the same showing as any other applicant? and they report an amendment to the bill-- Mr. BRETZ. Certainly; he will have to prove his case from Mr. STALLINGS. Was he then in the service of the United the beginning. States? Mr. STALLINGS. You do not make any better C!l.Se for him Mr. BRETZ.. No., sir; he was not. by this bill than other soldiers have. Mr. LANE. You do not propose to pension a member of the Mr. BRETZ. Not at all. I will say to my friend that he must Home Guards? not only show that he was injured, but further that he was en- Mr. BRETZ. Yes, sir. gaged at that time in defense of his State, and was injured in Mr. LANE. Why there are 500 such cases in my county. the line of his duty. Mr. BRETZ. We have a precedent for such action in the bill Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana. And that he received a gunshot which was passed the other night, a bill which was in. charge of wound. my friend frvm Missouri (Mr. DOCKERY]. This bill does not Mr. BRETZ. Yes. _ . propose to give this man one cent of pension. It simply refers Mr. STALLINGS. And that he is suffering from it now. his case to the Secretary of the Interi.or-gives him a standing Mr. BRETZ. Yes. , If he does not show that, he will not get before that officer. any pension. Mr. STALLINGS. Gives him the same standing as a soldier Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. Did this man belong to ol the United States wo.uld h ave. _ tbe Regular Army? Mr. BRETZ. If he is able to prove that he recefved his disa- Mr. BRETZ. No, sir, to the Home Guards, to the Lo_val Le- bility in the line of duty, then the Secretary of the Interior is gion. ~ authorized to grant him such pension as the disability shown Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. Was he ever in a fight, may entitle him to. If he is not able to show any disability in· except when Morgan went through that country? curred in tbe line of duty, then he does not get any pension. Mr. BRETZ. No; but in this engagement they were called Mr. STALLINGS .. He did not belong to the United States out bythegovernor of Indiana. WhenMorgancrossedtheOhio forces? River and went through Indiana and into Ohio, th~ywere called Mr. BRETZ. No, sir; to the- Home Guards. out by the governor of the State of Indiana. Mr. STALLINGS~ But you propose now to put him in the Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. I understood you to say same situation in which a soldier of the. United States would be this man was in the woods, an he received a disability in the Army. He must have been en not call to mind the circumstances of the case mentioned by my gaged in battle before we give him the right of a soldier. friend from West Virgini!)., but I say to him that if the proof in Mr. BRETZ. That is what I claim here. his case islike this-that his constituent took up arms and went Mr. LANE. Your claim is that your man never was a soldier. in to b.1. ttle and was wounded-- He never was in the regular Army, but simply in a temporary Mr. CAPEHART. I have proved all that. force tha-t came there to resist an invasion. Mr. MARTIN of Indiana (continuing). In an engagement Mr. BRETZ. If the gentlemanfrom Illinois will permit me, I with the. enemy, that the committee, in obedience to the prece will s::1.y th:.tt while he was not mustered into the United States dents, will report that bill favorably. Army, yet he was under the command of a United States officer, Mr . CAPEHART. The proof is complete, I think. · and-- Mr. MARTIN of Indiana. Well, I can not discuss the proof Mr. LANE. And so they were in the cases I am speaking of. in this case, but I want to say to my friend that there h as been Mr. CAMINETTI. Is not that the same as the regular volun no refusal in any such case that I know of. Now, what is this teer service? case? Simply that John Morgan invaded the southern portions Mr. BRETZ. Is that any reason why your fellow should not of Indiana and Ohio and the volunteer militia were called out to be pensioned? repel him. Amongst them was this man Washington Hyslop. Mr. LANE. It shows that the committee did not do it; and The object of this bill is simply to say that if he can go into the that is not an exceptional case. Pension Office and prove that he was called out as a member of Mr. BRETZ. Let me ask my friend if he was not asking for the Indiana Legion, and that , a.s a soldier, regardless of whether a specific sum in the bill he introduced? h e was in the United States service, regularly enlisted or not, Mr. LANE. No, sir. The bill was to