The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-31
OUR NATIONS WISDOM.
CONCENTRATED AND DIFFUsED
AT THE CAPITOL YESTERDAY.
CONFEDERATION OF Soldiers Pensions
and the Silver Bill in the Sen.
ate-House Decides it In.
expedfent to Reduce
Tax on whisky.
WASHINGTON, January 80.
SENATE.

Mr.. VOORHEES, submitted q resolution
requesting the President, if not incom.
pstible with the public interest, to trans.
NIT to the Senate a statement as to how
many acres of land in the Indian Terri.
tory has been surveyed into sections and
quarter sections, for what purpose said
survey has been made and how much
land remains in said Territory not sur.
veyed; also the amount of lands owned
by the Indians previous to the treaties oi
1866, and whether the Indian titles to any
such land have been extinguished since
said treaties were made, and if so, TO
what extent and for what consideration.
Agreed to.
During the morning hour Mr.. Hosr
read communication from the Com
missioner of Pensions in regard to the
application Of soldiers for pensions not
having been acted upon on account of an
insufficient clerical force in the office OF
the Surgeon. General, where the hospital
records OF t1e army are kept.
Messrs. Hoar, Edmunds and Ingalls,
commented on the delay in acting upon
pension cases, and argued that it was
caused by the Democratic party reducing
the appropriation.
Mr.. Davis, of West Virginia read
from the report of the Jencke's commits.
sion made to the House of Representa-.
tives, to the effect that three persons
had been detached from the Pension Of
fee to act as clerks of the Republican
Congressional Committee in this city.
Mr.. Window, Chairman of the Com
mittee on Appropriations, stated that
the clerical force of the Surgeon
Generals Office in 1876 was 1863, and it
was then cut down in the general reduc.
tion of that year to l35. Last year the
lower force was increased by detailing
twenty enlisted men for duty in that Of
fee. Pending the discussion the morn
ing hour expired and the consideration
was resumed of unfinished business, the
silver bill.
Mr.. Christisncy submitted an amend
ment in the nature OF substitute, pro-
viding for the coinage Of silver dollars Of
434 grains, nine-tenths pure silver and
one-tenth alloy, which shall be legal
tender for all debts except when other
wise provided by law or contract. 1t
also authorizes the Secretary Of the
Treasury to purchase monthly not less
than 100000 nor more than $4,000,000
worth of silver bullion TO be coined. 1t
further provides that the act shall re.
main in force but one year. Ordered
printed.
Mr.. Christiancy made lengthy argu-
ment in support of his substitute, and
said that he was not opposed to the in
PRODUCTION of silver coin into our cur.
rency, neither was he opposed to making
it legal tender, go as TO be just to both
debtor and creditor, but he did not want
to have the recoinage of silver so it
would repel other coin from the country.
He could not approve OF the remonetlzs-
tion of silver in Homeopathic doses OF
4l2I grains, but was willing to have it
in Allopathic doses of 434 grains. The
question was asked as TO what amount Of
silver should be put in dollar TO mako
it equal 10 q gold dollar. If to fix
the standard of silver dollars at 4l23
grains, worth but 81 cents, would be
grossly unjust. The passage Of the bill
now before the Senate was, in PLAIN
English, debssing our coin, and all such
e1pedients had, by the verdict Of history,
debased the debaser more than the coin.
Mr.. Allison gave notice that he would
insist on the passage of this bill to.mor.
row or next day.
Mr.. Salisbury said the bill was one of
great Importance, and be was in harmony
with its general features. There were
several Senators, however, who desired to
discuss it, aud he was not willing that it
should be pressed TO vote without the
fullest discussion.
The Senate then went into executive
session, and when the doors were re-
opened adjourned.