New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-22
THE FINAL VOTE ON SILVER.


THE FINAL VOTE ON SILVER.
IE HOUSE IN HOT HAsTE-PILKs OF MANUSCRIPT
SPEECHES LEFT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SET
TLBD.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WAsBINGToy Feb. 21.-The House Of Represen-
tayes had no opportunity to-day to place on record
its estimate of the amended Silver Bill The most
significant vote of the afternoon, aud the one which
Appropriated most nearly to an expression OF
opinion on the wisdom of the legislation In which the
House was engaged, was that on Mr. Abram 5. Hew-
tits motion to lay the bill and amendments on the
table Even this was not in all respects fair test
Those who voted in the affirmative were all oppo-
nents Of silver legisaton but among those record
ed in the negative were some who preferred that
there should be no silver bill passed. but who
Thought it wiser to allow this modified measure to
become law than to have much worse bill passed,
as they were convinced it would be If this had been
defeated They were, of course, mistaken as 10 the
effect of the passage of this act.
The act does not satisfy majority of the House,
nor will its passage stop the agitation or prevent the
bringing forward of Others containing all the opJec-
tonable features that have been defeated i'll this
In the words of Mr.. Harrison this afternoon, the
silver men "take all they can get" but they will
never be satisfied until they succeed IN passing law
provdng for the free coinage of and the issue
of certificates of deposit in exchange for silver bull
lion. At least score of Representatives announced
their determination on this point; and Mr.. Bland
threatened that if free coinage of silver dollars
could not be secured by attaching provisions Tor IL
TO appropriation bills in some other way, he was
in favor of the issue of paper money to put down
foreign bondhoders
If ia therefore a mistake to suppose that the con-
currence of the House in the Senate amendments,
and the passage Of the Silver Bill as it now stands,
no vii
gress and in the country just though this bill had
not been agreed to. 1t would not be surprising II
AN ATTEMPT should be made in the House next Mon
day to suspend the rules and pass bill making the
coinage of silver dollars Free nor would 1t be
strange if it was carried. The silver question VIII
be carried into the campaigns in most OF the Con-
gressional Districts next fall and no one can fore
see where this disastrous agitation will end.
NO GENERAL DEBATE.
The House cOncuTred in the Senate amendments
to the Bland BILL this afternoon, in almost as much
haste as il passed the original measure three months
ago. Mr. Alexander H. Stephcns's motion 10 proceed
10 business on the Speakers table was agreed to
after the expiration of the morning hour and the
bill in question was promptly reached Mr.. Stephens
at once called it up for the purpose OF concurrlng
in the Senate amendments. The extreme sill
yer men and infationists assumed the role
of obstructIonists, and attempted to throw the
measure into Committee of the Whole, where 1t
would be open to debate. Mr. Springer made the
point Of order that under the 112th rule OF the
House. all proceedings and bills approprlating
money or property must first be considered IN Com
mittee of the Whole. When the Bland bill went to
the Senate. he said, il made appropriation. and
the Uouse was therefore called upon to-day for the
first time to act on the measure in this character
The discussion of this point of order occupied an
hour during which neither the merits oil the Dill
rof thQ
The Speaker overruled the point Of order and vas va.
oyerwhelmingly sustained by the hpuse when MI
By the time this was disposed Of, and Mr., Stephens
had secured the floor, it was o'clock. The follow
The House of Representatives. Members crowded
around Mr. Stephens's rolling chair begging for
minute sUsa5 for h half agn mpUf five IN m wSs
TO one three minutes to another, one MN,
ute to some. and few had to be content
with half a minute in which TO discuss one
of the most difficult and complicated questions ever
before Congress. Those who were accorded hVe or
three minutes generally subdivided their time among
as many as twenty-five or thirty speeches were de-
livered. Some condensed what they had TO say INTO
majority rose with great piles OF manuscrlPt
before them, which they began to read at rai,-
road speed. as though they hoped to get through
had before them. About the time they had read
or. at most, two paragraphs the Speakers gavel
would fall, the orator woud be given leave to
PRINT" the remainder OF his remarks, and another
would be on the floor to repeat the same farce. In
the hour some good things were said on both sides,
Tor which the reader is referred to the regular press
reports. majority of the supporters of the Silver
Bill used their minute or two to denounce the Sem
ate amendments and to excuse themselves for voting
for them. Mr.. Stephens reserved only three minutes
for himself.
TWO HOURS OF CALLING THE ROLL.
At precisely o'clock the gates were closed on de-
bate by the operation of the previous question. In
that sixty minutes occurred all the debate that
over has taken place in the House, will, on
bill the passage of which may be attended by the
most tremendous consequences to this country
The next two hours were simply spent in calling
the roll. There was yea and nay vote on Mr. Hew
tits motion to lay the bin and amendments ON the
table and on each Of the two principal amendments
that striking unlimited free coinage out
Of the Bland bill, and substituting limited issues
Of silver dollars, ON Government account; and
that providing for monetary conference with Eu-
ropean nations for the purpose of establishing
common ratio of mint values between gold and sill
yer. The affirmative vote on Mr.. Hewitfs motion
represented the incorporating opponents of silver
legislation, and the negative vote on the two amend
ments represented the promising silver men.
By remarkable coincidence the two elements
in the House proved to be Of about equal
strength There were seventy or seyenty-tw0
men who would have killed the bill alto
gether if they could, and there was just an
the risk of total defeat rather than accept the
Senate amendments. If the opponents of the bill
had voted against the Senate amendments, as some
OF them thought ii wOuld have been wise to do the
majority for concurrence would have been very
small, il there had been any at all. But they
AFRAID that such course would be mIsinterpreted
ganzation and recognized leader, they did not
dare TO try thi, kind OF parliamentary tactics.
Mr. CONKLING'S INVESTIGATION.