The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-11
FORTY.fIFTH CONGRESS.
INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS IN
BOTH HOUSES.
Relations with Mexico Discussed in
the Rouse-Matthews' Silver
Resolution In the Senate.
WAsHIEGToN, December 10.
SENATE.

During the morning hour, q resolu-
ton was reported by Mr.. Dorsey, In.
structing the Committee on District OF
Columbia to il quire and report by bill or
otherwise proper form of government
for the District. Agreed to.
A number of bills were introduced snd
referred. Among them:
At the expiration or the morning hour
MIR. Wadleigh. chairman of the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections
called up the resolution reported trom
that committee last week declaring j, b.
| Eustis entitled TO his scat s. Senator
from Louisiana from January Il, 1876,
for the term ending March 8, 1879.
Mr.. Ingsls, who signed the minority
report, spoke in opposition to the reso-
luton, claiming that the papers pre-
sented by Eustis were detective.
After a brIel discussion the resolution
of MIR. Wsdlelgh was agreed to. Yeas,
49; nays, 8. Those voting in the mega
tive were Allison, Cameron, OF WIsccn-
sin, Hamlin, Howe, lngslls, Mcmillan,
| Morrill, and Saunders.
After swearing In Mr.. Eustis, Mr. Nc.
Donald, at his own request, was excused
| from further service Oh the Committee
on Territories, and Mr.. Jones, OF Florida,
at his own request, WAS excused iIom
further service on the Committee or
Public Buildings and Grounds. The
Vice President appointed Mr.. Eu7tiS u
member of those committees.
The Vice President then laid before
the Senate the special order for to-day,
being the bill TO enable Indians 10 become
citizens.
Mr.. Ingalls, said he had been spoken
to by several Senators who desired more
time to consider it, and he moved that II
be made the special order for the 18th OF
January next, and it was SO ordered.
Mr.. Matthews tLen called up from the
table the concurrent resolution submitted
by him on Thursday last, declaring the
right OF the government TO pay the prin.
cipal and interest OF bonds in silver do
lars contsing 4l2! grains OF standard
silver.
Mr.. Matthews said the General As
sembly OF Ohio, at its session last winte-,
adopted resolution iavorIng the restore
ton of the silver dollar. This resOlullCu
wa passed WIZ great unanlmlty, there
beng but three negative votes IN ne
House of Representatives, and but one
in the Senate and no had no doubs thsl
it expressed the cOnsiderste and dellber-
ate opinion OF the people o! that State
on the subject with the same unsnimity
as was evidenced by their representatives
III the passage of tue resolution. He had
been moved IN part by that resolution TO
submit the one now before the Se1-
ate, though his resolution did not
cover the whole ground. That Ji the
ONO Assembly expressed m opinion
that such restoration OF the silver dollar
was demanded by true financial wisdom,
and declared IL 10 be in pursusnce OF the
proper public policy to do 20. /. w9s
| not his purpose now TO discuss the !stLer
proposition as TO what would be expedi-
ent and polite for the government sDd
| people 10 do, but what would Dg right to
| do. In his'oplnion it would be right for
| the government to do So and ho used the
werd right In its legal, equitable and
moral sense. Ii wss his purpose to-day
briefly to show that, by the letter and
spirit o! law, the government had right
to restore the silver dollar, and would be
justified in doing 30, and further
10 show that outside Of law.
and taking in view all the circumstances
OF the case, every incident OF financial
leg s.ation SHOWS that the restoration OF
the silver dollar woald not be IN viola
ton of the declaration, OF public honor,
OF public justice or public equity. lie
then quoted from the set TO strengthen
the public credit approved Asrcn i8,
1869, and argued that the word coin i
used in this act must not be interpreted
to reter to gold coin alone. II II must be
so interpreted then IT would oe just
20 dishonorable, just as Illegal, to psy the
United States treasury notes now
circulating as money in anything else
than in gold coin, as IL would bo to pay
the bonds with anything but such CON.
There were Senators here who were
familiar with the circumstance attending
the passage OF this law and the history OF
the legislation antecedent TO its passage.
The question that 1t was designed 10
solve was not q doubtful one. The
greenbacks had been made legal ten
der for sll debts and demands, pubic and
private, except the interest on the pub
lie debt and for customs duties The
question had therefore been sgitsted, as
to whether the principal of the debt
might not be lawfully paid in greenbacks
and to meet the question, to answer In the
negative, the pubic credit act OF 1869
was passed. In his opinion, the oFiginll
Indebtedness of the country could never
have been liquidsted with any other
currency than coin dollars; 1t would
! have been settled with mere promises -
| raw In lieu ol coin dollars. That act was
intended 10 settle any question OF paying
the principal of these bonds, and It did
seem to him that if it had heen contem-
plsted that these bonds should be paid
ONLY with gold money, 1t would have
| been so stated, thst in undertaking 10
settle q doubt this statute would no.
| have raised a new one. The act OF 1869
! declared that the government would pay
! coin dollars, and Whist did coin mean st
that day? Nothing wss coin IN THIS
country except that which by aW mlsh,
be coined as money, and there was %
the stslute books at tina; time another
law which prescribe' how many
grains Of gold there shall ba in
! gold coin, and Tow mauy
srsirs OF silver in siive-cojn, aEd rom the
/ beginning of the gJvc'umeA. down to
tbs! .iue the silver dollar wss known to
the people OF The country 81 one Of our
coins.
He next quoted hom the Sc. OF 1852,
the fifth section Of when provides that
al duties or imports should be psyso!e
in coin. and tnat the coin so received
shond be sol spsrI as special fund fer
/ certsin puipp-s- and then argued INST
up to the act O! 1878, when the silver dol
lar was dropped from the coins Of the
United States, silver dollsrs were received
/ Tor customs duties and were pledged FOR
the payment o. interest on the public
/ debt.
BE next quoted from the act OF July
"a 1870 70 .uthnriza tho -aFprdirr ~