The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
Yesterdays Proceedings.
THURSDAY, December 10.

war bounty and 100 acres of land. Re-
lerred to committee on military affairs.
Mr.. Howe offered resolution directing
the committee on pensions to inquire as
TO the propriety of placing upon the pen
sion rolls all honorablY discharged soldiers
of the war of 1912, irrespective of the
duration of their term of service. Adopted.
The House salary bill was read the first
and second times, and referred, on motion
Of Mr.. Wright, to the committee on civil
service and retrenchment. ..s- H.s
Mr.. Lewis introduced bill to incorpo-
rate the Washington City lnebriate Soci-
ETY.. Referred. l ~
Mr.. Conkliug presented memorial of Z.
s. Jaffray & Co., Arnold, Constable e
Co., and other leading firms of New York,
against the repeal of the bankrupt law,
but in favor of its modification. Referred
TO committee on the judiciary.
The resolution on the finances, reported
from the finance committee, came up in
regular order. GOO -a
Mr.. Sherman stated that the finance
committee wished to ascertain the views
of the Senate in this matter, as to whether
senators desired expansion of the curren-
cy or q return to specie payments. He
hoped that senators would exhaust the
whole subject, and give the committee the
benefit of their views.
Mr.. Boutwell, remarked that he did not
propose to 60 into any extended remarks
at this time. He would state, however,
that he favored neither contraction nor ex-
pansion. The former would bring the
business interests of the country to stand;
would diminish the revenues, and render
taxation inevitable the latter would post
pone the day of specie payment, and he
did not think it was wise to add to the re-
turn of currency of the character we now
possessed. He viewed with apprehension
any attempt to secure immediate specie
payments. o. .' ~. ID
Mr.. Howe characterized the paper issue
Of the government as lieing promises, and
he thought it would be scarcely less than
criminal to issue any more such currency.
He regarded the action of the Secretary
of the Treasury in drawing on the reserves
as great mistake, and this apart from the
question of his legal right to do so.
Mr.. Perry (Mich.) again gave his reasons
for advocating initiation Of the currency.
Mr.. Morton said the question of the
resumption of specie payment should not
lee lost sight of; but he differed with the
finance committee and did not believe
that this was the time to take measures for
that end. He desired now to enter his
protest against the charge made, that the
government had dishonored its promises.
The understanding of the country was,
and no man can deny, that when the green
backs we're issued the government in
tended to redeem them in coin whenever
it was practicable to do so. 1t has not been
practicable to do so. 1t has not been
practicable at any time since the war to
do this. In answer to question of Mr..
Sumner, he said that it was true that
more gold had been used to pay
off the public debt than the whole
amount Of the greenback issue, but
this did not signify, because we
never at any one time had more than
sixty millions of gold on hand. He now
made the general proposition that these
notes were received by the people on the
broad ground that they would be re-
deemed whenever the government could
find it practicable. There was great deal
of tanaticism about this specie payment
question. He had it very bad himself
once, but time and experience had modified
the symptoms in his case very much.
The Bank Of England had suspended
specie payment in 1891, expecting to re-
sume in few weeks, but did not for
twenty years, because the condition of the
country would not .ustifyit. He recogniz-
ed the fact that we must come to specie
payments at last, but now it was not prac-
ticable. a ST
Honse.-Mr. Hale IN. " rose to per-
sonal explanation, and called attention to
the fact that in the debate on the salary
bill, yesterday, Mr.. Wilson Qnd.) had
offered an amendment, which was intended
directly for himself. That amendment
was to compel him {Hale) to refund certain
moneys he had received as salary as
agent Of the United States before the
American and British mixed claims COM
mission. He SAID that he had taken the
pay as such agent because it was voted to
him, Congress having passed an act allow
ing him to continue as such agent after he
had been elected member Of the Add
Congress. This motion of Mr.. Wilson he
(Hale) thought was intended as stigma
upon his character. 1t was deliberate
and planned insult, and as such he (Iiale)
accepted ii. ~ h .es4He
Mr.. Hale, in continuation, charged that
Mr.. Wilson was instigated to offer his res
olpton by Mr.. Eldridge, and that Mr..
Eldridge had urged him to it at General
Buffers suggestion. r.h
Mr.. Butler also arose to make denial,
but Mr.. Hale declined to give way further,
and said if desired he would give his au-
thority for bis assertion. E5ETell .Ear IS
Mr.. Hale then quoted the record to
show how Mr.. Wilson had acted on the
salary bill, and showed that he had voted
for and against it in its various stages,
and once or twice had not voted al all.
Ihera were men and beasts who wara on