Mr. COWAN. I have simply a word to say. I think the adoptionof the amendment of the Senfrom own was fatal to this whole proposition, as it was right and proper that it should be. This is an attempt to equalize bounties among our soldiers. Well, if you undertake to equalize tht! bounties, you must take into the account all the bounties they have received, and that has been done by that amendment. But in avoiding Scyllu we run upon Charabdis. The honorable Senfrom firmont ghowed that very clearly. Are we to tax those States which did pay their full proportion of bounties to their soldiers in order to i make up for those States which did not? In my State, ver much in the condition of Ver mont, we pai large bounties and raised large relief funds. Now, shall we be taxed to make up the deficit which occurred by the negligence or default of other States? Certainly not. It is utterl unjust and unfair to taxn State which has pai her full share, or to tax the county or the township or the town or the individual. The honorable Senfrom Iowa [Mr. GRIMES] says “not default or negligence, but excess of patriotism.” Well, if we are to pay for that excess of patriotism at this late day. I should like to be very well assured of it. We thought it was an excess of patriotism to pay upon the counter, upon the nail. If Iowa choseto postpone the day of payment. we have no Objection that she shall pay nowif she will. Brit, Mr. President, there is another general objection to this project, which in my mind is equally fatal to it, and that is, its utter and total impossibility. When you come to contemplate the magnitude of the subject, the idea of ad; justing the equities because that is what you want to get at, not to equalize the bounties but to adjust the equities between the nation generally, not the nation partionlarly, the U.S and the individual, but between the U.S., the States, the counties, the towns, the boroughs, the cities and the individual the idea cannot be carried out. Think of it for one moment; think of the magnitude of that task and think of the difficulties that stare you in the face at every foot of the way when you attempt to adjust the equities between a million of men an halfa dozen of employers. How is it to he done? It is utterly and)totally impossible, and in attempting it you will do wrong tojust as many solr iers as you will benefitby the operation; you imeril the Treasury of the country; you impose urdens upon in nocent people, people who have paid heretofore their full share of the burdens of the country, and what do you gain? Iain told that not. one 10th of this appropriation will ever go into the pockets oft e so diers. These claims are now in the hands of brokers and specula tors of all kinds, who ever since the war closed have been buying up the discharges of the soldiers in order that they might come in for some share in an appropriation of this kind. There is one law on this subject which I believe I would cheerfully vote for, and that is a law declaring that we would, at some time or other, pay assignecs of these discharges; and after all the discharges had been assigned, then I would vote for another law to declare that we would not pay them. That, perhaps, would throw the burden upon the right should ders.