The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-11

legal tender for all debts and demand
public and private, except interest on III
public debt and for customs duties. Til
question had therefore been agitated aS /
whether the principal Of the debt nigh
not be lawfully paid In greenbsoks, Snl
70 meet this question and to answer II /
the negative the public credit act Of 1856
was passed. 10 his opinion the origins
indebtedness Of the country could neye
have been llquidated with any other cur
rency than coin dollars, 1t would hay
been settled with mere promises 10 pay Il
lieu OF coin dollars. That act was 10
tended TO settle any question Of payin
the principal Of these bonds, and Il dit
seem TO him that II II had been contem
plated that these bonds ahould be pal,
only In gold money Il would have been 8,
stated; that in undertaking 10 settle
doubt this statute would not have raised
new one. The act Of 1869 declared tha
the government would pay coin dollars
and what did coin mean at that day
Nothing was coin In this countr,
except that which by law might be coinet
as money, and there was on the Btatul,
books at that time another law which pre-
scribed how many grains Of gold therC
should be In gold coins, how many grain
Of silver In silver coin, and from the be
ginning Of the Government down 10 tha
time the silver dollar was known 10 thu
people Of the country as one Of our coins
he next quoted from the act Of 1862, The
9th sec. Of which provides that alldntiei
on imports should be payable in coin and
coin so received should be set apart as q
special fund for certain purposes, etc., and
argued that up 10 the act Of 1873, which
dropped the silver dollar from the coin
of the United States, silver dollars were
received for customs duties and were
pledged for the payment Of interest on
the public debt He next quoted from
the act Of July IA, 1870, 10 authorize The
refundiug Of the national debt and
said It was intended 10 define with
the utmost precision the medium
for the redemption OF those bonds. The
measures Of value Of those bonds were
most explicitly declared. They were de.
clared TO be Tedeemable in coin Of the
present standard value and bearing inter.
est payable semi.annually in such coin.
There was no ambiguity about those
times. There was no doubt about what
those words meant. The act was as free
from any possibility Of doubt as words
could make il.
HOUSE.
Under 4 call Of States, the following
bills were introduced and referred:
By Mr.. joyce: Adjusting the salaries
Of Postmaslers on the basis Of the number
OF stamps cancelled, instead Of the number
sold; also a resolution proposing an
amendment 10 the Constitution, provid-
ing that the term Of the Office OF President
be six years; also, joint resolution in
relation to the contest between Spain and
Cuba.
By Mr.. Willis, Of New York: Securing
and extending the export trade OF the
United States; also, simplifying the exist
ing laws empowering and collecting du-
ties on imports, removing all antiquities,
reducing the rates on imported merchan-
disc, restoring the duty on tea and coffee,
and enlarging the free list.
By Mr.. Thompson: Directing the
Secretary Of the Interior to institute
proceedings to test and perfect certain
lands alleged TO have been conditionally
granted TO the Northern Pacific Railroad.
By Mr.. Turner: For a tax on incomes;
also, regulating the distillation Of whisky
from apples; also, reducing the salaries
of certain public officials. II provides
for a reduction Of 25 per cent Of all sala-
ries exceeding 81 800.
By Mr.. Chittenden: Appropriating
100000 for the removal Of snags from
the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio
rivers.
By Mr.. Rsa; Proposing an amend
ment 10 tbe> Constitution providing for
the election Of Senators by direct vote
OF the people.
By Mr.. Giddings: For the construc.
tion ol railroad along the Rio Grande,
for the purpose Of establishing militia
ry and commercial highway.
By Mr.. Kelley: A resolution amend
ing the rules Of the House so that 1t will
only be in order TO suspend the rules on
the second and third Monday in each
month and during the last six days Of the
session.
Mr.. Wood, chairman Of the Committee
on Ways and Means, reported the usual
for distribution Of the Presi.
dents annual message among the various
The subjects referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs are, the war between
Russia aud Turkey, the renewal Of the
treaty between the United States and
Italy, questions as to naturalization and
commerce Of the United States and Ger.
many, the French exhibition, extradition
articles Of the treaty OF 1912 between the
United States and Great Britain, the trea-
~ with Great Britain for the protection
Of trade marks, recognition OF President
DiaE and difficulties on the Rio Grande
border, insurrection in Cuba and inter.
ference therein with the rights Of Amer.
icau citizens and other unsettled ques.
tions, Venezuela relations with Central
aud South America and proposed recog.
ton Of the government OF the Samoan
Islands.
Mr.. Hewitt, Of New York, moved to
amend the resolution In reference to the
on Foreign Affairs BY adding
to It the words, "and that the Committee
on Foreign Affairs take into considera-
ton the best means OF removing the ex-
iSting and impending causes OF difficulty
between Mexico and the United States,
and Of confirming and enlarging the com.
mercial relations between the two coun.
tries by means Of a treaty or otherwise,
and have leave to report the result OF ia
deliberations, by resolution or otherwise,
to the House at the earliest practicable
day" He went on to say: 1.-THE pecu-
liar language employed by the President
in speaking Of this matter attracted my
attention when the message was read. l
venture TO call the attention Of the House
to the peculiar phraseology employed.
II is as follows:
"While l do not anticipate an inter.
ruption Of the friendly relations with
Mexico, yet cannot but look with solic.
itude upon continuance Of the border
disturbances as exposing the two countries
to limitations Of popular feeling and mis-.
chances OF action, which are naturally IN.
favorable to complete amity. Firmly
determined nothing shall be wanting on
my part 70 promote good understanding
between the nations, must ask the at.
tention Of Congress TO the actual occur.