National Republican., 1878-05-29
SENATE.
TUESDAY, May 2s, 1877

In relation to tho tariff law Referred to the
Committee on Finance.
Mr.. MORRILL,, from the Committee on
Finance, reported a bill to authorize the Sec.
rotary Of the Treasury TO constitute supcrin.
tcndcnts of mnts aud assay officers assistant
treasurers to facilitate the purchase of bullion.
Pissed.
Mr.. MCPHERSON introduced a preamble
and resolution, rcciting that the agitation OF
the question Of taxation on tobacco had the
effect to prevent business aud have labor un.
employed: Therefore,
=. Reso'rod, That It Is unwise md incxpedient at
the present session OF Congress 10 change tho rate
OF tax on tobacco.
lie asked the present consideration Of the
resolution, but. objection was made by Mr.
WITHERs, and the resolution went over.
Mr.. OGLESBY presented a petition Of the
Board of Trade of Chicago asking that the
army be increased to one hundred full regi-
ments OF 600 men each. Referred to Commit
tee on Military Affairs.
On motion Of Mr.. MORRILL,, the bill to pro.
vide fre.proof building for the use of the
Buresu Of Engraving and Printing and the
mechanical branches of the Treasury and other
Departments, was taken up.
Mr.. BECK rose to oppose the bill, but went
OF into speech arraigning the Secretary of
the Treasury for his course In relation to the
sinking fund.
The morning hour expired while Mr. BECK
was speaking, and the bill went over.
Mr.. HAMLIN, from the Committee on For.
eign Relations, submitted report on the fish.
cry question, In which attention Is called to
the fact that the award was made by only two
OF the commissioners: that the award Is exor.
bitant and the suggestion made that In the set
tlpmput q he n m la fax a
to impress upon the British and Canadian gov.
ernmcnts and people that the American people
do not consider this Just measure OF the value
OF tho Halifax fisheries. They recommend
that tho Executive Department he authorized
to pay the award II, after correspondence with
the EovcrDncnt Of Great Britain, tho Presi-
dent Of the United States SHALL without further
communication with Congress, deem that such
payment sha1A be demanded by the honor snI
good faith of the natisa.
The bill to prohibit the further retirement
OF legal tender notes, came up as the unfn-
tsIcd business.
Mr.. BAYARD offered an amendment provid.
ing that the notes when rcissucd shall be re-
eeived for all dues to the United States, ex-
eept duties on imports, and shall not be a
legal tender.
lie then went In to an elaborate argument
against the constitutionality of making the
tween other parties, and charged that the act
which had made them so had been greatly
detrimental TO public and private interests.
Referring to the course of Secretary Sher-
man in the management of tho finances, Mr..
BAYARD said that officer wns not In the Office
by his wish or vote, hut he could not find it in
himself to emharrass his method of approach
TO specie payments, 50 much to be desired.
with the aid of the rcsumptiUn act, or In
spite of the act, we are now on the verge of re.
sumption, and no man who stood on the st
Louis platform, which hnd alfcdly advo.
Gated resumption md denounced the act ~ a
binderance 10 resumption, could now vote for
lis repeal. He contcndcd that the true policy
Of the Government was to require payment OF
dutirs in coin to the extent Of the interest on
the public debt, in oder that an assured re.
serve may always he at hand TO meet the re.
quirements of the Government, the more cspc.
clally at this time, when paper and coin are
SO nearly at par, and the paper needs no
credit.
Mr.. FERRY appealed to the Senate to vote
down this aud all other amendments, and give
direct expression to the single view that the
retirement Of the currency should be mme-
diately stopped.
Mr.. SALISBURY could not support the
amendment because 1t forbid the notes being
received for customs duties. lie maintained
tho Government should receive its own notes
In payment of all obligations to II.
Mr.. BAYARD replied that the statute OF
1862 expressly provided that the duties on i'm
ports should be collected in coin, and that coin
should be set apart for the payment of the in.
terest on the public debt, and he felt bound to
obey that statute.
Mr.. MORRILL, argued the bill would not
secure large volume of money In the country,
and that after the lst of January the only coin
in the country would be silver; that the value
of the paper would only be appreciated to that
of silver.
Mr.. BLAINE said the amendment proposed
by Mr.. BAYARD proposed radical change in
the currency, cutting OFF the circulating me-
dum S3OOOOO,GOO as n legal-tender and the
provision to make two classcs--thOse that had
and those that had not been reissucd-would
still more muddlc the currency. Beside this,
II would take from tho national banks q me-
dium for the redemption of their notes He
could conceive Of no more ingenious way OF
making the confusion Of the currency more
cOniOunded than the amendment proposed by
the Senator from Delaware, amended accord
ing to the suggestion of the Senator from
Georgia, Mr.. HILL. lie believed the Govern
ment was able to resume in silver to-day, but
that they could redeem in gold next January
he had no idea. The Government to-day dare
not let out silver, for if II did Tomorrow they
would be in tho sub Treasury shutting out the
gold.
He did not believe the passage of the bill
would change hair white or black, and IL
there was M uneasy soul between the two
oceans who wanted II let him have it.
Mr.. BAYARD's amendment was rejected
yeas, Is nays, AZ.
Those voting in the affirmative were
McssIs. Anthony, Ba! and, Burnside, Batter,
ConklinE, Eaton, Hmnlin, IlOar, Herman, La.
mar, McPhersou, Morrill,, Randolph. Rollins,
Sargent, Salisbury, Wadleigh, aud Whyte.-
Is.
Mr.. MATTHEW'S favored the proposition,
but thought the phmseology of the bill should
be amended and he offered II substitute which
embodied the substance Of the original bill
Mr.. SALISBURY said he would vote to stop
the retirement of lemi-tcndcr notes but when
there was coupled with it provision that they
should be rcissurd he could not vote for IT, for
he did not believe there was any constitutional
right to do 81.
Mr.. MATTHEWS amendment was then re.
jCCtCd-ycas, 10; nays, &c.
The bill was then passed as II came from
the llOusc--ycas, Al; nays, ls-as follows: :.
Neu>-Mcssrs Alison, Armstrong. Bailey, Beck,
Blaine Cameron llu.J, Cameron lWis.D, CuCkrcll.
Grover, lIUrris. Hereford, Iill Ingal, Johnston,
Jones yFlN.L Kellogg ktrkwOuh, MCCTecry Nc
Donald, MCMiiiun, Matthews, MnXCy, MrrrimUr,
Murglul, Orlrsby, Paddock Ransom. Saunders.
Spencer Teller, Thurman, Voorhees, Wallace,
Window and WilhCgs-Il.
Nuys-Mcssrs. Anthony, Bamum, Bayarl, Runr.
side BGllcr ChTSlianry, Comkling, Eaton, lIunr,