The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-30
Members OF the Grand Electo.
raj Commission.
RESUMPTION OF SPECIE PAYMENTS
Forthcoming Message from the President
on the Subject
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


Tho Presidents brief message, accompanying tho
Electoral bill signed by him. Is generally praised hero
as ono ofthe and best Of his public utterancoR
Mr.. Conkling expressed the opinion Of almost
all his fellow Senator's all indeed except
Senator's Morton, Sherman, Sargent and two or
three others, when he asked that "this wise
and important message be printed" There
many significant words In the mes
sage which have attracted attention hero this
evening. Tho President speaks OF tho bill a.
''wise and constitutional" II 10 remarked that he
10 have determined TO answer all the objections
made to the bill BY Senators Norton, sherman and
Sargent, and the following explicit declaration has
attracted great attention here Ho says
while the history Of country, In its earlier
pcr,ods shows that the President OF tho Senate has
counted the votes and declared them standing
dispute has no exercised the power OF deciding, and
that the two house OF Congress have disposed Of all
hitherto have they been such iha their decision could
essentially have affected tho result.
During the debate Mr. Morton and other Of the OPP
ponents Of tho bill sneercd At 1t 'compromse
Tho President replies TO this
1t Is the highest duty Of tho aw.mak,ng power TO
provide in advance constitutional orderly and just
method of executing tho constitution In this most In
terestng and critical OF Its provisions The doing 20,
far from being compromise Of right, 10 ENFORCE
OF right and execution of powers conferred by
the constitution on Congress-
1t Is not known whether Mr.. Norton means 10 read
the President also out Of tho republican party.
General Washington.
APPOINTMENTS FROM SENATE AND HOUSE ON
THE ELECTORAL CoMM1ssIoN-rHE DEMO-
CRATIC COUNSEL ENGAGED.
Tho membership OF the Electoral Commission Is
settled tonight, except the NTH judge, who win be
chosen morrow. The republicans ON tho commits
sion are Senators Edmunds. Morton and Fro
ilnghuyscn and hessrs. Garfield and Hoar.
Tho democrats are Senator's Thurman and
Bayard and Mcssra Payne, Hunton and Abbott.
Four OF tho republicans and four Of the
democrats were members OF the joint committee
which framed the bill All except Mr.. Payne arc law
ycrs. being understood that usticc Davis viii not
servo commission the choice Of the Nth Judge
must be made from Justices Swayne, Bradley and
Hunt Mr.. Conkng left OF tho commission at
hts urgent request his health not permitting tho
labor such sorvce would require He advised the
selection Of Messrs Edmunds Morton and Freinghuy-
sen, and his advice xcd tho choice Of these
The democratic caucus this evening asked Messrs
Thompson, chsrmano OF the Florida committee; Nor
rison chairman OF the Louisiana committee and Dud-
Icy Field 10 act advisory committee TO tho demo.
cratic members Of the commission, aside from tho
counsel who have been engaged, consisting Of Judge
Black, Mcssrs. Trumoul, Carpenter, Merrick, and
Judge Hondlcy Of Cincinnati
RESUMPTION OF SPECIE PAYMENTs-rHE PREsr-
DENTS FORTHCOMING MESSAGE ON THE SUB
JEcr-A LEGAL ASPECT OF THE QUESTION
HOW IT COULD BE BROUGHT ABOUT.
The President has long felt and often said that he
would consider peculiar glory to hts administration
to bring the country back to specie payments before no
lett the White House, and he means to make one
more effort to get Congress to help toward this
sion of the question whether the present law
making che United States notes legal tender IL not
essentially contrary the constitution nasmuch az
Il was made part OF tho Revised Statutes after the
'cxigcncy had passed. to which alone the Issue
Of these notes originally authorized, and there
lawyers who maintain that legal tender notes. now
received by the government In payment for taxes,
cannot consttutonaly be reissued and the Pres
ident may II he chooses order the Secretary Of tho
Treasury cancel all such which como In this
way into the Treasury. To establish this view would
require probably decision by tho Supreme Court or
act OF Congress explicitly declaring II TO be the
rect Incorporation. IT'S possible that In his forth.
coming Message the currency tho President may
suggest this view and nsk Congress 10 decide him.
There TO DO but little doubt that the Secretary
Of tho Treasury could, II no wished, reduce still fur.
Their the present low premium gold, for he could
require the ten millions Of bonds called for by
the syndicate, and tho next call OF equal amount
which will, doubt soon be made to be paid In gold
Such an importation Of gold would probably send II
down several per cont; but he Is understood hold
that, unless there is q withdrawal OF legal tenders
these cannot be expected to remain At par, oven n
they were bostcred up 10 that point bccause
they arc, In fact, redundant. Section 1852 OF
tho Revised Statutes, however, orbids him to 'srnake
any reduction Of tho currency by retiring and cancel
. soc,, nd ehu nt.h
Congress would repeal this little section, Of only threo
lines, Il would leave his hands iroo and leave him with
q certain discretion which no ought to have
The Redemption act OF 1875 just felt to DO an
incumbrancc rather than help II is impossible to
accumulate gold enough to redeem ut tho whole
of legal tenders outstanding and II tho gold
stored in tho Treasury, Is probable that no.
body would any considerable part OF IT, so long MS
II was known be there. The Resumption act appears
have boon scheme facilitate tho establishment
OF kind Of huge national bank. Fortunately tho ma.
ehnery provided in the act cumbrous that II will
operate. The proposition urged In Secretary Nor.
RIPS report In December that Congress should autho.
tho funding OF tho legal tenders In forty year four
per cent bonds, at tho adoption OF the holders tho
notes. OF course, not to DO rcssucd but cancelled has
boon brought before the House 10 a bin
by Mr. Chittenden. ana II the President
should. In his Message, recommend any such
measure nm attempt will be made bring the bill TO
vote. Both parties. IN both houses, are publicly
committed to resumption. This plan makes rcsump.
ton voluntary and could not distress; and II
sufficient number Of republicans and democrats are
sincere the bill can be passed very easily. Nothing
tho except the nsInccrty OF both parties
on this subject II some OF the prom nent and iunu-
cntn leaders OF both sides should agree TO pass such
q bill they could easily do It,
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.