Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-06
FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WEDNESDAY. February 6.

prayer by Rev. Dr.. Newman, a former chap
lain
Mr.. Davis Un.l presented copies of rcsolu
tions relating 10 the reconciliation of silver.
held in Chicago, Dec. 18th. ISL. Referred.
Mr.. EdmundS. from the judiciary committee
reported back bill making the sd February
legal holiday in the District of Columbia and
asked its reference to the District of commit
tee. So ordered.
Mr.. Mitchell introduced a bill TO reduce the
cost of mail service on the Pacific coast. THE
bill proposes that the Postmaster General shall
consider proposals for carrying the mails on
delay in the mails from a storm. The eXten-
sion of time 10 be ten days from the ID instant
Saturday. Referred.
Mr.. Davis ull.) called up the bin to remit
the taxes on savings banks, reported from the
hnance committee, with amendments. THE
on RENTS unpaid taxes on savings banks that
were in existence June Is. lS74 and have since
been aScertained by the Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue to be insolyent: but no tax
is to abated that has been paid and only in so
Iar as the collection thereof would operate TO
lesson the sum receivable by depoSitors
Mr.: Rollins amendment, extending the ex-
emptionS of the bill TO two or three banks in
New Hampshire, so far as relates to mercan
tile OF business deposits on which no interest
was paid, said exemption To apply only to
taxes "a, & heretofore ne made, Which had been report
ed by the committee. gave rise TO considerable
debate, pending which the morning hour eX-
PRED, and the bill went over.
Mr. Dorsey introduced a bill TO authorize the
commissioners of the District Of Columbia 10
audit certain claims. Referred TO the District
committee.
Mr. Matthews introduced bill to incorpo
rate the National Security Life Insurance com
pany of Washington. ID. T.. Same reference
Mr Thurman then proceeded to address the
Senate in support of the silver bill Referring
to the allegation that the silver would drive
the gold coin from the country. he said il was
impossible for fifty million silver to drive out
two hundred million gold. 1t could only drive
out fifty million, and not that unless the gold
was in excess OF the requirements of the cOun-
try. He did not believe that France could or
would demOnetize her silver. She would rather
raise her standard and make il equal to gold.
GermOny'S sixty million, which. ii was said.
would come here: he thought would be more
likely to 60 10 Asia, SO far as Germany could
spare 1t. He denied that there was an unva-
rNIng standard OF value either i'm the one or
bi-metallic measure. There was no prOduc-
tI0n OF earth that was an absolute standard.
country than the United States from 1889 TO
1850: and yet We had metallic country. Gold
and silver 1uctuated aS much then rs now,
and YET no American statesman ever pro
posed the abolition of one of the measures.
The cry Of distress was heard in our own land
and an equal OF greater wall comes from the
gold countries OF Europe 1t had been said
that our commerce would he diSjOinted by the
reconciliation of silver. LII we had carried on
our business for the past sixteen years on an
irredeemable paper currency. and il was hard
ly possible, that a double standard would be
less effective than this paper currency. III, as
alleged. or bonds are sent back, they would
SDOll anu III Illey were not IL would
he cause of congratulatiOn that our bonds
were held al home. The strength of England
and France lay in the fact that their bonds
were held by their own people. He insisted
that specie payments could more readily be
sustained by having the true metals, and that
suspensions which must at times occur, would
be more brief If the true standards were used.
A redeemable paper currency could not be
permanently maintained on the gold standard
alone.
HOCSE.-Mr. Williams (Alich.) offered a
resolution so amending the rules as to give the
privileges of the floor of the House of Repre-
sentativeS to the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia for the time being. Referred
10 the committee on rules.
Mr.. CrayenS introduced a preamble reSolu-
ton reciting that il was alleged that funds ap-
propriated for educational purposes in the In
dian Territory were diverted from their legit-
innate purposes: that too much money was
spent for maintaining delegates at Washing
ton. and directing the committee on Indian at
lairS be instructed to investigate with regard
to the distribution of said funds and report
how much has been used for the payment of
delegates. &c, and how much has been used
for the moral advancement and civilization of
the Indian tribes. Referred.
Mr.. Peddie asked leave TO offer preamble
and resolution reciting that the trade dollar
was refused 10y pOStmaSterS and by national
banks, and is only taken by brokers and mer-
chants at discount, and therefore directing
the Secretary of the Treasury to stop the fur
ther coinage of the trade dollar. and to con
fine its circulation to tie purposes for which it
was originally intended. Mr.. Peddie thought
il was great hardship on the poor that the
trade dollar should be subjected to so much
discount, and the House should at once take
the subject into consideration.
Mr.. Bright suggested that remedy would
be found in the reconciliation Of silver.
The resolution was referred 10 the commit
tee OH coinage.
Mr.. Stephens introduced Joint resolution
authorizing the President of the United States
to invite an international monetary commits
sion to consider the establishment of a uniform
value for gold and silver coinage. Referred.
Mr.. Pachec0 presented resolutions of the
legislature of California i'm relation to the i'm
provement OF certain harbOrS there. Re
ferred.
Mr. MuldrOw introduced bill to make the
department OF Agriculture an executive de-
partment OF the government. Referred.
Mr.. LanderS presented memorial of citizens
of Providence, RI, asking ADMINISTRATION of
certain charges of misconduct against the
postmaster OF that city. Also. presented GER
tam affldaVItS on the same subject. Referred.
Mr.. Cox (N. W offered a resolution. which
was agreed to- inStructing the committee on
commerce to investigate the causes and cir
cumStanceS attending the wreck of the steamer
Metropolis and the conduct of the life saving
service, and also to report such legislation as
may be necessary to prevent unseawOrthy and
Oyerladen vessels from going 10 sea.
MIR. Butler asked leave to offer a resolution
directing the Speaker of the House of Repre-
SentatiyeS to adjourn the House at O'Clock
today and to deliver the hall over to Mrs.
Isabella Beecher Hooker to make an argument
in favor of the right of suffrage for women.
Objection was made by several members.
Mr.. Harrison rose to privileged question,
and said he was not disposed to use his priyi-
lege to refute anything he saw in a newspa
per OF personal nature: but when a paper
attacked committee of this House and mis-
lead the members, he felt il his duty to correct
the error. He found in paper this morning
statement in regard to the investigation OF
the DoOrkeeper of the House, and accusing the
committee of conducting the investigation in
secret. He wanted to state for the infOrma-
tiOn OF the House that the committee at its
first meeting had resolved that it would con-
duct the investigation openly and i'm public
No one was excluded who had asked admiS-
sion, but as the room was small, all could not
get in: There was no disposition to do any
thing in secrecy. Everything was open, and
there was not man on the committee who
was not disposed to do equal and exact jus
tice.
Mr.. Dunnell wanted to know what paper the
gentleman referred to:
Mr.. Harrison replied that it was the Wash
lDgton Post, the organ of the democratic
party of the United States, and If il had been
as industrious in getting at the truth i'm this
matter as i'm promulgating error, il would not
have led the House into the error.
MIR. Wilson. from committee on foreign af-
falrs. reported a bill to amend the Revised
Statutes in relation to refunding tonnage tax
enormously imposed, in violation of treaty
provisions.
After debate the bill was recommitted to