New-York tribune., 1879-01-03
AHrMpRUM DAY IN WASHINGTON.


30 DEMAND WHATEVER FOR GoLp-PREsIDENr
HAYES AND SECRETARY SHERMAN MUCH
PLEASED At THE TELEGRAMS FROM NEw-YORK
"A LOOK INTO THE BASKs.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO rHE TRBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-The President and the
Secretary of the Treasury read with unusual inter
est to-day the dispatches from Assistant Treasurer
HIllhouse 1T New-York IN regard To the resumption
of specie payments in that city. The announcement
received early in the day that there no rush of
business men TO obtain gold coin Tor gTeenbacks,
and that the majority of the holders of gold cou-
pons preferred legal-tende notes though not unex-
pected was none the less welcome because 1t was
an evidence of the confidence OF the peo-
pie that resumption Is TO be permanent and
that the Government is amply able TO
ecute the law for the redemption of 1tS
notes The later news that the coin receipts for the
day at New-York far exceeded the com payments
caused perhaps little surprise, fer il was supposed
that ar first the demands for interest and redemp-
ton of notes might cause sDlal draft on the stock
Of coin on hand.
In Washington nothing occurred at the Treasury
or elsewhere remind one that the country had at
last rctraced the steps 30 easily taken IN the dark
DAYS OF the war and that the standard of values
was once more identical with that of the business
world. Many people called upon the Secretary and
! the Treasurer but found them attending to their
regular duties. Just a. though nothing important
/ had happened. In the cash room few people We're
surprised when they presented coupons, 10 be paid
| i'm greenbacks without being asked by the
/ teller what kind Of money they wound prefer.
Heretofore since the recent order OF the >eTftary,
coin has been handed out, but the payee has been
informed that he could have notes If be- preferred.
To-day if any one asked for coin h. was given
| check on New-Y0rk and Of the 5000 paid az the
/ Treasury to-day ia the redemption OF coupons,
all except 81 sci was paid in paper. Almost
/ the only holders Of coupons who asked
| for coin were the city banks, which pay
out gold over their counters IN cashing
checks and coupons for customers who desire the
coin. and to reimburse them,elycs FOR which they
are obliged to transport the coin from New-York.
These banks al took coin checks.
COIN NOT MUCH WANTED ~ THR CITY.
The demand for gold n this city has been and is
| very small. Messrs Middleton y Co.. bankers,
/ who began giving coin about ten days ago 10
/ al who desired it. paid out about - in
paper to IL IN gold. and the proportion
seems to be decreasing the novelty OF
/ handling gold coin wears of. some Of the shop
keeper. mere even hesitate 10 receive gold com, ~
they are unable to Judge of it, genuIncneSs. and
some Of them say that they have already suffered
loss by accepting CONS that were light The
.
ing bankers of Washrngton to-day publishes their
opinions. from which the following extracts arc
taken
Messr-. Middleton Il Co. complain that the
Treasury Department does not pay gold at the
counter lbe firm has caShed "a great many IN
terest coupons. To-day when they we're presented
al the Treasury counter they were paid IN green
backs The firm however, would have been given
a draft on New-York had il so elected which OF
course would have been in gold
"Re.ulsption does not make a ripple Of cxcte-
went here said the paying teller Of the Citizens
National Bank. I'VE are actually getting in more
gold than we are paying out. We pay out gold to
all who want It, The trouble j, thar most of the
gold in circulation here is IN small denOmi-
| nations. IL naturally finds It's way TO the
banks. We get rid Of 10 by giving
il To such customers have en-
ploy6s 10 pay. Say, for instance an employers
weekly payroll j, 5000. We pay HIM half IN gold
and halt in silver This finds It's way 10 our mer-
chants. who again bring IT right to the bank Now
the Treasury will not exchange It FOR pieces of
larger denominations than f2O, and snail gold
may become a nuisance" How Will yOu
get rid Of it ii II should become
drug" asked The star man. Well, We
can send it to New York, and get currency credit
Tor it,
At the Metropolitan National Bank everything
was working smoothly to-day. No demand was
made for gold. Customers were asked If they
wanted II. and not one 10 ten would take it. "A
few DAYS before Christmas saId the cashier. we
paid out a good deal Of gold on demand,
but II was intended for Christmas presents.
We let one customer have i've $50 pieces,
aud be presented them 10 his wife. As much gold
u coming in rather much more, than s being paid
out. The fact is that resumption has been antici
pated by the banks before is gong into effect, and
there being general feeling OF confidence tlat the
! banks are able to resume, cares TO take the
/ gold when they lind they can get Il. Greenbacks
| are not 80 readily lost, and people pre-
/ fer them. Very few people make application
! Tor the exchange Of greenbacks for gold" col
! orcd man walked mp to the counter Of the Metro
9olitan National Bank, and handing the cashier
lreenback one dollar bill, requested gold Que. He
| Was given It. What's premium boss = SAID he.
| Nothing answered the cashier. " We have re-
sumed.'
| At the National BANK of the Republic mp 10 noon
there had been no change IN the business from that
! Of preceding days, and money OF any kind was re-
| ceived and paid over the counter but there were
no particular inquiries made for gold. When given
! out IN change Il was received without comment
| The bank officers have been anticipating the day
call for the specie they would have been prepared.
At the Second National Bank there was about the
same state of affairs no one being particularly anx
| ious for hard money, but well satisfied with the
paper. This bank has been paying out aud receive
| lug gold for few weeks past.
At the Central National Bank all Kind Of money