Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-02-26

to the pay Of Ohio and other volunteers and that the Com
mtee on Military Affairs inquire what legislation
sary to explain the act of last Congress
NATIONAL CURRENCY BILL PASSED.
The House resumed the consideration of the bill to
provide national currency secured by pledge Of United
States stocks and to provide for the circulation and
demptiOn thereof
Mr.. BAKER opposed the bill. He said much had been
sad 10 Of this scheme but little had been ex
pressed This BILL If carried into operation proposed to
introduce an incOntroverbe and rredeemabe currency
Shame upon its authors BY this scheme present
banking system will be totally anDihated and driven out
by taxation This bill gives unlimited power to man.
1t places in the hands of the Secretary the basis of the
whole banking institutions of the country breath might
make and breath might unmake ALL Suppose this sys-
tenn of operation the hands of the Comptroller
der the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury and
suppose that should go forth that there had
been deacaton in that department. what would be its
effect? None measure it. 1t is ncalculable He
not willing to place the whole business and interests of
country at such hazards II this system had been nau
gurated in Mr.. Buchanan's Administration what would
to-day have been our condtoni
Mr.. NOELL said this Of the greatest
Importance before this House. 1t has been cOntes
Bile question whether Congress had constitutional power
to charter national banks The bill under consideration
does not present this question: but another of equal
portance and that s whether the Government
of opening banks independent of each other and having
no national character He not at this time prepared to
determine that question He in favor of referring
the bill to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. ALLEY advocated amendment he proposed to
Offer reducing the tax circulating notes to per
centum per in order to induce the banks oendorse
the SYSTEM and pledge themselves in cooperation with the
Government to supply uniform currency and to prevent
an undue expansion The bill gives to the banks better
circulation than under the present system uniform
ency resting the securities of the country and render
ing resumption OF specie payments practical immediately
after the termination of the
Mr. HOOPER demanded the previous question on the
bill
The House ordered the main question.
notion was made in effect to lay the bill the table,
but was lost by vote of yeas 81 to nays 80
The House then ordered the bill to third reading by
vote of yeas 83 to nays 67.
Mr.. ROSCOE CONKLING demanded that the bill
should be read through which was ordered which
pied about hour.
The bill then passed by the following vote:
ham, Blair q Tlrsn Blake haatos campbell
D. Ds,a9 Dunn Es Ely samuel
oE Hahn hs%a Sd man
Kelley Kellogg Michigan, illinois lansing Lsary
Moorhsad, Maine NOEL, on Patton, Phelps Potter,
Ses ssas n I'd ws
aSd MAYsMe;srs o Allen Of Ohio Aneona B.y Baker Baxs
Edwards Kash a a91 M
Iosa % Knsp
Norris Nixon, Noble Norton Nusen od Pendcton, Perry
York Jersey Stiles straiion THOMAS
wright-s4 ''1' O'''' "''
The House proceeded to the consideration of the Senate
post Office reform bill.
Mr.. COLFAX briefly explained it's provisions stating
among other things that it designed to make letter post
age Uniform at rce and twelve thir
teen the two three hundred rates present charged
printed matter The bill contained other important re-
forms.
Among the amendments adopted the following
striking out the requirement that publishers shall prepay
postage on magazines providing charge Of twenty-five
cents letter marked for Especial delivery" to be de-
vered day night; also, establishing free sys
tenn the drop letter however to pay two cents Malable
matter divided into three classes, namely lst letters
3D. printed matter 3d. miscellaneous matter
Mr.. ALLEY offered an amendment which agreed
to- restricting privilege by officers of the departments and
by posmaters to official business and requiring all letters
sent to all franking officers to be prepaid.
Mr.. BLAKE offered amendment to establish mo-
ney order system the charge to be for dollar aud not
exceeding dollars five cents ten dollars and not
exceeding twenty-five dollars ten cents and for every ad
dtonal of ten dollars or less, five cents additional
Agreed to.
Mr.. COX offered amendment providing for the people
Of the vicnage to designate their postmastes and he
urged this upon the ground that the President aud the
Postmaster General should be relieved Of their weghy
responsibilities and embarrassments in making selections
Mr. COLFAX objected to the amendment, not being sat
sed did not conflict with the constitutional power Of ap
pointment. The amendment rejected.
There being no quorum present. at quarter to ten
o'clock the House adjourned.