New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-26
THE VOTING on SILVER.
ALONG DAY OF IT-EDMUNDs's ABLE sPEEcli-1HE
VARIOUS BALLOTS.

TRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25-Ihe senate dlSpoSeo VI
,ho Matthew's silver resolution this afternoon. by
passing IT, and as Senator Edmuads said in his
speech to-day, expressed the opinion provided, the
House concurred and not otherwise that the primer
pal and interest of the United States bonds may be
maid in silver dollars at the option of the Govern
ment.
The debate on this resolution and the passage of
II have not advanced the silver question a single
step toward solution. Its introduction has post
poued the consideration of the main question,
extended the time of ruinous suspension, caused
n depression in the price of United States
securities abroad and at home, and when
nCrecd TO by the House will leave the
whole subject exactly where it before Mr..
Matthews introduced it. This wasting so much tine
simply to obtain useless and Ineffective expression
Of opinion, when the Senate was anxious to proceed
70 the consideration 81 the main question ITSELF may
BE- craftsmanship but ii is not common sense.
The resolution passed by vote OF ~ IN the AMIR
native to % in the negative.
Before the discussion began to-day. the Senate
defeated Senator Conklings amendment making
the resolution Joint rather than concurrent Mr.
ConklnC object is said to Nave been TO obtain from
the President additional views on the silver question
before sending the Bland Bill, or any modification
of it, to him for his signature joint resolution re-
Ouires the approval of the Executive. concurrent
resolution takes effect at once upon ITS passage by
both Houses Senator Couklng's amendment
was OF course, defeated.
Mr. Edmunds then spoke for more than two hours
In favor Of his amendment and gave the most eX-
hansive history of the coin laws that have yet been
prepared. He showed such a familiarity with the
history of coinage legislation, and brought to the
support of his positions many apt quotations
from Congressional reports and debates, that
he worried Senator Jones more than any
speaker who had opposed shov the passdSs Of
both from the Statutes and from Con gressiona re-
ports and debates that the silver dollar passed out
Of circulation and ceased TO be an actual standard
of value long before 1853. Senator Edmunds was
not listened TO with half the attention that his
speech deserved Widely different III character
from that delivered by Senator Lamar Yesterday, 1t
showed equal research, and was as much above the
commonplace of ordinary discussion on this ques-
tion. =,
Late in the afternoon vote was taken on Mr.:
Fdmundss resolution. 1t was defeated by a vote OF
more than twO-thirds ,
The next vote was on a motion made by the Sena-
tor from Vermont Edmunds 10 postpone indefinite
ly the consideration of the Matthews resolution ana
this was beaten by full vote, which showed the
exact division of the Senate on the question. Inc
ayes were %. the nays 43.
After several short explanations by Senator's dur
ing which Mr.. Blaine gave his reasons for voting
against the resolution, and announced that he was
opposed to the Bland Silver Bill in its present foIIn
and Senator Gordon made ringing speech of five
minutes warning the country not to 9xpeet too
much from the Silver Bill, vote was finally reached
a little after o'clock The result was Is ayes and
% noes
An ANALYSIS Of the vote shows that for the resOlu
ton there were Is Democrats, 10 Republicans and
] independent Davis of Illinois,; against it, 10
Republicans aud Democrats. One additional vote
would have given it two-thirds majority There
were four pairs two absentees not paired Sharon
and Ingas), and one dodger Kellogg. If all the
Senator's had been present, and Sharon, ingalls, and
Kellogg had voted III favor of silver, there would
have been so in the affirmative and 26 in the mega
tive
The silver men assert tonight that this vote is no
test of the Bland Silver Bill, and that there were
among those who voted in the negative one or two
who will certainly vote with them on the main
question. The Silver Bill is the special order for
Monday with Senator Morrill, on the floor. The de-
bate will certainly last a fortnight. 1t may con-
tinue for a month.