let them come in and h e went into battle and was wounded, he shall be entitled to be rated according to disability; and Col. Matson, who was chair what the Pension Office would give him without this law had man of the committee, said that no such thing could be done. he been regularly enlisted. I know of no case to the contrary. We had that in the cases oi the Missouri militia. They also re I think the gentleman from illinois [Mr. LANE] is entirely mis fused to p ension the Missouri militia. taken on that point; and I think this House would hesitate to lay Mr. STALLINGS. What Congress was th&.t? down the rule that where any man, whether he came from the Mr. LANE. That was in the ~'iftieth Congress. farm or belonged to the militia or whatever his occupation may Mr. STALLINGS. Have they never allowed it up to now? h ave been, went into the service and met John Morgan and his Mr. LANE. Never, to my knowledge. comman d in actual battle and was wounded-! say I think this Mr. CAMINETTL Were not you in favor of that proposi House would hesitate to lay down the rule that such a man tion? should not have as much pension as he would be entitled to if Mr. LANE. No, sir. he were a member of a regular army organization. · Mr. CAMINETTI. You introduced a bill of that kind. Of course, I may be mi3taken; but I want to say to-night that - Mr. LANE. I asked for it. I simply submitted it to the com I know of no case where the Congress of the Umted Sk:Ltes has mittee for their: consideration. refused a remedy in a case like this. This man can not be pen Mr. 'l~A YLOR of Indiana. These cases have been passed on sioned under the general pension law. If he was a member of a since the :B'orty-fifth Congress. United States regiment he would have been pensioned long ago; Mr. LANE. You can find a prec.adent for any case in the ac and t he object of this bill is simply to give him a st.. 1894. CONGRESSIONAL REOORD-HOUSE. 2809 - This claimant, the widow of said soldier, can not receive relief through the Pension Bureau !or the reason that she is unable to prove absolutely the this respect. This bill simply carries into effect the uniform · date or !act of her late husband's death. principle of the common law, which, however, the Pension Office The evidence is conclusive, consisting of amdavits of numerous neighbors refuses to recognize. and acquaintances, that this soldier left his home at Volga City, Iowa, in Mr. TALBERT of South Carolina. I am opposed to estab 1879, and went to the Black Hills country in Dakota to look for work. Se curing work. he wrote frequently to his family and sent money regularly for lishing any such rule in pension cases, and will oppose a favor their support until 1882, when his letters ceased, and said soldier has not able report of the bill. been beard !rom since, except by a mere rumor that he was dead. This The question being taken on agreeing to the amendment, it claimant, as well a~:~ her friends, has made every etrort to learn of his where abouts H living, but to no purpose. Letters have been dispatched to all the was agreed to. post-offices of the Black Hills country, but no news 2810 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. MARcH 9, ·. Gorman, Kilgore~ Oates, Stev~, Grady, Kribbs, Outhwaite, Stockdale, A bill. (H. R. 4811) granting a pension to Mary Trimble, the Graham, Kyle, Paschc..l, Stone, C. W. crippled, helpless, and destitute daughter of Benjamin Trimble, Gresham, Lapham, Patterson, Stone, W. A. late of Nevins' Independent Battery, Light Artillery, Pennsyl· · Griffin, LJ.timer, Payne, Stone, Ky. Grow, Lawson, Paynter, Storer, vanin. Volunteers, with amendments. (Report No. 561.) Haines, Lefever, Pence, Strait, By MI'. CURTIS of Kansas, from the Committee on Indian Hall, Minn. Lester, Pendleton, Tex. Straus, Affairs: A bill (H. R. 2710) for the relief of Jesse S. Morrison, Hall, Mo. Linton, Perkins, Swanson, Hammond, Lisle. Phillips, Sweet, with amendments. (Report No. 564.) Hare, Livingston, Pickler, Talbott, 1'.-Id. Harmer, Lockwood, Pigott, Tarsney, Harris, Loud, Post, Tawney, · ADVERSE REPORT. Harter, Lucas, Powers, Taylor, Tenn. Hartman, Lynch, Price, Terry, Under clause 2 of Rule XIII, a private bill was adversely re· Hatch, Magner, Quigg, Thomas, ported and laid on the table, as follows: Haugen, Ma!!;uire, Randall, Tracey, By Mr. TAYLOR of Tennessee, from the Committee on In· Hayes, Mahon, Ray, Tucker, Heard, Mallory, Rayner, Turner,Ga. valid Pensions: A bill (H. R. 4299) granting a pension to Mary Heiner, Marshall, Reed, Turner, Va. L. Tweddle. (Report No. 562.) Henderson, Ill. Marvin, N.Y. Reilly, Turpin, Henderson, Iowa McAleer. Reyburn, Tyler, Henderson, N.C. McCall, Richards, Ohio Updegrafi, CHANGE OF REFERENCE. Hendrix, McCleary, Minn. Richardson, Tenn. Van Voorhis, N. Y Hepburn, McCreary,Ky. Ritchie, Van Voorhis, Ohio Under clause 2 of Rule XXII, the Committee on Naval Affairs Hicks, MeDa.nnold, Robbins, Wadsworth, Hilborn, McDearmon, Robertson, La. Walker, was dischargedfrom the consideration of the petition of Lodge Hines, McGann, Robinson, Pa.. ·wanger, 29. Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders' Union, against the Hitt, .McK aig, Rusk, Warner, Fithian free ship bill, and the same was referred to the Com Holman, McKeighan, Russell, Ga. Washington, Hooker, Miss. McLaurin, Ryan, Waugh, mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Hoolmr, N.Y. McMillin, Sayers, Weadock, Hopkins, ilL McNagny, Schermerhorn, Wells, Hopkins, Pa. Meiklejohn, Scrnnton, Wever, PUBLIC BILLS) MEMORIAL, AND RESOLUTIONS. Houk, Mercer, Settle, Wheeler, ill. Hudson, Meyer, Shaw, White, Unde-:.·clause 3 of Rule 4XII, bills, resolutions, and a memorial . Hulick, Milliken, Shell, Whiting, of the follow.ing titles were introduced and severally referred Hull, Money, Sherman, Williams, Ill. as follows: Hunter. Montgomery, Sibley, Williams. Miss. Hutcheson, Moon, Sickles WiLson, Wash. By Mr.CUMMINGS: A bill (H. R. 6192) to amend the Articles Ikirt, Morgan, Sipe, Vlilson, W.Va.. for the Government of the Navy-to the Committee on Naval Johnson, Ind. Morse, Smith, Wise, Affairs. Johnson, N.Dak.. Moses, Snodgrass, "\ By Mr. CURTIS of Kana!is: A bill (H. R. 6206} granting - ape~ 910, Modern Woodmen of America, of McConnell, Ill., together . sion to A. F. Neely-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. with a petition sign-ed by 48 citizens, in favor of the passage of By Mr. HEARD: A bill (H. .a. 6207) granting a pension to the Manderson-Hainer bill, to admit to the mails as second-class Nancy S. Daniels-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. matter fraternal society publications-to the Committee on the By Mr.MEREDITH: A bill (H.R. 6208)forthereliefof Thomas Post-Office and Post-R-oads. Sherman-to the Committee on Wae Claims. By·Mr. HOPKINS of Illinois: Petition of citizens of Ivanhoe, Also (by request), a bill (H. R. 6209) _for the relief of Patrick together with resolution of the Modern Woodmen of America, Mahoney-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. having a membership of about80 citizens of Ivanhoe, Ill., favor Als.o, a bill (H. R. 6210) for the relief of Ella V. Gordon-to ing the passage of the Manderson-Hainer bill-to the Commit the Committee on War Claims. tee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. B v Mr. McKEIGHAN: A bill (H. R. 6211) for the relief of Also, resolution of Somonauk Camp, No. 216, and numerous Wesley Montgomery-to the Committee on thl:l Public Land~. other citizens of Somonauk, Ill., praying for the passage of the By Mr. PO'vVE HS: A bill (H. R. 6212) to increase the pensiOn Manderson-Hainer bill-to the Committee on the Post-Office and of Wallace A. McKinistry, late of Company E, Third Vermont Post-Roads. Volunteers-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. HUNTER: Petition of citizens of Paris, Ill., in favor By Mr. TAYLOR of Indiana: A bill (H. R. 6213) to pension of the Mander_son-Hainer bill-to the Committee on the Post Harriet R. Tate-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Office and Post-Roads. By Mr. JOHNSON of North Dakota: Petition of John Mc Glindeand 78othercitizensof Minto, N.Dak.; Dr. AshbyThomp PETITIONS, ETC. sonand64othercitizensofTraillCaunty, N.Dak.; IsaacM.Row Under clause 1 of Rule XXII, the following petitions and pa and 36 other citizens of Lisbon, N. Dak.; D. E. Sch wi tzer and 23 pers were laid on the Clerk's desk and referred as follows: other citizens of Cavalier, N.Dak.; C. F. Wrisbecker and 54 -By Mr. EARWIG: Petition of citizens of Rio, Wis., praying other citizens of Gran.din, N.Dak.; E. F. Dunton and 25 other for the passage of House bill 4897, to admit to the mails as sec citizens of Ellendale, N.Dak., and William L. Hall and 17 other ond-class matter p eriodical publications issued by or under the citizens of Jamestown, N. Dak.,all asking that fraternal journals auspices of fraternal and benevolent societies and institutions of be admitted to the mails as second-class matter-to the Commit learning, and for other purposes-to the Committee on the Post