New-York tribune., 1878-03-01
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUyE.i

L
| been returned to the House of representatives Gn
which it originated with the Presidents objections,
It had become law by the requisite twO-thirds vote
of both branches Of the National Legislature. Con-
gess never seemed greater haste to rush through
an act of doubtful policy and have done with it than
il was to-lay enact that 90 cents worth of silver
should be called a dollar. There was no disposition
to give the subject single moments consideration
The honored custom Of referring the veto message
| and tho bill to a committee allowing them to be
| printed. SO that every member could examine and
pass an intelligent judgment upon the objections set
| forth, was brushed aside in both Houses. The
| House would not hear tho veto message Sec
ond time, even, before i: proceeded in the most
| precptato manner to declare that the grounds of
the Presidents objections not sufficient, and
that they ought not to prevail. The last time that
President of the United States felt it his duty to
nerpOse a vet6 TO the passage of an important cur
rency measure lin 1870 five days were allowed to
elapse before the subject called mp for consider
alton. To-day the House of Representatives, was
voting upon the bill within half an hour after it
| returned to its custody.
| The veto message had been fully expected to-day
1t was understood at the Cabinet meeting of Tues
| day that further discussion of the question was
necessary The Presidents duty was one for which
he must be personally responsible. and while he
/
other public men whom he met while he had the
subject under consideration. he never submitted the
question of his duty in the premises to the Cabinet
for the members to decide for him. 1t is true that
majority of the Cabinet advised the President to
veto the bill, but there is doubt that
| he would have done it just the
same if the advice Of the majority had
been the other way. The only thing that made
the return of the bill to-day at all doubtful. was the
! Presidents wcll-kncwn habit of considering with
the utmost paragraph and sentence Of his
state papers and the possibility that he might
clude 90 take one more day for the preparation of
his 1t was lis pITposc ever since the first
passage of the bill - act anon II without unneccs-
sary delay and to announce his decision rs soon is
he could do 50 without seeming to have disposed Of
| the matter i'll Indecent haste.
When Mr.. P.udcn one of the Presidents private
secretaries, appeared at the bar OF the House of
REPRESENTATIVES, at hali-pl5t o'clock this after
| noon and following tie established formula, sad
! 81 am directed by the President of the United
States 20 deliver to the House Of Representatives
/ message in writing the House was dividing by
! yea and nay vote, - that there was necessarily a
/ few MINUTES delay III bringing the message 90 the
! attention of the BODY. Meanwhile, the Speaker had
opened the official envelope, and n glance at the
enrolled hill showed AT that it did not contain
! the Presidents signature. Indeed its very presence
! was evidence of the character Of the accompanying
message for if the bill had been signed il would not
have been sent back 10 the House all, but would
have been transmitted To the State Department. anl
a simple announcement Of the signature would have
been made.
The clerks about the Speakers desk soon spread
the news over the House, and communicated { 70
the newspaper correspondents who were IN the gal
lcrv Immediately their heads and sometime b.
fore the first line of the message bad been read IN
the hearing Of the House, The news Of II had been
teleraphcd to al sections Of the country.
At quarter before two the roll-call had been com
pleted and the Speaker, by dint of much pounding
and many entreatics, persuaded members 10 take
their seats and stop talking. When order was re-
stored and there great quiet in the hall (such
as is rarely known when the House Is
in session. the Speaker handed the
clerks The message listened TO with marked
attention. Two or three Representatives, went on
with their etterwritiug, but the most of them s,-
nended for the time being all other buslnoss he
Galle1ios were not unusuSy crowded, and upon the
floor there none but tile Representatives
themselves half a dozen eX-inembeTs ana three or
! four Senator; among the latter were Me'sls.
| Hoar, Spencer and kcrnan. General IL, +. Butter
| came into the hall bv the door on the Democratic
SIDE with his hands full Of newspapers just Us the
| clerk was reading the signature.
MR. STEPHENS TAKEs CHARGE OF THE BILL
| As the last word Of the message was pronounced,
| Mr.. Alexander stephens, who, by common consent
and by right too had charge OF the bill, called for
| the reading of the act itself This was document
that did not interest the House, and the silence that
| had prevailed for ten minutes gave place to the
| roar of 800 voices engaged III animated conycrsa-
| tion. Everybody seemed moved to tell bis neigh
bors all about him what his opinion Of the message
was. and the noise was like that of great cataract.
| ID 81 Ord ord nd
complained that they could not hear what the Clerk
was reading The Speaker SAID that he could not
| he r either although he within three feet Of the
reader but all his efforts TO enforce silence were Of
no avail. Twenty members gathered in the space in
! front OF the Clerks desk, where Mr. Alex. IL.
Stephens sat IN his rollingchair to learn from him
| whether debate was to be allowed; to all he said
that he should at once call the Previous Question.
This he did when the reading Of the bill was com
pleted asking at the same .ime that all members be
granted permission TO print remarks on the subject
in The Record
The Speaker then put the question, "Is there
second" and there was great shout OF " Aye
from all parts Of the Chamber Then the negative
vote was called for, and feeble " No" was heard
from t1yo or three Certainly not moro than half n
dozen we're opposed. The Speaker then asked
Shall the main question be now putt" ms was
carried by the same overwhelming vote NO one
called Tor ulViSlODj 10 one NOic thhNl
| by "ayes and noes" The whole House, almost
without exception, was anxious to get to direct
vote on the bill az quickly IS possible. The main
| ouestion having been ordered, the Speaker said:
Does the House upon recOnslderatlon declare that
| thi7 bill shall pass I" Several members, among
them Sir. Stephens and General Butler. called for
| The yegs and nays and the Speaker said that the
Constitution required that the vote should be taken
| in that way.
MR.. Cox's ExCITRD LANGUAGE.
inst before the roll call began Mr. Fort, OF llli-
| nois. asked that the Presidents message be read
| -. 80 :, ,.os ia bo rrinted and the House Ougnt