The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-12
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The senate.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 1l.-Mr. Grover, of Oregon
who has been absent SINCE the first week of the
special session. occupied his seat in the Senate
Nearly the whole of the morning hour was oc-
cupied in the presentation of petitions from all
parts of the country in favor of an amendment
to the constitution so as to prohibit the states
from Distinguishing cit5 ne on account of sex.
and asking the appointment of commission to
inquire into the alcoholic liquor traffic and
cerning the revision of the tariff until 1t shall
have ascertained by inquiry the, condition of
the business Of the country, and that the egis-
lation be such as in the opinion of practical
business men will promote the business pros
perity OF the country. All the petitions were re-
1erred to appropriate committees.
large number Of bills were introduced and
referred to to- Mapprop,iate Mp G,ommlttees am1nE
acourt of appeals
Mr.. Conkling, Of New York, submitted reso-
luton providing for the appointment of COM
mittee OF seven Senators to inquire and report
whether any. and If 80, what measures can be
devised to promote commercial Intercourse
with Mexico. and to establish a just and peace
ful condition Of affairs on the border between
this country and Mexico. Ii also authorizes the
committees to send for persons and papers and
making the inquiry Agreed to.
nhe senate sh at l$o p - nj m resnmed considera-
Ing the right of the government to pay bonds in
silver. and Mr.. Herman, of New York. spoke in
opposition thereto.
MIR. Herman opposed the resolution. and said
that Congress had said that the bonds should
be paid in coin, and 1t meant the coin which
was at that time the legal tender of the country.
would be bad faith. He said the government
szhad not coined silver dollars enough to pay the
kebt, and If they should, and the people had to
take silver for their bonds, they would have to
take II away in carts. He said silver was never
practically used for large payments. and ia tt-
seen : zen o years the government had coined only
Mr. Thurman said that could not be so,
Mr. Herman replied that he took it from the
Mr.. Thur man was about to read the number
OF halt dollars and quarters when Mr. herman
interrupting. said that he said and meant silver
Mr. Beck said there were sixteen million
trade dollars alone.
Mr.. Herman said they were not money; they
We're only tokens that Congress provided for
the trade between the United States and China
they, were not a legal tender He said he meant
the dollar of the fathers and only eight millions
of those had ever been coined. That was an
honest dollar; but the resolution now before
tsm provided % ior the of the bonds in
ed in 1873, what is would pay its bonds in, and
L elected to pay in gold. and not in silver.
less value than gold. and can save that much
to To- pass S : resolution to make max i lawful ior ir
holders of the bonds have a right iat to say that that
such a course would not be honest? viii it be
right right to pay the bonds issued since 1878 in
and have purchased our bonds when we were
telling the world that gold coin was our only
legal tender, will not consider it honest or just
coin. dollar Of which consists of only 41aa
grains, We took gold from tnem and we con-
tracted that they should take our bonds and
give us gold, and that is where we got our gold.
sIslsl snd .bhy they had had failed to pay the United
over the. gold to the United States. and and
we cannot now pass law to make cheaper
coin and shove It eff on our creditors he