tee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Office and Post-R6ads. By Mr. KIEFER: Petition of A. F. Maschger and others of Bv Mr. BOWERS of California: Petition from El Cajon, Mer St. Paul, Minn., praying the passage of the Manderson-Hainer ced; and Perris, Cal., for the passage of the Manderson-Hainer bill-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. bill-to the Committee on the Post-Office and P ost-Roads, By Mr. LINTON: Petition of N. J. Michaud and 94 other By Mr. BRODERICK: Petition of Horton Tent, No. 17, of citizens of Alpena, Mich., praying for the passag-e of the Man Horton, Kans.,in favor of fraternal society an:l college journals derson-Hainer bill in the interest of fraternal society and col to the Committee on the Post·Offi.ce and Post-Roads. lege journals-to the Committee on the Post-Of!i_de and Post By Ml'. BURROWS: Petition of Andrew C. Stone, o:f the United Roads. States ship Agawan, for removal of the charge of desertion-to By Mr. LUCAS: Petition of John W. McKee and 45 other citi the Committee on Military Affairs. zens of Kimball, S. Dak., against the proposed amendment to By Mr. CADMUS: Petition of citizens of Closter, N.J., in the the Constitution recognizing God in the same-to the Commit interest of fraternal society and college journals-to the Com tee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. mittee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. By :Mr. McDOWELL: Resolutions of the Sta.te Horticultural By Mr. CAPEHART: Joint resolution proposing an amend Society of Pennsylvania, protesting against the omission of ap ment to the Constitution of the United States-to the Commit- propriation for agricultural experiment station-to the Commit- tee on the Judiciary. • tee on Agriculture. · By Mr. COGSWELL: Papers to accompany House bill 6187 By Mr. McETTRICK: Petitionof Boston Colony, No. 41, Mas relative to the Distl'i-ct of Columbia-to the Committee on the s 3.chusetts. in the interest of the fraternal society and college District of Columbia. journals, that the same be admitted to the mails as second-class By. Mr. COUSINS: Joint resolution and memorial of the Leg matter, at 1 cent per pound-to the Committee on the Post islature of the State o.f Iowa, favoring the passage of Senate bill Ofllce and Post-Roads. 1376-to the Committee on Agriculture. By Mr. MEREDITH: Papers to accompany Ho.u.se bHl 6152, By Mr. CUMlvliNGS by request): Two petitions oJ citizens of for the relief of Thomas S. Wigfield-to the Committee on War Kansas and one of citizens of North Dakota, asking Congress to Claims. re j e ~ t the proposed God in the Constitution amendment-to the AlsoT papers to accompany House bill 6153, for the relief of Committee on the Judiciary. the heirs of Char.las H. H.unt.on-to the CommittBe on War Also, petition of citizens of the State of New York, in favor of Claims. the nass:1ge of laws fo r the establishment of Government tele Also! papers to accompany House bill 6154, for the relief of graph and telephone service-to the CommitteR on the Post-Of Luther Sullivan-to the Committee on War Claims. fice and Post-Roads. Also, papers t-o accompany bill for the relief of Ella V. Gor By Mr. CURTIS of Kansas: Resolutions o! the Fraternal Aid don-to the Committee on War Claims. Association of Kans 'l. s in the interest of fraternal society and By Mr. MORSE: Petition of William F. Sproul and 23 other college jour nals-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post citizens of Boston, Mass , asking Congress to pass the Mander Roads. son-Hainer bill, admitting fraternal society journals to the mails Also, resolution of Encampment No. 24, Union Veteran Legion, as second-class matter-to the Committee on the Post-Office and of Salina, Kans., recommending the passage of the per diem pen Post·Roads. sion bill-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. .Also, petition ofT. E. Bowman and 9 other citizens of Kansas, By Mr. DAVIS: Petition of 51 citizensofOttawaCounty', Kans., asking Congress to pass laws giving efficiency to_the moral laws In favor of governmental telegraph and telephone service-to of the State against lottery enterprises'-to the Committee on the Committee on the P ost-Office and,Post-Roads. the Post-Office and Post-Roads. By Mr. DRAP ER: Petition of citizens of Brookline, Mass., By .Mr. PAYNE: Petition of 61 members of Shortsville Tent, for legislation against lottery business-to the Committee on the No. ll9, Knights of the M(:Lccabees, Shortsville, Ontario County, Post-Office and Post-Roads. N. Y.,for the passageof