The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-31
ATTITUDE or The ADMINISTRATION.
How the Law May Be Evaded by
a Hostile Executive.
THE DEBATE on THE WHISKEY QUESTION.
Reduction of Salaries in the Diplomatic
and Consular Bill.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, Jan. 80 1878.
she BLAND SILVER RILL LIKELY TO BECOME A
LAw-How IT MAY BE RENDERED INNoCU-
GUS BY THE ExEcUTIvE-vARIED OPINIONS OF
SENATOR'S.
There Is general impression hsre that the chances
II the Bland Silver bill becoming law over the veto
nc increasing; yet 1t is no: fact that twothirds OF
She Senate believe the bill good neces-
Bsry At least eight OF those Senators
Who may in the end vote for 1t would greatly prefer
different measure. one which should not touch the
debt the and which would not make silver
an unlimited legal tender. There probably
not less than dozen silver Senators who would pre-
fer 10 have for the present a moderate and guarded
emission Of silver dollars as part Of the subsidiary
coinage believing that It Is desirable to extend tho
OF silver further will be time enough to do this
NJ the next session Of Congress. But there is little
doubt that all these Senator'S will cast their for
the Bland bill, because nothing else offers.
There Is one to bring together in practical way
this kind OF opposition to the BILL The President and
all his Cabinet are opposed to the BILL but tho Pres
dents theory Is that ought not 10 Interfere with
his influence In the deliberations OF Congress- and tho
Cabpet Ministers attend TO the duties of their
departments and wait for the food. AS q raying
point for the opposition to any measure
the administration is OF sort of use,
and yet people here begin to ask what
will be it's course If the bill passes the Veto The
President Is sworn to execute tho laws; no matter
how repugnant law may BIO to him he must execute
It, But TO the faithful execution OF law no needs
heads OF departments who believe in It. He has now
cabinet utterly opposed to the Bland bill II It be-
comes law in spite of his veto people asking
with curiosity whether ne will not change hts
Cabinet, or, indeed. whether the present Cabinet will
not resign as matter Of honor in order that their
chiei may select other men who believe in
the and who will therefore faithfully
It, 10 this suggestion 1t Is replied that there are
rious ways OF executing law; that tho Bland bill,
supposing Mr. Alsons amendment to pass with
It, does not force the Secretary OF tho Treasury
to issue silver dollars. but only obliges him to buy
bullion and dollars which he may keep locked
up In tho Treasury vaults; that the mnts work very
slowly In any and always getting out OF
order. the machinery being complicated, and In
short, that with Secretary OF the Treasury, Presi
dent and Cabinet who do not believe tho Bland BILL
It may be mado very harmless law, njuriug neither
the national credit nor the currency.
II begins, in fact, TO be by some Of the sup
porters of the Bland bill that while It stab
the national credit and honor, it does not, with the
Senate amendment. actually oblge the Treasury
10 put coin into circulation. There are sew.
eral kinds OF silver men In the Senate. One
set Of Senators believe that the debt and interest
ought to be paid be mado payable In silver
Another set this to DO at least doubtful They
that the bonds not due and that to pay the In
terest in silver would simply ruin credit abroad
without any compensatory advantage TO vs. But
these gentlemen sincerely believe that the silver
dollar ought TO be part OF our homo circulation
They would not DO particular about the amount to
vhi he m A n leQa IAN III az
their people the silver dollar and they wish to
give them what thoy want
So far all these silver men stand together Tho
moderate voted for the Matthews resol luton be-
cause they thought to vote against It to vote
against silver, which they would not do and because
the resolution after oil only abstraction, shot
in the air. They will not go against silver ana they
WILL therefore. vote for the Bland bill, unless some
shiug different turns up, Of which there little ex
pectation.
In short, the situation is such that the President
could defeat the bill If he took any particular interest
in the question. To do this he need corrupt any
body; be need not use patronage, which Is only the
resource OF a blunderer; he would need only take
SO much interest In what Is going Eat the other
end OF the avenne' most Presidents have DONE
and as they did because they had opinions
OF their own and did not wish to be made
uncomfortable by having what they believed
bad law forced down their throats But it is said
the President takes what he thinks DO sthe highest
ground" which is to stand absolutely quiescent
That that the Executive is only u sort OF
chine carry out tho enactmcnts OF Congress. But
that theory II is said by persons who about
It, II the Bland bill becomes law he Is in honor
bound to reconstruct his Cabinet aud put at tho
hoads OF the departments who are in harmony with
the action OF Congress-
AMENDMENTS TO THE BLAND BILL.
A number OF amendments will be offered to the
Bland bill. Mr. Cbristancy to-day proposed to
mako tho silver dollar OF 434 grains which would
present price OF silver.
Senator Eaton will offer amendment, making II
contain 435 grains aud limiting Its legal tender quality
to Owe dollars
Another amendment spoken OF Is to coin a dollar OF
412,s graos TO tho amount necessary to redeem the
legal tender notes undor $40 and make silver tako the
place Of these smaller greenbacks There will also:be
an attempt to lay the whole matter over until
ference can be had with European governments.
The difficulty with oil those amendments Is that
they are offered without concert and by individual
Senator's and thus not likely to break the limo oil
the silver men.
Senator Jones, OF Nevada, soys tho Senate Finance
Committees amendment which gives the profits OF
coinngc to the government Will undoubtedly receive
tho OF the silver men, and that. IL commands
the Secretary OF tho Treasury to purchase 81 O0 DOC
Of silver per month he VIII add IN amendment pro.
vldng that these purchases may be discontinued in
case silver should be run up to par with gold, and
allowing In that case tree coinage.
THE WITHDRAWAL OF wHIsKEY IN BoND-A
REPUBLICAN SUCCESS IN THE HoUsE-rHE
TARIFF BILL.
The republican minority In the House once
overlooked to-day and swampcd the ma
toriiy. A subcommittee OF the Ways and Means,
consisting Of Messrs Tucker and Burchard, having
under consideration changes In tho informal taxes,
has been understood TO favor reduction OF tho tax
on whiskey. and. in view Of this, Mr. Tucker some
Jays ago introduced resolution allowing whiskey
TO remain In bond for some additional months This
camo up to-day, and Mr.. Foster, OF Ohio, offered a
Z aasi. 81 liz