The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-19
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.
REMOySTRA WOES AGAINST THE PASS
.iGE or THE SITTER NIL.
The Matthews silver Resolution Discussed In
the senste-'Th- Lnte senator Morton E"'o-
ri,ed In the House OF Representatives

Ei.ed In the House OF Representative
WASHINGTON. Jan. In the Senate Mr..
Conkling Ucp. y. W presented several pcti-
tions VI citizens Of Albany. demonstrating
agains, the passage Of 'hc Bland silver bill. lie
said the petitions were signed 10y men repre-
senting not only money and property. hut en-
icrprisc also. and they expressed tho opinion
that the passage of the bill would he prcIudcial
TO the honor and crodi, Of tho Government.
Laid on the table.
He also presented the resolutions Of the Al
bany Board Of Trade against the passage OF that
bill aud he also presented n petition Of work
ingmcn of Rochester against any change of the
tariif cXempting paper from duty Referred.
Several petitions were presented against any
reduction Of duties on imports. and against the
restoration OF the duty on tea and coffee. Re-
fcrrcd
Mr. Wallace DEM. Pa presented u memorial
Of the Philadelphia Board of Trade in favor of
the establishment Of n national Department of
Comm cree, and petition q officers Of The ma
monctzniion of silver. Referred.
to ar amend the at Of March 2, is77 to provide
clifton df tho Revised statutes Of the United
States; Placed on the calendar. H. also re-.
the jurisdiction Of the Court of Claims. and it
WI; Indefinitely postponed.
Mr.. Barnnm dem; Comm presented petit
tion of the Utah Northern Railroad COMPANY
asking for a grant OF land to aid in the compile
tion Of its road Referred.
Mr.. Voorhees, Dem. Indl by request. intro
duccd I'LL roViving aud continuing the Court
ut Commissions of Alabama Claims, and for the
distribution OF the unappropriated money OF tho
Geneva award. deferred.
The morning hour having expired. the Senate
resumed considernton Of the silver resolution
Mr. Merrimon Dem. ~ c. said that he
would never consent that th" honor and good
faith Of the Government should be- impaired in
the slightest degree. The naked question
was. whether the Government could lawfully
pay it, creditors In silver Of the standard Of
value ~ July II. 1870 A. the contract stood
between the Government and its creditors it
could so pay them. The fact that there was
cuation when tho bonds were issued did not
affect tho contract nj all. Why was not n pro-
vision inserted for that purpose That tho
silver was clear, and he could not see how any
such action could be looked upon as rcpudia-
were the effect 81 unwi-c legislation. In the
natural order of things after the close Of the
war. specie payments would have returned and
The inter, stcd bcndholdcrs could not wait for
things in their natural order. That was too
| slow. They thought that rapid contraction Of
the paper currency would restore prosperity
| and the early resumption OF specie payments.
This course Of contraction had been pursued hut
unhappilv nonr Of the good results anticipated
| had followed. since the panic Of 1873 nothing
had flomri-hed save Government bonds.
| MI MHNey 'It m. ItNh-l spoke NJ lenEtn ns
| u the constitutional powers OF Congress III
| coming money. &c.. and argued that the Const-
| tuition itself recognized the double standard.
The bonds were payable in either gold or silver.
| In his opinion. the time had now como when
the silver dollar should be restored To the coin
| age Of the country. Any legislation t. destroy
| silver rs money was in violation OF the COn-ti-
| tuition.
| William A. Wheeler laid before the Senate n
| message from II. u. Hayes. enclosing a report
| from Charles Devens. in answer to the reSou-
| ton Of senator ChafIee rep, Coll calling upon
| him to inform the Senate what legal impcdi e
| mcnts. If any, exist which prevent him from
| executing the laws in accordance with the obli-
| cations accepted aud agreements made by the
| Union Pacific Railroad Company and Its
| branches with the United States. Referred TO
| the Committee on the Judiciary.
| Also message from Il. Il. Hayes enclosing
| an extract from the annual report Of the Cen
| cral Of the army and communications from the
| Commi~sary and Quartermastcr-Gencral in
| regard To- the cause Of and cost Of the war with
| the Nez Perces Referred.
| The Senate then went into executive session.