theManderson-Hainerbill-totheCom Also, petition for the passage of the Manderson-Hainer bill, in mittee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. the interest of fraternal society and college journals-'-to the By Mr. PEARSON: Petition of C. W. Adolph and 40 others, Committeeon the Post-Office and Post-Roads. citizens of Bridgeport, Ohio, members of Charles L. Pennev By Mr. HAINES: P etition of Renssel ter Council, No. 1213, Tent, No. 40, Knights of the Maccabees, praying that fraternal Royal Arcanum, of Troy, N. Y., fayoring the passage of the college and society journals be admitted to the mails as second Manderson-Hainer bill-to the Committee on the Post-Office and class matter-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post P ost-Roads. Roads. By Mr. HEARD: Petitton of citizens of Saline County, Mo., Also, petition of the members and adherents of the United in fa vor of appropriation of money by Congress to protect from Presbytierian Congregation of Steubenville, Ohio, representin!! further damage , by the ::~ction of the Missouri River, of certain 150 citizens of said city and State, praying for an amendment to lands in said county-to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. the Constitution recognizing Deity-to the Committel3 on the By Mr. HENDERSON of Iovra: Petition of G. R. Richardson Judiciary. and 10-1 others, of Wright County, Iowa, praying !or legislation By Mr. PICKLER: Petition ofT. J. Wilde and 33 other citi to protect the dairy pro!lucts of the United States-to the Com zens of Huron, S. Dak., and of Henry Turner and 58 other citi mittee on Agriculture. zens of Webster, S. Dak., in favor of t h e Manderson-Hainer By Mr. HITT: Memorialand resolutionofBasswoodCamD, No. bill-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARcH 10, ,. 2812 By Mr. RAWLINS: Memorial to Congress referring to sur- A bill (S. 553) granting a pension to Martha R. Hitchcock-to vey of coal lands in Utah Territory-to the Committee on the the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Public Lands. A bill (S. 577) granting an increase of pension oo Thomas M. By Mr. RAY: Petition of 143 citizens of Delaware County, Chill-to the Committee on Pensions. N.Y., in favor of an amendment to the Constitution so as to rec- A bill (S. 475) for the relief of John Little and Hobart Wil- o~nize God in the Constitution-to the Committee on the Judi- liams, of Omaha, Nebr.-to the Committee on Claims. mary. A bill (S. 476) for the relief of John Palmier, Pine Ridge, By Mr. SIMPSON: Petition of James P. Ross and others, in Shannon County, S. Dak.-to the Committee on Claims. favor of putting God in the Constitution-to the Committee on A bill (S. 1058) for the relief of Chester B. Sweet, of Califor- the Judiciary. nia- to the Committee on Claims. Also, petition of H. S. Haag and others, in the interest of 1 A bill (S. 823) to authorize the Missouri River Power. ~om fraternal society and college journals-to the Committee on the j panyof Montana to construct a dam across the Missouri River- Post-Office and Post-Roads. to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Also, petition of Abner Hadley, H. Dressler, J.D. Fitzsim- A bill (S. 90) to provide for the sale of the unsold portion of mons, L. E. Knowles, W. Jay Ellis, and John H. Churchill, of theUmatillaindianReservation-totheCommitteeonthePublic Kansas, in favor of Government ownership of the telegraph Lands. and telephone service-to the Committee on the Post-Office and A bill (S. 810) authorizing the Secretary of War to donate a Post-Roads. certain cannon to the Naval Veteran Association of Baltimore, By Mr. STEPHENSON: Petition of citizens of Garden,Mich., Md.-to the Committee on Military Affairs. praying for the passage of the Manderson-Hainer bill to admit A bill (S. 527) to construct a road to the National Cemetery at to the mails as second-class matter all fraternal society and col- Dover, Tenn.-to the Committee on Military Affairs. lege journals-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post- SPECIAL AGENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRIGULTURE: R~;~r. STOCKDALE: Petitionof the heirs of DimitryCanna . Mr. McNAGNY. Mr. Speaker, I call up a privileged resolu- and others-to the Committee on the Judiciary. tlon. . . By Mr. TAWNEY: Petition of L.A. Knapp and 15others,cit- The SPEAKER. The re~olutwn Wlll be read. izens of LeRoy, Minn., favoring the passage of the Manderson- Th'3 Clerk read as follows. ~ "er bl"ll-to the Comm·ttee on the Post-Office and Post- R e~