The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-02
From Washington.
THE SILVER BILL.

THE SILVER BILL.
The silver bill, having been passed by both
houses of congress and been signed by the
sneaker of the one and president Of the other
was on Monday sent to the President for ap,
.proval. The President was understood to have
said at first fatty that he should return it with
his veto; but after great deal of consultation
with his friends and several cabinet meetings
on the subject, he at least greatly weakened
in that determination if he did not wholly
changed his mind. He spoke 50 dccisivcly in
the beginning, it is said, because he believed
the bill was u violation Of the agreement with
the public creditors involved in the act OF
1853 by which he thought the government
bonds were made payable in gold; but some OF
his cabinet advisers it seems, in view of the
monstrous injustice to the bond payers which
that act involved, persuaded the President
that to put the veto on that ground would raise
Il bigger popular storm than the administration
could undertake to stem. twas said but three
members of the cabinct-Sherman, Evarts and
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Thompson. Schurz and Key opposed it, and
that the President had about decided to
return the bill signed, but with u protest
against some of its Objectionable clauses. The
matter was to be finally settled at "A cabinet
meeting yesterday.
\ reinforcement from Wall street however,
appears to have arrived on Thursday, or from
some other Indictment, the President, without
waiting for the cabinet meeting on Friday,
hastily sealed up the veto message that Sher-
man or Evarts had probably written for him
and sent it to the House. Its treatment there
can hardly be said To have been respectful.
Cox even characterized it, after hearing it
read, as only charge Of fraud by fraud
Not one word of debate took place, and the
house Immediately voted and by 1876 to -
passed the bill over the veto. The bill then
went to the senate, where Edmunds was in the
midst of speech on a Mississippi court bill,
II was hard to choke him off, but it was final
" done. and the veto having been read the
senate also, treating its arguments apparently
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once to vote and passed the bill over the veto
by vote of 4G to 10 The only vote the veto
changed was that of Hill, who had voted
against the bill but now voted for It.
MEXICAN SOLDIERS.
The house since Monday has been occupied
with the daily debate in committee OF the
whole, of the bill to grant pensions to the sur
viving soldiers or widows OF soldiers OF the
Mexican and sundry Indian wars The main
discussion seems to be continedto that portion
OF the bill which proposes to grant the same
pension to Mexican soldiers who were on the
side of the rebellion as to those who were
"loval" during the rebellion. As most OF the
Mexican soldiers were enlisted from the south,
it is said the list of pensioners, including the
"disloyal," would be some 1000; but excluding
them, would be less than 2000 The subject
has afforded occasion for several bitter bloody
shirt speeches, but without thus far cXtorting
any acrimonious reply.
HAYES To DEyENS.
HAYES. in the flush of his anger over the con-
victiOn ut New Orleans, wrote Il red hot letter
to Attorney General Devens insisting that some
thing must be done to get Andcrson's case be
fore Il L. ). court. Devcns, however, after
coolly looking the matter over, informed the
President verbally that there was no way in
which that could be done and he had better
Withdraw his letter; which he has done, and
now the Bohcmians are wild to get copy OF
it. which of course they never will.
SILVER AGAIN.
At least half dozen Of bills are already be
fore the house TO cure" the defects OF the sill
yer bill, by providing for the free coinage of
silver making grecnbacks rcdeemabc in sill
yer, &c. Proctor Knott of Ky, and Fort
Sparks and Springer, Of Ill.,, have each miro
duced such bill
SIMMONS
At last there is open war between the Presi-
dent and Ben. Butler On Wednesday the
President sent to the senate the name OF y. W.
Beard AS collector at Boston in place of But
lcrs peculiar friend and protege Simmons. Oh
course old Ben is mad all over.
THREE PRESIDENTS.
An odd proposition was introduced i'll the
house ON Monday by Mr.. Southland, . amend
the constitution so that hereafter there shall
every six years be elected by direct vote OF the
people three presidents who shall unitedly
form an executive council and perform the du-
ties now devolvcd upon the president alone
CLOSE.
An illustration of the close work between
parties in the senate was given in the case OF
the election of a president pro TEN on tuesday
in the absence of Vice President Wheeler The
vote stood % for Ferry and 81 for Thurman,
but Conkling happening to come in just then
voted for Ferry and thus elected him. But.
five minutes behind Conkling Coke OF Texas
walked in. who. if he had happened in min
f,,rl,1i,tr NynIIll have decided the