The Portland daily press., 1874-06-12


this bill. He (Jones) did know that imitation
under the bill would be immediate. There had
been great talk about the resumption of specie
payments, but it was utterly impossible to re-
sumo specie payments and have it permanent
with this great volume of greenbacks in circu-
lation. The bill proposed to make the green
backs redeemable in bonds and then reissue
them. He laid it down as proposition which
had never been disputed, that specie payments
can never be maintained without contraction
of the volume of currency. The bill would
have the effect to raise the price of greenbacks
few per cent, but it would also deprecate the
bonds to small extent. He denied that the
bill would ever bring the country to specie
poyments and all the fluctuations now COM
planned of would be just as bad after January
1873, Gold would not remain in the country
where the price of everything would be SO high
as to drive it out and the revulsion then would
be ten times greater than if the country should
return to specie payments to-day, Initiate the
currency and it furnishes money which can
neither be boarded nor exported. He thought
that the bill travelled in a circle and expressed
the opinion that the only way to restore the
country to prosperity was to return to the true
standard of value instead of by arbietary
measure raising the price of greenbacks.. 1t
would be far easier to reduce the volume there
of so that it would approximate the price of
gold. He believed it easy to return to specie
payments within two years without any dan
ger TO the interests of the country. He pro-
tested against the passage of this report. He
fects would be. Evil, and only evil, would
spring ont of its passage. He was opposed to
any proposition which had attempted to over
ride what God himself had made as money. He
thought when the country entered upon gold
basis it would enter upon an era of prosperity
which would be unbroken for century,
Mr.. Logan spoke in favor of the report, anil
said he was surpr:sad to hear men opposing it
here today who short time ago advocated the
very features it contained. Those who had
called Senators on his side inf1ationists, had
declared themselves in favor of specie resump-
ton, presented to them and if they should put
themselves on record against it, the tables
would be turned. The bill was not satisfactory
to him, but he was willing to support it to set
tie this vexed financial question and abandon
for the time being his opinious on the subject.
He appealed to the friends on both sides to act
in spirit of concession and not as if they alone
made up this mighty hemisphere. The pas
sage of this bill would bring peace and prosper
ity to the country.
After further discussion Mr. Boutwell, said
if this bill was not calculated to increase the
volume of currency in the country, it was not
calculated to meet the demands of those who
made it. The difficulty to-day was the country
has paper money which was not of equal
value with coin. Any policy of expansion
was detrimental to every interest of the coun-
try, especially to the laboring classes. The
clamor for expansion was INSTRUCTED public
sentiment as all history and our own expert
ence taught 1t was the duty of Senators to
stand in their places and if possible set right
this misdirected sentiment. The passage of
the bill would be departure from the oppor-
tunity to resume specie payment and would re-
suit in the union of every interest, the bank
ruptcy of commerce and commercial men.
The eighth section of the bill transferred the
financial powers of this country from Congress
to the speculations of Wall street and through
out Europe, and when the first of January,
1873, should appear there would be a demand
for the repeal of this section because the coun
frxyx hot nAf1 nr,1
bined spectators of the world. a4
Mr. Morton said that the argument of the
gentleman (BoutwelD was to the effect that
return to specie payments at any time wonld
be ruInous to the country
Mr.. Boutwell, denied that such was his argu-
ment and contended that the country would
gradually approach specie payments.
Mr. Carpenter from the Committee of Ju-
dietary, reported bill to determine the iuris-
diction of circuit courts OF the tied States
and to regulate the removal of causes of state
courts and for other purposes which was
ordered printed and recommtted.
Pending the discussion on the conference re-
port on the currency bill the Senate went into
executive session, after which it adjourned
HOUSE.
The bill authorizing the sale of the Soldiers
Home at Harrodsburg, KY, was passed.
The Senate amendment to the bill for the
relief of B. w. Harris, late internal revenue
collector of the I'd Massachusetts District was
concurred in.
The Senate substitute for the bill authorizing
| medals commemorative of the Tooth anniversa-
| ry of the first meeting of the Continental Con-
| gress was passed.
Bills were introduced granting pensions to
| M V. jackson and N. w. Briggs of Gorham,
| officers of the gunboat Norway may accept
silver medals from King ofSiam for the relief of
| Nathaniel Mckay; regulating the diplomatic
and consular system of the United States.
| A large number of bills were left on the
| Speaker table including the Senate civil rights
| bill.
| Mr.. Eldridge moved to suspend the rules and
make an order to the civil appropriation bill an
| item of $4,000 for the Washington monument.
| Negatved, yeas 14S, nays "a, not two-thrds in
| the affirmative.
Mr.. Maynard remarked that the Committee
| on the Washington monument had intended to
| ask small appropriation for the monument
| to the mother of Washington at Fredericks-
| burg, but in view of the vote just taken the
| committee would not now submit the PROPOSE
| ton. t.E
| The House then went into the Committee o.
| the Whole Mr.. Dawes in the chair, on suudry
| civil appropriation BILL 1t appropriates $685.
| 627713 The first para9 raph in the bill was an
appropriation of 81, 645, 507 for public printing
and paper includidg the cost of printing tie de-
| bates with provision that the wages of gov
ernment printers and binders should not be
| above the average prices of similar work in
New York. Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Mr.. Hawley OF Conn, moved to strike out
the last provision on the ground chiefly of the
| higher cost OF living in Washington than in
| those other cities.
Mr. Garfield of Ohio, opposed the motion and
argued that the provision was proper one.
Mr.. Butler of Mass, sustained the motion
| to strike out, and argued that the government
ought to pay higher rates than private
| ployers. because, among other reasons, the
| printers in the employment of government
| have work only for portion of the year, and
| ,I,a,x, fl,AL &lxo.,u
homes and seek employment in other cities,
whereas in New York, Philadelphia and Bos-
| ton, if printers lost their employment in one
establishment Their could get it in another
| one.
Mr.. Myers of Penn, argued in the same d.
| rection. ..,.
| Mr.. Dannan of Iowa, chairman of the Com
mittee on Printing sustained the proposition
| in the bill.
| After discussion extending over an hour
and half, the provision in regard to the wages
| of printers and binders was stricken out.
| On the motion of Mr.. Wood of N Y, the
| item to pay the widow of the late Mr.. Mellish
| salary till the date of his successors election
| was amended by allowing the salary till the end
| of this Congress.
Mr.. Garfield of O., opposed the item appro-
| priating $1,000 to reimburse Gen. Howard in
the expenses for defending his official conduct
| as commissioner of freedmens affairs and
| spoke in advocacy of 1t.
| Mr.. Spear of Penn, raised a point of order
| ahd suggested that there had been no such
| proposition made to pay the expenses of Pres
ident johnson in defending his official con-
| duct
| Mr., Garfield remarked that President John
sons acquittal had not been so unanimous as
| Gen. Towards had been. The question was
passed over informally to allow time to find
tho law under which the item would be in Or
| der.
Mr.. Kellogg of Conn. offered an item APP
| propriatng S25, 900 to enable the Presid ent to
! carry out the civil service rules.
| The civil service reform was discussed by
Messrs. Butler Cox Of New York, Hawley of
Connecticut, Beck and others.
The Rhode Island Senatorship.
PROVIDENCE, June 11.-At meeting of the
| legislative Grand Committee at noon to day,
| GOvarnor Harvard made a sDeech rajteratino