Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-12-17
TwENTY-FIRsT CONGRESS- .sessio,
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18Th, 1880.
G n ATE.


Mr.. Ellis presented the credentials of the Hon
orable GxoReE PoINDExrRR, appointed Sena-
tor by the State Of Mississippi to supply the va
cancy occasioned by the devth Of the late Sena-
tor Adams. The credentials were read. and the
oath prescribed BY law being administered to him,
he took his seat in the Senate.
Mr.. Sanford, from the select committee APP
pointed on the 9th instant, on the subject, made a
voluminous report, accompanied by the following
biii
Belt enacted &C. That the Gold coins of the
United States shall contain the following quanti-
ties of metal that is 10 say: each eagle shall con.
tain two hundred and thirty-three grams and
twenty fiftv-thirds of grain of pure gold,
and two hundred and hfty-four grains and
thirty eight fiftv.thirds of grain of standard
cold; each half eagle shall contain one half OF the
same quantities of pure gold and standard gold:
and each quarter eagle shall contain One-fOurth
part of the same quantities of pure gold and stand
vd rold: and -verv such eagle shall be OF the
ralue of ten dollars; every such halt eagle shall
ne of the value Of five dollars; and every such
quarter eagle shall be of the value of two dollars
and fifty cents: and the said gold coins shall be
4 legal tender in all payments. when OF full
e5e,ght, acco, ding to their respective values; and
when of less than full weight. at less values. pro-
portiOnate to their respective actual weight
2. That this act shall be in force from the thir-
ty-6rst day Of December, eighteen hundred and
thlrty-one.
The bill was ordered.to second reading, and
1000 additional copies of the report were Or
dered to be printed for the use OF the Senate.
The Senate took up for consideration the fol-
lowing resolution, which was yesterday submit
ted bv Mr.. Clayton:
Resoired, That a Committee be appointed to
,ba mt nnfth no
Post Office Department.; in what manrfer the
laws regulating that Department are administer
ed. the distribution Of labor; the number Of
Clerks. and the duties assigned to each; the num-
No. of accents; where and how employed; the
,,,,neosat,on of contractors; aud, generally, the
snt;re management of the Department.; and whe-
tho, further. and what legal provisions may De
necessary to secure the proper administration OF
its affairs.
Mir. White had no objection to the proposed
inouiry: but he felt y, nerally indlsposed 10 the
RAISING Of special committees where the SUBJECT
,oatter of a resolution belonged properly to a
.t,,d;no committee. He, therefore, hoped that
~, honnrable mover Of this resolution would so
,n,,d,fy il as TO refer it to the Committee on the
Pest Office aud Post Roads. unlesshe should as
SION some reason for sendinglt toa Specai ION
mittee. 49,:
Mr. CLAYTON expressed the opinion that tins
inquiry was not necessarily the business oi 'he
Post Office Committee. That Committee haa la ar
duous and important duties to perform. Inc
.sss;o, would be short, and they would probably
M, have time to attend to any other mat
ters than those which ordinarily belonged to
them. lie thought that the Importance OF the
snhpct now proposed required its reference to q
SncciaI Committee. Tie did not. therefore, lee
inclined to accede to the suggestion OF the Senator
fiom Tennessee.
MIR. White said he would then move that the
ros,l,,;on he SO modified as to reler 1T to the
Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads
There was nothing in il which was not proper
rnr reference To the regular Committee. Ii the
whole affairs of the Department were to De exa
mined and considered. tie investigation woult
;r,nart to that Committee a fund OF information
which would prove useful to them hereafter.
Mr. Holmes hoped that the resolution woult
not he 50 amended Agreat deal OF labor woult
nave to be performed by this Committee.
would he their duty to examine the Department
ae,I. IN see how the business in it was done, ant
to present the result to the Senate, that the,
m;,,t act upon ii as circumstances nigh
,oon;rs. and the information obtained nigh
go forth TO the public for their consldera
lion II had been understood that new bureau
fr, removals and appointments had been esta
b,ished in the Post Office Department; bureau
which. for brevity, might be called the bureau o
prescription. 1t has had good deal to DO:
RAD done good deal. Its business must be near
IL =, AN end. All had probably been touched b,
i whom it could well lay its hands on. 1T
services might now perhaps be dispensed with
He also hoped that the time would soon come
when the Department could pay all the expendi
tures with the receipts Of the wear. 1t appeared
that upwards of eighty thousand dollars had beer
taken out of the surplus fund to defray the ex
peuses. He admitted that this fund had beer
also heretofore diminished; bur ne trusted that
ra,~ht mot he hereafter necessary to apply to it.
a.. w,s in favor Of referring this examination tt
Snecia! Committee, whose particular attention
s.opId be directed to that object
Mr.. Grundy said that, as member OF the fos'
Osict c .mmiitee, he ought. perhaps. 70 be spar
IN in h, -e.snrhs on the q 'e-'i"' or''r ne Ne
aa.e. Gea,lsuea were, hsSeHef, mistaken rs