THE SOLDIERS' HOME.
Mr. HOOPER offered the following:
Be it revolved by the Senate of Indiana (the House of Representatives concurring therein), That the Trustees and officers of the Soldiers' Home are hereby instructed and directed to transfer, at the earliest practical time that it can be done, by voluntary consent of the inmates, the soldiers and seamen now in the Home at Knightstown, to the National Homes at Dayton, Ohio, or Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and as fast as transferred, to fill their places by orphans of soldiers or seamen and that said Trustees shall not admit any more soldiers or seamen in the Home at Knightstown, except in extreme cases; and report to the Governor semi-annually the transfers made.
The resolution was adopted.
The Soldiers' Home bill [S. 240] was then taken up, it being the special order for this hour.
Mr. HADLEY offered an amendment, which was adopted, designating the fund from which the appropriations shall be drawn, &c. He also spoke at length in favor of the bill; explaining that it proposes to increase the weekly allowance for each inmate of the Home from $1 50 to $2 50 per week, and to give power to the Trustees to indenture the children as fast as they find good homes for them.
Mr. SHERROD opposed the billion principle. He refrained from detailing the facts in connection with this Soldiers' Home coming from our disabled soldiers who have been inmates of that institution, because he did not want said facts to go to the public.
Mr. HAMILTON spoke of the advantages enjoyed by the children of the Soldiers' Home over those sent to county penthouses, and he urged the passage of this bill.
Mr. HANNA regarded it as bad policy to congregate children together and attempt, to raise them under such circumstances; and he objected to singling out a class of inhabitants and conferring upon that class special privileges above others.
Mr. CHURCH did not want to perpetuate this thing, but to get rid of it as soon as we can. These children are there, and the institution is there; and the probabilities are that we will have to keep it up for two years to come. Believing Senators had talked all they wanted to about this matter, he demanded the previous question.
The demand for the previous question was seconded by the Senate, and under its pressure the bill passed by yeas 30, nays 10.
Mr. JOHNSON of Spencer, objecting to some of the provisions. But the clause directing the Manager to hunt up houses for these orphans determined his affirmative vote.
Mr. MORGAN, explaining, knew not of a soldiers orphan from his county going to Knightstown - the county he represents taking care of its own. At this Home, on a recent visit, he saw many able to earn their own living, and as there are some people so fond of ease as not to provide for children of their own, it looks as though we were calling upon counties at a distance to provide for the orphans of the immediate vicinity of this institution. He believed his people were willing not only to support their own, but willing also to help support the orphans in tile counties near this Home, and should therefore vote "aye."
Mr. TURNER, explaining, would never deny protection to the helpless; therefore he voted "aye," upon the ground that almost general consent has been given here by Senators that at no distant time this institution is to be closed, and be no longer a leech on the State.
So the bill passed the Senate.
