Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-23

| friends here, declined to allow the bill 10
be amended. 1t was well known for years
past that the Treasury Department had
been governed without Law in manner,
and the money redeemed would be reissued
unless 4 prohibition be inserted In the bill.
He thought this double-faced bill, and IL
seemed to him to be juggling with ques-
tiop which ought 10 be matter OF honest
business.
The question being on Mr.. Bogy's aihe'id-
ment to the amendment, it was rejected
without division. A vote was then taken
on Mr.. Thurman's amendment, and 1t was
rejected, yeas Is, nays 80.
Mr.. Salisbury moved to strike out 1879,
as the time for a return to specie payment,
and to insert 1877. Rejected.
Mr.. Hamilton moved to strike cut all
after the enacting clause of the bill, and 70
insert in place thereof, ''that from and after
the 4th OF July, 1876, nothing but goldand
silver shall be legal tender in the pay
ment of debts contracted thereafter"
Mr.. Stevenson said he was opposed TO
the bill reported by the committee, De
cause in voting for it he would not know
whether he was voting for contraction or
expansion. he was unwilling to leave 1t
in the power of any Secretary of Treasury
to expand the currency at his pleasure.
He bad great confidence in the honesty and
good faith of the present Secretary of the
Treasury, but would not leave such power
in the hands Of any Secretary, either Re
publican or Democrat
Mr.. Hamilton withdrew his amendment.
Mr.. Schurz said he would vote for the
bill, in spite Of all its defects. He would
vote for it because it contained pledge to
return to specie payment in 1879, and the
members voting for the bill would do all
in their power to make that pledge good.
He did not think all the financial ability Of
America was confined within the walls of
that chamber, and he predicted that the
financial minds of the country would say
that the provisions Of the bill were
inadequate to cary out the purpose named
in its title. He thought the bill would
leave the currency Of the country in the
same condition in which it found it. It
would not produce quiet, soothing effect
upon the business of the country. The
Senator from Ohio (Mr. Sherman) knew
the bill could not be passed before the hol-
idyas, and why not let it be recominitted,
thai some feature looking to specie re-
sumption might be incorporated. he
moved that the bill be recommitted to the
Committee on Finance, with instructions
to incorporate in it such provisions as are
calculated to prepare the way for specie
payment. Rejected.
Mr.. SchurZ then moved to amend the third
section Of the bill, so as to provide that not
less than 100000 in legal tender notes
shall be retired monthly by the Secretary
of the Treasury, and that the legal tenders
so retired shall be cancelled and destroyed.
Rejected-yeas 10, nays A.
The bill was then read third time and
passed-yeas 80, nays IA, as follows:
Yeas - Messrs. Allison, Anthony,
Boutwell,, Carpenter, Chandler, Clay
ton, Cragin, Edmunds, Fenton,
Ferry, of Maine, Flanagan, Frelinghuy-
sen, Hamlin, Harvey, Howe, Ingalls,, Logan,
Morrill,, Of Michigan, Morton, Oglesby,
Patterson, Pease, Pratt, Ramsey, Sergeant,
Schurz, Sherman, Spencer, Washburn, West
and Wright-32.
Nays-Messrs. Bogy, Cooper, Davis,
Dennis, GOidthwaite, Hagar, Hamilton (of
Texas, johnson, Merrimon, Ransom,
Sprague, Stevenson, Thurman and Upton
Ia.
MeSss. Cameron, Morrill, of Vermont,
and Window would also have voted for the
bill, and were paired with Messrs. Kelly,
MeCreery and Norwood, who would have
voted against it.
After an executive session. the Senate
adjourned.