The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-05-29
Passage Of the Silver Bill.

In the House Of Representatives, on SAT-
urday last, after prolonged and bitter con
test, the silver bill was passed by vote OF
ia to 81. The following is summary OF
its provisions: 1t fixes the weight OF the
standard silver dollar at 4l25 grains; author
ICES the owners OF bullion to deposit the
same at any mint to be formed into bars or
standard dollars; makes the charges for
coming such bullion the difference between
the market value in New York and the lega
tender value of the coin; makes subsidiary
silver coin exchangeable at the Treasury for
legal tender money to the amount OF twenty
dollars makes standard silver dollars legal
tender in all payments at their nominal val
ue requires the Treasury to pay out silver
coin, without discrimination, the same as
gold coin in liquidation OF all kinds Of coin
obligations against the government; author
ICES the issue of certificates to depositors of
gold or silver coin or bullion; also author
ICES the issue of certificates representing coin
in the Treasury in payment Of interest on
the public debt; both classes of certificates
to be receivable in payment of duties on
imports and certificates of bullion deposited
are to be for its average market value in coin
OF like metal during the preceding week in
New York and San Francisco. Gold and
silver bullion deposited is to be coined to the
full capacity Of the mints in connection with
other coinage, and if the bullion deposited
for coinage does not amount to $4,000 900
per month, the Treasury is to purchase SUI
ficient silver bullion to coin that amount.
The act is not to be construed as authorizing
the coinage of silver except into the stand
ard dollar.
The New York Herald's Washington cor
respondent, writing under date Of the 24th
says:
The silver fight was after all a drawn bat
tie. The bill was passed by larger vote
than was expected, and while the honest
dollar men congratulate themselves that
they defeated that feature of it which dis
eliminated in favor Of silver-mine owners
and spectators by giving them 500 for $50
worth Of silver, the fraudulent dollar men
congratulate themselves that they were able
to retain in the bill the clause which COM
mands the Secretary of the Treasury to pay
lie creditors in general, in the fraudulent
dollar and in the paper certificates based on
it. The bill goes, of course, to the Senate
Committee, where it will rest for the re-
mainder of the session and probably forever.
The Senate Finance Committee was made
up by both parties on the principle, or n 0
principle, of giving everybody chance. 1t
contains two democratic honest dollar men
Bayard and Kernan-and three Democratic
fraudulent dollar men of a rather bad kind
Wallace, Voorhees, and Beck; and it has
two Republican honest dollar men-Morrill
and Allison one fraudulent dollar man
Jones, of Nevada, and one whose position is
doubtful-Ferry. If Bayard, Herman, Nor
rill and Allison can get Ferry to go with
them the bill will never be reported to the
Senate in the present shape.
On the final vote the following Republic
cans voted for a fraudulent dollar, namely !:
Bedford, Cannon, Daggett and Fort.
The following Democrats voted against
the bill and for an honest dollar; Bliss, Co.
vert, Denster, Hurd. Jones, Morrison, Null
Ter, Pochler and Wood. Many members
were absent, paired, the total vote being but
211 in house Of 293 members.