St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-17
NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
The Senate Passes the Bill for the
Division Of Dakota and the Adj
mission of the Southern
Portion.
Senator Beck Delivers Himself Of an Ad-
dress on Silver, and John sherman
Does Likewise.
The House of Representatives Gives the
Inter State Commerce Bill a
Little Airing.
FoRTY-EIGHrH CONGRESS.
The Senate.


presided over the senate to-day.
a bill making temporary provision for the
naval service was reported By Senator Hale,
from the naval committee. He gave notice
he would endeayor 70 cali Il up Tomorrow.
Senator Laphsm presented remonstrances
against the ratification of the Nicaraguan
treaty, but Senator Sherman raiseda point Of
order that the treaty was executive business,
had not been ordered published, and remon-
strances should therefore be presented ia the
executive session.
Senator Lspham thereupon withdrew his
motion.
Senator Cockrell, from the committee on
military affairs, reported adversely the petit
ton of George Strong post, G. A. R., of
Fairfield, Ia. The petition prayed that the
surplus in the treasury be used TO make up TO
soldiers and sailors Of the late war the
amount lost to them by reason Of the depre-
citation in the money in which they were
paid from 1862 to 1865, which loss amounted
10 nearly one-half their monthly pay. The
petition adds the United States government
is in honor bound TO grant this prayer.
A resolution was agreed 10 calling the sec
rotary Of state to communicate 10 the senate
all accessible information regarding the ex-
tent and character Of the foreign trade Of
Mexico, the central and South American
states, Cuba, Porto Rico & San Domingo,
TO include, If possible, a detailed statement
of the value and character Of manufactured
and other articles, comprising the imports
and exports or such states and islands, and
also the share OF the United States in the
trade of each portion Of such imports and
exports transported in vessels belonging 10
citizens Of the United States.
The unfinished business being the Dakota
bill it was temporarily laid aside TO permit
Senator Beck TO continue his remarks Of yes
terday on the silver question.
| He repeated that silver had never had a
fair treatment from any of our admihistra-
tons nor any member Of 1t. When We is
sued our bonds, he said, they were payable
in coin ''of standard value Of the United
States, gold and silver coin-and the sem
ator from Ohio, (Sherman,) when secretary
of the treasury, was required by law TO de-
vote coin received from customs 10 the pay
ment of the interest on the public debts, yet
that gentleman had paid only gold, and had
| said he paid that because ii was preferred by
the customer. When the law required the
secretary to pay out something il was not for
him to say the customer wanted
| something else. The officers of
the United States were seeking
to srike down silver while we were producing
40 per cent. of the worlds supply of that
metal. Senator Beck wanted some admins
tration that would say 10 silver countries that
we would stand by them. We could wait
sixty DAYS, thank God, until the enemies Of
the silver bill disappeared from the other
end of the capitol before letting the world
know that We proposed in good faith TO
II. ~, 60 =
pay our bonds accordingto our obligations.
Senator Beck characterized as "simply i'm
pudent" the recent statement of the comp
troller Of currency that the silver coinage
law was unworthy of this great nation"
! No officer of the government had right to
make such q statement TO the legislature Of
| the nation.
Senator Sherman denied that any officer
of the United States had made any attempt
to strike down silver or discriminate against
it. From 1862, when the law referred to
was passed, there was no silver dollar in cir
culation that could be applied TO the payment
of custom duties, consequently no diserimi-
nation had been made against It. The statutes
spoke of coin, but there had been in exist
ence no coin except gold, and that was re-
ceived and paid out. There was no law to
require discrimination against gold or COM
pei the payment of silver; and the United
States government had paid to its creditors
the kind of money they preferred not as
matter Of right on the part of the creditor,
| but as a matter of convenience aud ac-
| cording to customs of banks and monied in
situations generally. Senator Sherman de-
| Tended the comptroller of currency, who, he
said, had expressed his views like a man.
Much demagoguism had been thrown around
the silver question, but the real question was
whether the United States could arrest the
march of time and turn the dial backward in
an attempt to make gold and silver Of equal
value. 1t could not be done. The question
for the United States TO consider
was whether we should 90 on
piling up these silver dollars in
our treasury as idle money, or suspend 1t
for time while considering, In connection
with other nations, the mutual relationship Of
| gold and silver. Within a few months. he
would admit, a new administration would
come into power and he commended this
question 20 it, II newspaper accounts were
true, his honorable friend from Delaware
(Bayard) was to be secretary Of the treasury
to that administration. II so he would have
this question to solve, and IL he could solve
| il he (Sherman) would follow him with pleas
ure. He did not anticipate his Democratic
friend would find less difficulty in solving
| tue QucSOlOu ludu OlnefS uaQ lOunO. and he
believed the new administration would have
TO solve 1t in just the same way that Republic
cans would have had TO solve it IL Republi-
can administration were again coming into
power.
Senator Hill said the treasury had never paid
a dollar in silver or silver certificates in max
ing payments the New York clearing house.
If it did it would be able 10 pay out every
silver dollar in the treasury.
After further debate the matter was
dropped.
The Dakota bill was then taken up. The
| question was on the adoption of Senator Gar
lands substitute for the bill reported from
the committee on territories. On coming to
a vote Garland's substitute was lost by a
party vote. Yeas 81, NAYS 81, the Democrats
voting in the affirmative and the Republicans
in the negative. The bill was then voted on
substantially as it came from the committee
on territories and passed. also by a party vote
Yeas 81, nays 2s. The Republicans voting
in the affirmative, the Democrats in the neg
alive. The following is the vote in detail:
YEAS.
Aldrich, Hswley, Platt
Allison, Hill, Plumb.
Blair, ingalls,, Riddleberger,
Bowen. Lapham, Sabin,
Cameron, Wis. Logan. Sawyer,
Conger Mcmillan, Sewen,
Cnllom, Henderson, Sheffield,
Dawes. Miller, Cal. Sherman.
Dolph, Mitchell, Van Wyck,