New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-20
THE NEW ORLEANS MINT
Discussion in the senate.

! On Wednesday, the Thirteenth instant
| consideration was resumed of the Dill HOUSE
resolution No. 1861 making appropriations
for the legislative. executive and Judleidi
| expepses of the government for the year
ending June 80. 1873. and for other purposes
| Mr.. Kellogg offer the following amend
ment, to come in after line 800, page 80:
That the Secretary of the Treasury ne
and he is hereby directed, within SIX months
after the passage of this act, to remove OF
sell, at his discretion, the machinery anu
| all the movable property belonging 10 the
| United States now in the building and
| grounds heretofore occupied by the United
| States as a branch mint, situate IN the city
| of New Orleans and bounded by Esplanade
| street. Barracks street, Levee street ana
the public road, and to surrender to the
authorities of the said city OF New Orleans
| the buildings and grounds above descrl Sed
will trouble the Senate with but word
regardig this amendment. 1t will be remem-
| bered that this is the amendment that L
| offered in Committee of the Whole. Upon
| the motion to lay it upon the table made by
INV honorable friend from California. Mr..
| Cole), Senators will remember the motion
was lost Iwithdre W the amendment, how
ever. until the bill should be reported to the
| Senate. for the purpose of enabling myself
and others to look into the the law regard
| ing the sale of branch mints The question
| then arose as to whether there had been a
| law passed by Congress directing the Sec
| retary of the Treasury to abandon the
| branch mint at New Orleans. My honorable
| friend from Ohio Mr. Thurman] interposed
| an objection to the amendment as 1T then
| stood. 1t will be remembered that the
amendment l first offered provided that the
| branch mint should be re-establisled within
| six months OF revert to the city under the
terms of the grant of the property upon
| which the branch mint stands made by the
city of New Orleans to the United States
| government in 1875. My honorable friend
| from Ohio made the point OF non-user but
remarked that if it tappeared that there was
| a law of Congress authorizing the Secre-
tary to abandon the mint. that would be in
| his Judgment sufficient answer to that
point, and the property ought to be surreh-
| Uered to the city.
IT will be remem bered that my honorable
| friend from Ohio. the chairman OF the Com
| nlittee on Finance Ny. Sherman), reported
a bill striking out the clause providing for
the establishment of the mint which was
embraced in the amendment l offered IN
| committee of the whole.
Now, in reply to the objection made by
the Senator from Ohio Mr.. thurman III
reference to nOn-user. desire to call atten-
ton to an appropria ton bill approved July
| % 1866. one section of which reads as toll
| lows:
That tie Secretary of the Treasury bt
and he is hereby authorized. at his dlscre
ton, to remove the whole or any portion Of
the machinery, apparatus ana fixtures ol
the branch mlnts OF the onlted states a.
| New Orleans, Charlotte and DaElonega. t(
such other branch mints as; in his opinion
| NAV REQUIRE the same. or. at his discretion
| Ia discontinue the branch mints at New
| Orleans, Charlotte aud Dahlonega. and t
dispose of the property belonging thereto
if he shall deem it expedient, at public
auction, to the highest bidder.
All these branch mints have been discon
tipued, | believe, and the fixtures and ma
chinery sold under this law except thu
branch mint at New Orleans. When 1t wa
ATTEMPTED by the Secretary TO put this Law
into operati0n. the condition of the grant o
| cession from the city OF New Orleans pre-
cluded him from disposing OF this property
and by an express provision i'll the deed
cession it was provided that in the event o
a discontinuance Of the branch mint tn
property should revert to the city.
The Senator from Ohio (Nr. Sherman
thought it was improper to move an amend
ment of this kind to an appropriation bill
| Sir. the section | have just read wa
moved and carried to an approp Ration bl!
of the same nature as the one now pend
ing. Now, sir, as am disposed to admi
that there is no immediate necessity 10
leans. and as it meets the view OF th
Committee on Finance. who have reportet
this bill. | have concluded to accept til
amendment as reported by them, embrat
ino simply the proposition to return to tn
ciry of New Orleans the property deedc'
in 1880 by the city upon the express cond
ton that branch mint should be man
! tanned. and that If at any time the hranc
mint was discontinued. the property shout
Il, hot oil hot ns
: only ask that the conditions of the grant b
complied with. l hope the amendment vi
be adopted.
Dir. Cole-I have but few remarks t
make on the subject. The first part of tn
amendment is embodied in the law whic
| the Senator read. authorizing the Secretar
70 sell the machinery IN this among othc
! branch mints. SO there can be no ncccssi'
for that branch of the amendment.
Mr.. Thurman-Allow me to interrupt tn
Senator for moment. The distinction h'
tween that act of Congress and the ament
| mcpt Of the Senator from Louisiana IS this
| the act leaves it Giscre etionary with tn
| Secretary. discretion he has not seen t
} | TO exercise in regard to this partlcuii
Z mint. though he has in regard to the Others
=. | but this amendment makes 1t mandator
tipon him.
Mr.. Cole-That brings me directly 10 al
| other point. The Secretary mas not see
fit TO do this, and probably he may haT
sufficient reasons for not doing it. l II
: member that but the other day the Senate
from Louisiana. who now presents III
amendment in this form, was exceedln9l
| anxious to retain an assay Otfce and lnlI
in New Orleans. and he made long an
vigoI Gus and powerful argument in fave
;. OF that proposition. Now he offers a
= amendment to surrender up this propert
= | 10 the city of New Orleans.
: Mr.. Kellogg-The Senator surely does NJ
5, intend to miSrepreSent me.
= Mr.. Cole-NOt at all.
MIR kellogg-The amendment that ! q
, fered the other day was in the exact la
:. guage, word for word. Of this amendmen
, with the exception that it also ccntane
q this clause:
Provided, That the Secretary of Il
Treasury may reestablish the branch mil
at any time within six months, III whlt
:, case this section shall be null and void
q Mr.. Cole-The Senator does not touch Il
h point to which | was alluding, and l will r
peat it again. The Secretary, in all pro
/ ability, had a good reason for not exercislI
his discretion. aud disposing of that pro
+ erty.
, MI West-Will the Senator from Califo
, MIA allow me to ask him question
, Mr. Cole-Assuredly.
I Mr.. West--Does the Senator think the
!. ought TO be branch mint established
i New Orleans