The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-11

lion, and if Congress entertained sd 0pin.
ion as to the existing state Of lsw, that
opinion should not be rulliaed by the
veto OF the President. He wSDtet ev-
erybody 70 understand the opinion Of
Congress, and then the President might
sc! as be saw 4. hereafter, but be Gid
no. ask the President for his opinion
now. The resolution submitted by bis
colleague Matthewsl raised 8 simple
question Of law. There wss 10
necessity Tor referring it 20 the
committee. There was nothing upon
the subject but one or two statutes
and no report any committee could mske
wodd lessen the debate ia the Seaste
one hous. He wss msrvellously curious
to know BY what reasons any lawyer
could arrive ct any other conclusion than
that expressed in tie resolution OF his
colleague.
MIR. Edmunds ssid that the question
with him now was, what would be the
effect O. the passage OF this resolution
upon the public credit. 1t proposed to
declare the opinion o. the two houses OF
Congress not rs = Isw, ana what eteC.
would that have on the actual condition
of things. Was II rot more candid II
Congress wss TO say anything effect
ing the public credit, tns, Il
should be done by law in
q manner thst would be binding here.
after. Such resolution Is this would
do nothing IN effect L. would not injure
the rich bOndhOider-t the 0losted bond
holder was mlneraIly able 10 take care o.!
hlmself-Dut it would injure the widow,
the orphan, the lsbOring classes who had
invested their money IN government
bonds, and enable speculsLors and gam
bIers TO gamble on the public credit.
He favored the amendment Of the
Senator from New York.
Mr. Thurman said ne had been nine
years in the Senate, and II there had been
any financial legislation to- the benefit
OF the widows and orphans, and the
laborlng man ne failed 10 s5e II. hr.
The SeUstor from Vermont, wsr1ed
the Senate that this Tes)lu.lOl would en-
danger the public credit. Since the Sem
a'or spoke, he Thurman J hsd opened his
New York paper.
Mr.. Edmuuds-W What IA the date OF
the paper?
Mr.. Thurmsn-IL is the New York
Woria, which | know the Senator Ircm
Vermont reads daily, with intense sd d
mirstion. Laughter.
Continuing his remarks, hs said that
the Senste hsd last week made the silver
bill the special order for tomorrow, and
he saw, when he opened MS paper, thst
gold was one-slIteenth lower during the
week He turned, then, to the govern
uaent stocks, and iog-d that every bond
of the United States nsd risen 10 value
since that bill was made the Specisl
order,
Mr.. MorIiIl-How much mss silver
fallen since the Bland bill passed.
Mr. Thurman said you hsye dcmone-
tjzed silver. 1t Is not quoted. The
Senator assumed that gold wss 40 un-
measurable standard OF value with which
everything else must be compared.
There ever had been in bis humble
Judgment, OF all the humbIgs he ever
knew Of, more humbug ,hsn there was
about this bill.
Mr. Elmunds-I think 80 too,
Laughter
Mr.. Thurman continuing, saId: There
wss one class oil people VINO thought II
the bill should pass all they would have
to do would be 20 hold up their hands
and silver dollars would rain into tbemi
and there was another cisss who thought
the public credit would be ruined by
il. There was no reason for any sucn
suggestion. Any such ides was fsllaclous
He commented on the report OF tho Sec
re.srv of the Treasury IN regard 10 the
remon onetizatlon of silver, and argued that
1t would not be an injury to the govern
meat, but u great benefit TO the whole
people, should the silver bill be- passed
to day. Every dollar OF public indebted
ness could be funded at Al per cent
Pending discussion the Senate, st b
O'clock, adjourned 10y = vote Of yeas 30,
nsys Z8.
This is not to be considered Is test
vote. rs many Senators known 10 be in
favor OF the resolution voted Tor IN sd-
journment on account of the iateness Of
the hour.