The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-19
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CONGRESS-.
! WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.
. SENATE.
Mr.. Ingalls, presested o petition from
the citizens Of Kansas, asking for tn
: passage ol a law allowing soldiers In thu
late war a bounty and 100 acres Of land
Referred.
, Mr.. Anthony, from the Committe OF
Printing, reported back the bill to pro-
vide for printing the biennial register o.
blue book. Passed.
FRANKING PRIVILEGE. T.
In the course OF the discussion on the
bill MIR. Sargent said that he had learn
ed SINCE the abolition OF the franking priv.
iege 100000 had been expended by
the government for scales TO weigh
mailable matter and the cost to
the government DOW to send documents
over the country was greater than before
the iranking privilege was abolished.
SHERMAN WANTS TO KNOW now TO DIS
TRIBUTE THE PTBLIc DocuMENTs.
Mr.. Sherman said he would vote against
printing any public document unless some
means were adopted to distribute them.
He had received notice that there were
over 200 public documents waiting his or.
der, and the question In his mind was
how to distribute them, and he supposed
other Senators were In the same diff
Guilty. ~ g Il
Mr.. Boutwell, from the Committee on
Commerce reported back the bill amend.
atory OF an act relating 10 the enrolment
and licensing Of certain vessels. Adopted.
PENSIONS.
Mr.. Howe introduced 8 resolution in
structing the Committee on Pensions 10
inquire into the expediency Of placing on
the penslon roll the names Of oil honora-
bly, discharged soldiers Of the war Of 1879,
Irrespective Of terms OF service. Passed.
COTTON QUESTION.
Mr.. Gordon called up the resolution in
troduced 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 the sales, and the disposition
thereof. Passed.
WRIGHT WANTS THE SALARIES FIXED.
Ms. Wright ssked that the House bill TO
establish the compensation OF Senators,
Representatives and Delegates be taken
up The bill was read twice and referred
10 the Committee on Civil Rights and Re.
trenchment.
The morning hour having expired, the
resolution reported by the Committee on
Finance was taken up.
Mr.. Sherman said It seemed to be the
desire of the Senate 10 enlarge upon this
debate. He did not propose TO engage In
1t, but hoped the Senators would express
their views, as 1t was the desire OF the
Committee TO ascertain, as near as posi-.
BILE, the wish OF the Senate and know
whether such desire was for the enlarge
ment or contraction ot currency or re-
turn to specie payments.
Mr.. Hitchcock introduced resolution
that after Monday next the Senate meet
at 10 o'clock A. N and take recess from
5to7P.M,
MIR. Sumner objected.
BOUTWELL, OPPOSED ToRxPANsIoN.
Mr.. Boutwell, favored maintaining the
volume OF currency st the minimum
point established by law, and wait for
The Developments Of the revenue ol the
country. He felt 1t TO be his duty to re-
sist an expansion Of currency, as such q
plan would postpone the day OF the re-
turn TO specie payments. On the other
hand contraction would iDjure the bust.
ness interests Of the country.
Mr.. Rowe hoped Congress would not
authorize the enlargement Of circulation.
GOV. MORTON DOES NOT FAVOR SPECIE
PAYMENTS AT THIS TINE.
MIR. Morton said the faith Of the Gov
ernment was pledged TO redeem our
preenbacks In coin. He did not deny
that we should steadily keep this in view
until the proper time. There was q wrong
time to do fight thing, and In his opin'
ion this was not the right time to return
to specie payments. He offered his pro.
test against such language as that used by
the Senator from Massachusetts, Sum
ner) that the country 10 dishonored. It
mad never been practicable at any. time
since the close OF the war to redeem our
currency in coin. ,,,,,
Mr.. Sumner, Qnterruptins)-Will the
Senator allow me 70 ask whether In this
interval OF time we have not paid a con.
siderable amount of the National debt
I think q larger amount than the out
standing legal tenders.
Mr.. Morton-We have, but We never
had enough gold on hand at one time 70
authorize US to redeem those notes In
coin.
Mr. Sumner-My friend Is aware that
when we had gold we paid of the debt
instead Of paying the current daily ooli-
cations OF the Government
Mr.. Morton replied that had the daily
obligations been SO paid the coin would
have been taken up and the treasury
bankrupted in 49 hours.
Mr. Sumner-Was not the original sus'
pension Of specie payments making our
paper inconvertible during the war.
Therefore should Il not have been termi-
mated Immediately after the war.
Mr.. Morton-I agree with the Senator,
and yet 1t does not change my course Of
argument. 1t was war measure, and
The understanding was when the notes
were issued that they would be paid
when the country wss able. The war
ceased seven years ago, but thc conse.
auences are upon US today, and one OF
them Is that we are not practically able
10 redeem our notes. There Isl sort Of
ianaticism about specie payment l had
it once rather bad myself, but expe:
rience and the lapse Of time cured
me. He was in favor OF returning TO
specie payment when the condition ol
The country would permit It. Panic was