Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-12
The Senate,


VASE 1NGToN, Jan. IA number of petit
tons for q commission to inquire in regard to
the alcoholic liquor traffic were submitted,
nearly every senator present having submitted
one or more memorials on the subject. Senator
Blair said that as in every instance the petition
came fir ON the constituents of the senator
presenting it, the fact was an Indication of q
universal desire for legislation upon the sub
ject.
Senator Morgan submitted resolution di-
recting the special committee on womans suf
frage in Utah to report a bill to annul any
existing law comforting the rights of suffrage
upon w omen in that territory. The resolution
went over.
The president pro tenn announced the special
committee on the rights of women, as follows:
Lapham, Anthony, Ferry, Blair, George, Jack
son and Fair.
Senator Anthony introduced a bill provid-
ing for the retirement of any person who
served five years or upwards in either house of
congress.
At the expiration of the morning hour the
Sherman funding bill was taken up, and Sen
ator Veht addressed the senate. He claimed
that the Democratic funding bill of last con-
gress would have saved the people SIC, 10000
year ih interest on the public debt, and that
this was prevented by the Republican party.
He said he was not attacking the national
banks, but he did attack the vast power vested
in them. He condemned the legisla-
ture which had given national banks
the power to contract or expand the debt
at WILL He declared that national banks have
grown In wealth and power to such an extent
that they do not intend to surrender their
charters or their existence. The banks can
only continue with the national debt, and the
banks do not propose to have the public debt
paid off because it would wipe them out. He
insisted that the issue between aggregated cap
tai in the national banks on one side, and the
people bn the other, is now presented, and he
arrayed himself on the side of the people. He
criticised Senator Mcpherson for his remarks
Yesterday in support of national banks, and
said that this was not the Democratic doc
trine, that the Democratic party does not SYM
pathize with national banks.
Senator Vest, in the course of his speech,
referred to the financial legislation OF congress,
particularly the act remonetizng silver, and
argued thfrefrom that but for the Intervention
of the Democrats the Republicans would have
annihilated greenback currency in order to
give m oHopoly of the currency to the national
banks. He suggested the propriety OF pur-
chase by the government OF all the silver bull
lion it could get, and the issue of government
notes or silver certificates based thereon in
lieu of national bank currency. He spoke of
the plethora of money in the treasury, and
our large surplus revenues yearly, as show
ing that there was no necessity of
further illustrating the correctness of
his as assumption that the great object
was to perpetuats the debt and continue the
banks indefinitely. He closed by reading an
extract from the veto message of President
Jackson in relation to the United States bank,
and up ION resuming his seat was warmly ap-
plaudeh by the members on the Democratic
side.
Senator Sherman, replying to Vests criti
cism upon his utterances in the funding be-
bate of 1870, said he was glad to see his friends
on the other side following his precepts, al
though they might do better by following his
lead when H. acted more wisely than he did in
the instance referred to. He was then
conte1ding for a section applicable not to
per cent, but first to a 5, then
Az, and then per cent. bond, at time
when our bonds were below par. The present
changes in the condition of the times was his
Justification Of his present course. he would,
howeV Ter, reiterate what he said then, that
banks were creatures OF and subject to the
will of congress. The talk of the senator
from Missouri (Vest) about the vastness of the
power of the banks and then throttling the
covert ment, reminded him of pigmy throt-
Ting giant.
The cowardice of capital was proverbial,
and the alarm of the banks was so great last
year, when the compulsory features of the
funding bill were passed, that many of them
began to draw in their circulation. The presi-
dent vetoed the bill for reasons given in his
message, and not because he was coerced by
the banks, for they never coerced anybody.
There was more cause for apprehension from
railroad influence and from the power of dena-
gogues than from the power OF banks. 1t
was fortunate the bill of last year did fail, as
the anks would not have taken the per cent.
What was to be gained by reviewing the con-
test Of one year ago. The charges OF the SEN
ator (Vest] concerning the reconciliation of
silver were supported by facts, as that leglsla-
ton was passed without reference to any
political consideration. The trade dollar,
which was provided as matter of convenience
in the China trade, supplemented the old dol
lar, which has not been coined for many years.
Asto the charges of the senator against the
national banking system, 1t was sufficient to
reply that the people were capable of appreci-
ating the advantages TO them of that system
In comparison with that of former days. 1t
gave them money equal in all states, in place
of the deprecated currency, with its innumer-
able counterfeits and insufficient security of
the old system. 1t was not monopoly, for
made profits. So did every body. He was
not welded to the banking system, and had no
personal interest in it, but thought it supplied
the best form of banking ever devised by man.
We are now being copied by other nations.
After further remarks by Senator's Nc
Phe1son and Sherman, upon the accuracy of
the statement of the latter, that the 3 per
CENTS proposed by the vetoed bill of last year
could not have been sold at par, Senator Gar
land was awarded the floor.
The debate was here suspended and the
chairman submitted message from the presi-
dent transmitting communication from the
secretary of the interior, with draft of bill
and accompanying papers, relating to the
agreement with the Shosone and other Indians
as to the disposal of portion of their lands
in Utah and Idaho. Referred to committee
on Indian affairs.
On motion of Senator Pendleton, house res
olution for recognition of the services OF the
late superintendent of coast survey, Carlisle P.
Patterson, was concurred in.
The minute papers of the assembly of the
Presbyterian church of the United States, in
session at Buffalo last May, condemning po-
lygamy, were submitted.
Senator Morgan had read a petition from
members of the Omaha tribe of Indians, pray
ingIcongress to grant each one of them clear
and full title to the land on which he has
worked. 1t had fifty-two signers. The petit
ton set forth that they have taken out certif-
Gates on allotment OF land, or entered upon
claims within the limits of the Omaha reser-
walton, have worked on their respective lands
from four to ten years, and that each farm
has from five to ten acres under cultivation,
etc.