Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-01-19
IN CONGRESS.

principled population which you
represent.
IN CONGRESS-.
Since the Christmas recess the pro-
ceedings in Congress have been of
little interest, with the exception of
the investigation resolutions of Mr..
Wood in the House and some fur
Their proceedings in the Senate in
reference to the silver resolutions,
the latter including an able speech
from the Hon. Jas. Z. Bailey.
The following is the text of Mr..
Woods resolutions, which came up
for discussion on the 10th inst:
Resolved, That the several committees of
this House having in charge matters per-
tanning to Indian affairs, military affairs,
naval affairs, postoffices and post roads, pub
lie lands, public buildings and grounds,
claims and war claims be and they are here
by instructed to enquire, so far as the same
may be before their respective committees,
into any errors, abuses or frauds in the adj
ministration or execution of existing laws
affecting said branches of the public service,
reformation can be made so as to promote
integrity, efficiency and economy therein
that the Committee on Expenditures in the
State Department, in the Treasury Depart
ment, in the Navy Department, in the POST
office Department in the Interior Depart
ment, in the Department of Justice and on
Puzzle Buildings, be and they are hereby in
structed to proceed at once to examine into
the state of the accounts and expenditures of
the respective Departments submitted to
Them and into all the affairs of said Depart
ments, fully as is permitted them, and
made their dutytod by the rules OF theHouse
relating to said committees respectively.
And for the purpose of enabling the said
committees aforesaid to fully comprehend
the working of the various branches OF De-
partments of Government respectively, the
investigation OF said committees may cover
such period in the past as each of said COM
mitteeS may deem necessary for its own
guidance or information or for the protec-
tion of tina public interests, and for the eX-
posing of frauds or abuses of any kind in said
Departments; and said committees are au-
thOrized to send for persons and papers, and
also to sit in any recess which may occur dur
ing the session. Pr0Uided, That the exercise
of the power shall, in the judgment of the
committee, be necessary, and that when the
production of papers is required they shall
be specified and described with such accu-
racy as shall be practicable under the cir
cumStanceS.
Resolved further, That the Committee on
Public Expenditures be instructed to inVeS-
tigate and inquire into the matters set forth
in the foregoing resolution in the Legislative
Department of the Government, except in so
and in particular in reference TO the public
printing and binding and shall have the
same authority as Is conferred on other COM
mittees aforesaid.
The resolution was offered in
Committee of the Whole by Mr..
Wood in a temperate, brief and bus
iness-like speech, and met by Mr..
Hale by the following amendment
in substitution
Whenever any committee of this House
shall ask for special and extraordinary pow
ers, whether in relation to the time and con-
duct Of its meetings, the power to send for
persons and papers, the right 10 report at any
time, or for any other extension ofits powers
and duties for the purpose of investigating
the conduct and action of any present or for
mer officer of the Government, or the bust
ness OF any department, bureau, division or
branch of the public service which has been
or may be under any such officer, the charges
upon which such demand for investigation
is based shall be presented in writing to the
House, with the names of such officers as are
charged with Improper or unlawful proceed
ings, and particular statement in writing
signed by one or more members Of this
House, that he on they have reason to be-
lieve and do believe fi1at such charges and
statements are so Sttatafnad by evidence as
to make investigation 1aFfscss aTF; and any
committee seeking to ffsSesigate as above
provided may at any time apply for such
lfttNt TIC iOOf
This substitute was argued against
by Mr.. Wood and his friends as
transparent device for preventing
investigation altogether, but carried
in committee by vote of, ayes 101,
nays 96. The failure to vote the
substitute down and to carry the
original resolutions was attributed
to the nOn=arriYal of Democratic
members after the recess in time to
vote. This action, however, was
reversed the next day when the
above proceedings were reported
from the committee, and Mr.. Woods
resolutions passed as originally of
fered. The Democratic members,
however, still arrived so slowly that
it was done by a majority Of only
four. This want of promptitude
and punctuality in attendance on
the part of Democrats has been noted
throughout the present Congress
with serious effect on Congressional
action. II must be 0HaeJlded.
SENATE.
The most important business be-
fore the Senate has been the silver
dollar. Mr.. EdmOnds has offered
the following amendments as a sub
stitute for Mr.. Stanley Matthews
resolution on tbs subject:
BE it enacted, That all bonds of the United |
States, issued or authorized to be issued I'M /
der acts of Congress, are payable, principal /
and interest, in gold coin or its equivalent; /
and that any other payment, without the |
consent of the creditor, would be in viola /
ton of public faith, and i'll derogation of his !
Whereas, 1t appears from the record of the |
mint that the total coinage or the silver dol /
lar has been SS,04j, S3S and,
Whereas, The silver dollar of the United |
States has been long absolutely obsolete as |
any substantial part of the money or the |
country, and that which had been so coined |
almost entirely converted into other forms I
of metal, and did not exist at the time of the /
making of any of the existing laws of the /
United States, or these from which the exist /
ing loans have been refunded and,
Whereas, BY the provisions OF the coinage |
act of 1873, passed on the 18th of February of .
that year, and of the revised statutes enacted /
on the first day of that year, all the provis
silver dollar We're repealed and,
Whereas, Since the passage of the said
aforementioned act, gold coin, which by
reason of the premises has been the only eX-
isting lawful coin tender and standard of
value for all payments above the sum of five
dollars as it had been the only one in fact
for many years before, the United States has
borrowed in gold coin from the people of
this and other countries the sum OF not less
than $50, 1884,, zoo, at rate of interest lower
than that of any loan ever made before by
the Government, and payable in coin; and,
Whereas, The holders of all the Govern
ment securities have right to expect that,
however much the United States may change
its laws so as in fact to affect their interests
faVorably, it viii never evade or repeal ia
vorable legislation, either for the purpose or
with the effect to make money at the ex-
pense of its creditors; and,
Whereas, Differing from the transaction of
aIIa1rs between private persons, the public
creditors have no means of enforcing the
payment of their loans, IL is q duty Of the
highest obligation on the part of the United
states to pay Its debts in such q manner as
TO meet the Just expectation of its creditors.
ana 70 refrain from taking ADVANTAGE of the ,
cheapness Of silver, by reviYing other obso-
lete coins, or obsolete or repealed coinage