The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-16
FREE COINAGE DEFEATED.
Weary Hours of Amendments, Debate
and Division.
Tie PRESIDENT and The RETURNING BOARD.
Furious Indignation Of the Visiting States.
men Explained.
THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE CHINESE QUESTION.
FROM OUR sPEclAL coRREsPoN DENT.

FROM OUR sPEclbL coRREsPON DENT.
:. WASHINGTON, Feb. Is, 1878
THE VOTE ON THE SILVER BILL-INTEREsTING
SCENES AND DISCUSSIONS PENDING THE
FINAL ACTION.
The Senate galleries were filed this afternoon 10
hear the final discussion and sec the vote on the
Silver bill The afternoon spent In discussions
OF various points, Mr. Allison making the. closing
speech, but Messrs. Beck, Blaine aud Thurman ex-
pressing their views.
the notable incident Of tho afternoon tho read
Ing by Senator Lamar OF the resolutions Of the Mis-
sssippi Legislature instructing hum to vote
Tor the Bland bill. Mr.. Lamar said
that he had been instructor OF the people in the
South, and that he had always endeavored teach
them that truth, honor honesty and loyalty to right
were beyond all other matters 1t was his part TO act
up 20 the Instructions he had given to Others and he
should vote as his conscience. Informed by a most
careful study Of the subject directed him toagainst
the bill. He should report his action Legsla-
ture Of hts STATE and leave 10 that body take the
. responsibility OF further action.
Mr.. Blaine was called out by the charge of Mr..
Voorhees,, of Indiana; that silver demonctized
secrety. On this Mr. Blaine spoke, and by COM
be utterly false This discussion attracted great
deal OF attention, Mr.. Blaine having been Speaker OF
the House ut the time the bill discussed
passed, and making his statement in clear and de-
tailed a manner as to entirely silence the old cry.
The real fight came on in the evening. The Finance
Committees amendment. giving the profit of coinage
to the Treasury carried. after hot discussion,
tho vote of o. to the surprise OF both II
was blow which the Bland men felt severely. The
twenty-five who voted to give the profits Of the COIN
age TO the owners Of silver bullion and not the
government, aud, In fact to make the bill the
OF huge speculation, are Armstrong, Bailey, Beck.
CockereIl Coke. Conover, Davis of Illinois. Dennis,
Easts Garland, Grover Hereford, Jones OF Florida,
Jones Of Nevada McCresry, Maxey, Morgan. Saunders
Spencer. Thurman, Voorhees, aud Withers. NJ. Thur
mans vote caused somewhat Of q shock, but he
remarked that he went the whole hog.
Mr.. Wallace introduced an amendment that three
years the Treasury should coin hundred llions
Of silver dollars, and " In the last year the average
rate Of the dollar should be less than ninety-sev
cents in gold the coinage OF silver should STOP This
amendment had somewhat demoralizng effect
Tho silver RANKS, for It got over thirty votes.
Becks amendment which most mischievous,
provided TINT whom tho silver dollar should be- at
par with greenbacks coinage should be Free was
voted down without the yeas and Nays It had sp-
parently but few friends
Edmunds offered amendment that the silver
coinage ordered by the bill should not prevent the
coinage Of gold and Of subsidiary silver coin as tho
law now providea got only the regular strength OF
the anti-Bland vote.
Morgan Withdrew his amendment. The highest
vote got BY the opponents of the bill on the square
issue. up TO ten o'clock, Is.
Attwenty minutes TO eleven Mr.. Alison's amend
ment providing for an International conference to tx
the ratio between gold and silver came to a vote and
was carried by 40 TO 80. f1*
Mr. Mcdonald offered an amendment to change the
phrase In the bill, "cxcept where otherwise pro-
vded by contract" to- except where expressly
stipulated by contract" Mr.. Edmunds re.
marked that this was declaring In advance
what the Supreme Court might decide against, and
added that 1t would probably be called Western honor
The debate is somewhat acrid both sides, and
silver men are pushed so sharply that they make
very frank admissions For instance. In reply 10
an objection that the measure would send gold
out Of the country. Senator Jones, OF Nevada,
answered that no wanted the gold shipped out OF
ths country, that precisely the objec. Mr. Msr-
rimon objected the proposition for au international
conference that we needed no interchanges with
other countries; but Mr.. Blame asked him II he
wanted no exchange OF tar pitch and turpcntine for
tho products OF other couurics Mr. Morgan til ought
ought not pay the attention to other coun-
lries, but make our dollar
Al twelve O'Clock the debate threatens to last all
night and has been for hour OF a trilng character
THE AMENDED SILVER BILL IN The HOUSE,
COUNTER AMENDMENTS IN PREPARATION
Tho silver expect that the bill as II Will be
amended by the Senate will not please the House. aud
Mr. Springer and some others are already preparing
counter amendments, one Of which provides that the
Treasury shall coin So 600. 900 per month 1t s ia-
propose am sndments to II at once. Mr.. Ewing says
there will be Debate OF least four days IN the
House, aud it looks though the bill would
finally 60 to a conference committee. which would
probably carry It over another fortnight
STATESMEN INDIGNANT IN THE INTEREST OF
THE PAnrY--PhEsIDENT HAYES LETTER TO
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
The text OF the Presidents letter to the Attorney
General concerning the Returning Board trials is still
kept from the public, Mr. Uevens has not vet sent
his reply to the President SO fur Is known Notn-
Ing was done about the matter to-day at the Cabinet
meeting. and Tor the moment the furry appears TO
have suosded. There u.s. doubtless division OF SON
timcnt in inc Cabinet on the ques tion but II has not
gone TO the exlromes which have boen reported
There are grounds TO suspect that the fierce ndlg.
nation among the visiting statesmen other prom
nent republican politicians was, to certain extent
assumed for political purposes The Intention OF
some of those who became suddenly and con.
spcuously furious was undoubtedly to hurry tho
President away with tham ana induce him TO give up
some part OF his Southern policy. II was IN
iact. effort TO harmonic the party and
the President. Hence all tho statesmen who
were Interviewed made much Of tho Pres.
idsnrs surprise, his disappointed hopes and
n diOra linn Mi n IA theru
fact Il can be stated, on the best authority, that IL
had mt occuprad IN him In bc eithor surnrtsad is