The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-11
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
THE SENATE.
A Proposed Constitutional Amendment Con
-cerninc the Currency.

A Proposed Constitutional Amendment Con
corning the Currency.
WAsHrNGTox. March 10.-Mr BayaTd sub
mitted a resolution instructing the committee
on judiciary to report as to the expediency of
amending the Constitution so as to provide that
Congress shall not have power to make any
thing but cold and silver coin legal tender for
payment of debts, rror pass any law impairing
the obligation of contracts.
Mr.. Garland submitted a joint resolution pro
posing the following amendment to the Constitu-
ion:
Article 16. That portion of the public debt of the
United States represented by notes issued under an
thority of law with the quality of lawful money, and
as legal tender for the payment of debts, shall never
exceed the sum of 1850, 900, 600, unless the bill or
bills authorizing such increased issue shall receive
the concurrence of two-thirds of each house of Con
gress, and votes on all such bills shall be recorded by
yeas and nays on the journal of each house.
A bill was reported favorably and placed on
the calendar, by Mr.. Walker, from the commit
tee or Indian affairs, to provide for the sale OF
the Cherokee reservation in Kansas.
Mr.. Morgan, from the committee on public
lands, reported q bill to provide for settlement of
the rights of States, persons and corporations i'll
any grant of land in aid of railroads OF canals
which shall hereafter be declared forfeited.
Mr.. Jackson, from the committee on post
offices ard post-roads, reported a bill to amend
sections 1929 and 4O41, Revised Statutes, au
thorizing the Postmaster general to prohibit the
delivery of registered letters and the payment of
money orders, and providing for return of the
SAME.
Mr.. Milliken reported a bill to amend the act
creating the Northern United States Court dis.
trict of Texas, so as to change the Eastern and
Western district Of said State and provide fol
times of holding court in said district.
Mr.. Morgan, from the committee on public
lands, submitted the views of the minority OF
that committed relative to the bill declaring for
feited the grants of lands to the Texas Pacific
Railroad Company,
Bills were introduced and referred, as follows:
By Mr.. ingalls,: To authorize a Kickapoo di
minished reservation in Kansas.
By Mr.. Mcmillan Thy requestE To authorize
the United States to resume possession of GER
tain lands granted Iowa in aid of construction OF
railroads.
BY Mr.. Voorhees,: To release to Indiana the
title of the United States to certain lands in that
State.
The bill to provide a bureau of statistics and
labor, coming up as unfinished business, it was
debated until 2 o'clock, when it went over until
tomorrow.
Mr.. Blair advocated its passage. and Messrs.
Sherman, Allison and Garland thought the purpose
sought could be accomplished by charging the
scope of the statistical bureaus already existing,
Nh. Sherman preferring the bureau Of statistics
of the Treasury Department, and Mr.. Allison
that of the department of Agriculture.
Mr.. Van Wyck did not see any useful purpose
to be served by any moro statistics than we
already have. 1t was less taxes the people
wanted, he said.
MIR. Ingalls, thought the Department of the In
terror, which is charged by the bill with super
vision of the contemplated bureau, had already
IN charge matters more momentous than the
affairs of many ancient or modern kingdoms,
and ought not to be charged with anything
more.
On motion of Mr.. Plumb the pleuro pneumonia
bill was made 4 special order for tomorrow.
The Senate then went into executive session
for consideration of the Mexican treaty, and
when the doors were re-opened adjourned.