Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-02
The Work Of Congress for the
Present Week,
CleVeland's Letter on the Silver
Coinage Criticized
And is the All Absorbing Topic
in Political Circles.
Its Probable Effect Upon Trade
and Commerce
Should it be Coined and Issued
too Freely.
Tho Democracy Sorry that MIR.
gCieveland Gave His Opinion so
Tho Democracy Sorry that MIR
cleveland Gave His Opinion so
Freely In Advance.
III FORECAST.

A|SHlNGTON, nlhrCn l-lne important
interests during the remainder of the session
center in the senate committee on appropria-
tions and in the conference committee. The
former have to-day finished the consideration
Of the sundry civil bill, and it will be reported
to the senate at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.
The bill has been considerably changed as
respects the amounts, but no conspicuous
feature has been added.
The deficiency bill will be taken up by the
sub committee tomorrow morning, and it ia
expected that it will be reported to the senate
ON Tuesday.
The Notification bill then will be the only
remaining regular annual appropriation bill
untouched by the senate. 1t contains very few
items, and will be quietly disposed of on
Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
The bills in conference are, pensions, army,
postottice, Indian and legislative bills. The
first two contain no conspicuous features of
difference, and the conclusion respecting them
will be easily reached. The conference upon
the postotfice bill are holding their first meet
ing this evening, and expect to agree before
the adjournment, upon everything except the
so.called subsidy clause, upon which the sec
ond conference will doubtless be required.
The legislative bill ha, deem agreed to by the
conference with the exception CT the provis-
ion of clerks for the senators; and 1t is eX-
pected that the house will recede from its po-
sition in this regard, as it did last
year. The Indian bill presents
difficulties, the solution of which at
this time will be ~foreseen. Amendments relat.
ing to the amendments of the various appro-
p~riations have all been incorporated in the
measure by the house is sti | at issue, and
neither party as yet manifests any disposition
to recede. The house conferences urge the
merits of the proposed legislation; while the
senate stands upon its rule which forbids new
legislation upon appropriation bills, and de-
rlnrps YpOrapypr that the hnf1se pronDaitipps
involve the violation of solemn treaties with
the Indians. The naval bill has not yet gone
to the conference. The senate amendments
were discussed by the house committee on sp-
preparations to-day, and the latter, with two
or three minor exceptions, failed to CON
erences will all be easily harmonized
except the provisions for the completion of
the monitors, and that for the armament of
the new cruisers and gunboats, Very little
more business. except the consideration ofthe
appropriation bills is to be expected from the
pr. sent congress, though the friends of
several important measures in the House will
endeavor to secure action upon them at this
stage OF the session. 1t practically requires
the unanimous consent for the passage of an
important measure, since a very small mi
nority may, by resortinp to parliamentary
methods delay or exhaust the remaining time.
Among measures likely to be pressed upon
the attention of the house are the
GRANT RETIREMENT BILL,
the bankruptcy bill, the educational bill, the
Mexican pension bill and the national library
bill.
The committee on elections has signlfed it's
intention of pre- sing the election contests, but
there is a determined opposition by the min
GRITTY, and tillbustering will be resorted to If
necessary to defeat their consideration. In
the senate such time as is not devoted to the
consideration of apnrnnriafton hills uiIl ha
taken up in disposing of the house bills upon
the calendar, preference being given to the
pension bills. The bill to forfeit certain
lands granted to the state of low to aid in
the construction of railroads has already been
under discussi on, and will be urged to action
If opportunity occurs. The 5 ,LOO,0 COO substi-
tute for the usual river and harbor bill 10 in
the hands of the senate committee on COM
MERGE, and its future cannot be foretold.
The friends of silver in the house, while at
first inclined to make a formal reply to the
letter of Cleveland since it has been given to
the public, decided at q conference held this
evening to reply openly to parts of the letter
with which they agree. They say they did
not invite controversy, but, on the contrary,
were anxious to avoid il. They also say that
it was not until it had become known that q
determined effort was being made
TO INDUCE THE PREaIDRNT.RLRCr TO COMMIT
HIMSELF
and his administration in advance to the
Gould side of the currency question. That
they decided merely to ask him not to Coin
nit himself until his cabinet was formed, and
both sides of the question could be consider
ed. They proposed at first to send a delega.
ton to present their views to him, but after
communicating with him, at his suggestion,
they sent a paper signed by nearly one hun
dred members of the present congress and
members elect, to the next congress. No re-
ply was necessary, they assert, and none was
expected. They further say that while regret
ting the step the president-ele has taken IN
advance of his inauguration, and of the for.
nation of his cabinet. they do not pro-
pose to have a controversy, unless
it Is forced upon them. They believe, how.
ever, in the independence of the legislative
branch of the government, and ASSERT they
will at all times maintain it. They furnish
the following as a statement OF their views:
I'm the letter no distinction is made between
silver coinage and silver bullion. While IL il
true that silver bullion, which is excluded
from coinage and consequently from monetary
use, is worth less lin ratio lG to J. than So per
cent of the gold dollar. Silver coins, which
are admitted to monetary use the same q,
silver dollar will exchange for as
even buy the gold with which
the gold dollar may be made. France with a
pc ~pulation of Az, 0O0, COO and a territory not as
large rs Texas, has in circulation 5000, 0OU 900
of silver with $3.50, 600, 600 of gold, where we
have but 5000, 000, 900 of full tenders of silver
to over $500, 000, 900 of gold. Altogether the
81, 500, 600, 900 of silver coin at the ratio l5A to
! are held in circulation in Europe, side by
side, with 50, 600, 900, 600 of gold of paper
and silver together, includingthe silver certiii.
Gates, we Eavefless than S75U, 600, goo, which
shows that in this country there is more gold
than paper and nearly three times as much
gold as silver.
With this proportion in our currency, aud
with gold and silver equally a full tender for
everybody, 1t is difficult to understand why
the secretary Of the treasury might not, If he
chose to do so, pay out more silver and less
gold. OF course, If while receiving into the
treasury Of the United States silver and sill
yer certificates, gold or gold Ger,
tifcates, he pays QUE only gold, his stock OF
gold would diminish. If, on the other hand,
he should pay out more silver and paper, and
less gold, the character of the reserve in the
treasury would
CONTROL II SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
There would be no need of legal tender II
one who receives the money would be permit
ted to chose the kind that he will have. That
silver and silver certificates displace gold ID
true, but only as treasury or bank notes DIS
place it. The withdrawal of a hundred mil
lions of bank notes, or the issuance OF q hun
| dred millions, has the same effect OF gold al
so much in silver or silver certificates. Why
has it never been proposed to withdraw the
national bsnk notes as a Inesns OF preventing
tho expulsion of gold to the proposition that
| there now exists, or ever have existed, under