Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-02-05
PORTY-EiGHTH CONGRESS-.
second Session.
sen ATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1

WASHINGTON, Feb 1.
After reading the journal, the chair asked
congress consent TO invite TO the floor of the
Senate the Chief Justice of the Dominion of
canada, who was in the capitol. Consent
was given
The chair laid before the Senate the Presi-
dents message relating to Mrs Grants offer
10 the government, of the swords and other
military and civic testimonials, lately belong
ing to Ten. Grant. and recommending Con-
gress to pass the bill to enable the President
to place Gen. Grant on the retired list
Alter some routine business, the Senate re-
sumed the consideration of the interstate
commerce bill, and rejected the amendment
proposed by Mr.. George.
Mr. salisbury submitted an amendment
providing that no right of action at present
allowed by law should be denied after the
passage of the bill under consideration, but
Mr. wilson proposing an amendment of a
similar tenor and somewhat more comprehen-
slve, Mr. Salisbury Withdrew his amendment
and MIR. Wilson's amendment was agreed to-
MIR. Salisbury, in some remarks on the
bill, said that he had never seen any good
come of commissioners. What had the civil
service commission ever accomplished?
MIR. Plumb remarked that what it had ac-
complished would, TO democratic apprehen-
sion, be much more apparent In about 80
days than it had ever before
The bill having been perfected. it was re-
ported to the Senate from the committee of
the whole, read third time and passed; yeas
43, nays IL
The Senate then took up the bill for the
retirement and recoiuage of trade dollars
Mr.. ingalls, moved to strike out the fifth
section, which provides for suspending the
coinage # the standard dollar.
Mr.. Morrill, addressed the Senate on the
bill. He accepted the Senate committees
amendments to the House bill. He said that
he had an idea that something should be im-
mediatey done BY Congress upon the subject
though he thought that more heroic legis-
lation would be more salutory. Mr.. Morrill,
did not feel that the government of the United
States is under the slightest legal or moral
obligation to redeem the silver coin known as
the trade dollar. 1t originated sulely from
the supposed demand for export. The gov
ernlnent, he said, being paid for barely the
cost of coinage, never had anv interest nor
profit in the trade dollars; never received
them at the treasury nor paid them out. and
furnished them only to the parties who osten-
sibly wanted them in this form to take silver
bulletin out of the country, and was an es-
pecial favorte silver miners. There are
These trade dollars are held by our own peo-
pie. l have with some reluctance consented
to the measure in order to relieve the coun-
try from at least one of the embarrassing in
cidents which surround the silver question"
The Senate amendment, Mr.. Morrill, said,
contemplated renewed efforts to secure by
concert of action with the countries of latin
Union large use of silver on a fixed and com.
mon ratio with gold. MIR. Morrill, defended
the treasury department from the charge OF
not having given the silver dollar fair
chance to circulate and cited statistics to sup
port his contention. The trouble with the
silver dollar, he said, is like ''a bad penny"
it would not stay in circulation. In conclu-
sion Mr.. Morrill, said II do not wish to
demonitize silver or reduce the amount in
circulation, but | would make it safe and
practicable TO increase the amount held in
our financial institutions a. well as in the
hands of the people. The present bill and
amendments are intended to provide against
any outward combination or event that shall
leave us with only one of the precious metals
to support our standard of money. We
greatly need them both. 1t may be very near
it may never happen, but if we should at any
time be driven to the single standard of silver
it would be great disaster, affecting the
value of property and all investments The
blow, should it ever happen, would strike
with the greatest severity on the workingmen
of the country who would suddenly find their
wages largely reduced by cheaper mode of
legal tender payment. | believe the measure
before us to be some contribution-not so
great perhaps as / could wish-toward the
preservation of both gold and silver as COM
mon standard Of money of the American peo-
pie and leave the subject only commencing
it to the deliberate judgment of the Senate. :"
Mr.. Mcpherson said that the United States
could not expect alone to keep up silver.
There would be $3.50. 900 of it in the treasury
vaults by August, 1866, and he favored the
immediate suspension as recommended by
the Senate committee. He contended that
instead of their being no moral or legal duty
resting upon the United States to redeem
trade dollars, every legal and moral duty is
required that they shall be redeemed and at
a fair value. The debate then closed for the
day.
Mr.. Blair made two unsuccessful attempts
through the day to secure consideration of
the anti foreign contract labor bill
The senate at AS P. NJ. went into execu-
tive session and when the doors reopened ad-
journed