Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-19
The Franl1ing Privilege Missed.
The. Senate Debates on Finance.
Views Of Boutwell, and Others.
Sumner Corners Morton.
A HillabalOO in the House.
A Quadrilateral of Piquant Per=
SOnalitieS.
EXtensive'Airing of SOiIed Linen.
Dirty Ours Stirring up Pools of
Filth, Etc.
Butler Introduces the Civil
Rights Bill.
SENATE.

that after Monday next, the Senate meet
daily at 10 4. NJ. and take recess from $50
to p. NJ. Sumner objected.
Signing for the Fraaiing Franchise.
Mr.. Anthony from the Committee on
Printing reported back the bill to provide
for printing the biennial register or
blue book. Passed.
In the course Of the discussion on the
bill, Mr.. Sargent said he had learned that
since the abolition of the franlling privilege
a hundred thousand dollars had been eX-
! pended by the Government for scales to
weigh mailable matter, and stated the cost
to the Government now to send documents
over the country was greater than before
the franking privilege was abolished.
Mr.. Sherman said he would vote against
printing every public document, unless
some means be adopted to distribute them
He had received notice that there were over
two hundred public documents waiting his
order and the question in hismind was how
to distribute them. lie supposed other
| Senators were III the same difficulty.
Mr.. Boutwell, from the Committee on
| Commerce, reported back bill amendato-
ry of the act relating to the enrolment and
| licensing of certain vessels. Passed.
Mr.. Howe introduced a resolution in
|
roll :the names of all honorably discharged
to inquire into the expedicncy of placing
on the pension soldiers Of the war Of 1912,
| irrespective of their terms of service. Pas
| sed.
COnfiscated Cotton.
Mr.. Gordon called up resolution intro
duced by him few days ago directing the
Secretary Of the Treasury to inform the
Senate as TO the quantity Of cotton seized
since the war, the amount of the proceeds
Of sales and the disposition thereof, etc.
Passed.
The Salary Bill.
Mr.. Wright asked that House bill to es-
tablish the compensation of Senators, Rep
reSentatiyeS aud Delegates, be taken up
The bill was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Civil Service and Retrench-
ment.
The Finances.
The morning hour having expired the
resolution reported by the Committee OIL
Finance was taken up.
Mr.. Sherman said it seemed to be the de
sire Of the Senate TO enlarge upon this de-
bate. He did not propose to engage in il.
but hoped the Senators would express their |
views, us it was the desire of the Commit
:
of the Senate and know whether such de-
sire was for enlargement or contraction Of |
currency or a return to specie payment.
Boutwell,.
Mr.. Boutwell, looked with apprehensions
upon any plan to return 10 specie payment |
by way of contraction. The shock caused |
by contraction would be detrimental to the |
private and public interests of the country. |
i,a
rency at the minimum point established by |
law and waiting for the development Of the |
resources Of the country. He had exam 1
ined with care all the propositions submit
ted to the Senate. They were principally /
Of two sorts, contemplating either contrac- 1
sion Or expansion, but he did Eo5 propose /
now to enter into an argument of the cues
ton. He felt it TO be his duty TO resist an
expansion Of the currency, as such plan
would postpone the day Of return TO specie
On the other hand, contraction
would iniure the business interests of the |
Mr.. Howe thought there was good,
reason for once for substituting |
paper for coin, but that reason had passed
long ago. He thought if the government ,
added a dollar to the volume of currency.
Or he might term il over broken promises.
it would be little less than the preparation |
of public crime. He hoped Congress |
would not authorize an enlargement of cir
culatiOn.
Ferry.
Mr.. Ferry, Of Michigan, did not believe
here was much difference in the Senate on
he question whether our currency or gold
should be made equivalent. The only diff I
ference was in the method of doing it. II
could not be denied that there was pYostra-
ion now i'll the financial interests of the 1
and it WAS d very grave question !
whether this prostlatiOr should be contn-
ned by let-alone policy of legislation. He
desired to dispel the illusion that the vol
Ime of currency regulated the price ofcoin,
md argued that when we had lager
7olUme Of currency coin was lower than
when we had a smaller volume.
Horton.
Mr.. Morton said the faith of the govern
nent was pledged to redeem our greenbs cks
II coin. He did not deny that we should |
teadily keep in view return TO specie
payment. That the question was rather |
5 this the proper time to adopt such meas
lres? There was a wrong time to do right,
md in his opinion this was not tfIe time to
cturn TO specie payment. lie offer ed his
protest against such language a. thJ used
" the Senator from Massachusetts,. (Sum-
icr), that the country is dishoIro ed. 1t )
rad not been practicable at any time since |
he close Of The war TO redeem our currency
II coin.
Mr. Sumner-WiIl the Senator allow me t
o ask whether in this interval of time we |
laye not paid considerable amount Of the !
lational debt, think a larger amoum than /
he outstanding legal tenders.
Mr.. MOrtOn-We have. But we never q
lad enough or hand at one time TO author
re us, or make it safe for us to redeem
heSe notes in coin. q
Mr.. Sumner-My friend is aware that e
when we had gold we paid OFF the debt i'll
tead of paying the running daily Obliga-
ions Of the government. i
Mr.. Morton replied that had the daily b
been so paid, the coin would '
ave been taken up and the Treasury bank p
upt in forty-eight hours. e
Mr.. Sumner-Was not the original sus- | Il
,ension of specie payments, making our {
aper inconyertible, csScntiallya war meas Il
ire to carry or war, and, therefore, should S
t not have been terminated Immediately S
iftcr the war. &
Mr. MOrtOn-I agree with the Senator, and v
et it does not change my course Of algu- a
nent. IL was war measure and the I'M b
erstanding was when the notes were is \
ued that they would be paid whenJ The v
ountTy was able. The war ceased seven {
ears ago, but its consequences are upon us +
O-day, and one Of them is we are not prac- il
ically able to redeem our notes. There is t.
sort of fanaticism about specie payment. z
had it once rather bad myself, but eX- &
'erience and the lapse of time cured me. fl
in, of.
lcnt when the condition Of the country q
would permit it. He inquired if this was h
he time to adopt definite measures to re- e
urn to specie payments, While panic was {
II suspense. The return to specie payment b
honid be in prosperous times. He denied h
hat the panic facilitated return to specie Il
'ayment. Il
Mr.. Morrill,, of Vermont, inquired if the /
Gentleman did not recognize the fact that | il