Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-30

0ATs OOuhhuS Woc q OcuoeOAs ACOOhSSi-
tuted the Court with nine Justices, and
provided that any of them who had
served ten years, and had reached the
age Of 20, might be retired on full pay.
This was the germ of the conspiracy
which not long afterward was fully de.
veloped.
Nine cases, involving the construc-
ton. Or constitutionality of the legal
tender clauses in the currency acts of
1862 and 1858, were then pending be-
fore the Supreme Court. Two of them
we're appeals from the Court of Claims.
Afthe December term Of 1S67-6S some
Of these. cases were argued and some
were submitted. The two appeals were
continued on an order of the Court an
nounced by the Chief Justice, though
not entered on the minutes. that the le-
gal-tender question, 80 far as it might
arise in them, would be argued in the
other cases, by the decision Of which
they would abide.
The now well-known cases of Hep
burn agt. Grisw old and Bronson agt.
Rosles were especially assigned for ar
gument on the first Tuesday Of the De-
cember term Of 1S6s-69. and leave was
given to the Attorney-General to ap-
pe6r In behalf of the United States, aud
also to the counsel In other cases named,
toArgue any question in them common
to them and to the two foregoing cases.
The object was to cover .the whole
ground and to have every interest full
ly represented in the great argument,
which extended over three days, where
insMr. Evarts took part as Attorney
Gen. val.
The great questions as to the appli-
cability of the legal-tender clauses to
contracts made before the passage Of
tile acts of 1852 and 1853, stipulating
for payments in dollars, but not speci-
flying coin, and as to the constitutional
ity of the acts if held to authorize salts
faction of such debts by tender of Unit
ed States notes, after being considered
fr months, were determined. according
,iseaaapef Prepared BY. Chief Justiae
Chase, on the 26th OF January, 1870.
Five Judges against three held that
gold and silver were the only constitu-
tional legal tender.
Thus, a return to specie payment
was effected by judicial decree, then
to be more binding and per-
manent than an act of Congress, be-
cause it was not subject to the caprices
of legislation. Mighty benefits would
have resulted, and ruin would have
been avoided, had this decision been
allowed to stand. 1t was overthrown
by corruption, by corporate power, by
a Republican President, through a Re
publican Court reconstructed to do the
Infamous work.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
had $l2, 600, 900 and the United Com
panies of New Jersey $4,000, 900 of
bonds outstanding, all issued before the
passage of the legal-tender act of Feb.
Is, 1852, and therefore directly affected
BY this decree of the Court. More
,han two millions year of inter-
est were at stake, as gold was then
selling at over twenty per cent. pre-
MUM.
These companies entered into an
agreement with the holders Of their |
coupons that if the
''Supreme Court of the United States shall, |
within one year from the first day OF April, |
s7O [mark the dateJ decide that all debts
in lawful money of the United |
|tates before the 25an of February, 1852, must |
e paid In gold, then the sal company will,
7ithin twenty days from the rendering Of
uch decision, pay to the said holder, upon
he surrenoering of this memorandum, the
foresaid difference in les al-tender notes, with
nterest.'
At that time Joseph P. Bradley was
he attorney of and a stakeholder in the
,amden and Amboy road. He drew
he agreement between the united ca
al and railroad companies substantial
y in the terms of the Pennsylvania cor
oration above cited. VIM. Strong was
ucu JuuSc VI tile OtaGC Soutt, WOO
i'm the Pennsylvania Cen
raj. and had long been its legal advis-
r. As Judge he had rendered a de-
ision favorable to the constitionality of
he legal tenders.
Strong beca a member Of the Su-
RENE Court of the United States on
he 14th of March, 1870, and Bradley on
ne 2lst Of March, 1870. They were
hosen by the corporations and appoint
1 by Grant for a purpose. They sig {
allied their entrance into the Court by /
n indecent exhibition of zeal for their i
mployers. Bradley went to WASH &
lgton on the 22d of March, the day af-
r his confirmation; he was sworn in s
D the 23d of March; he took his seat {
a the oath of March; and on the 25th G
March Grants Attorney-General, e
herman, an ex-Confederate, moved {