Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-22

Mnole diplomatic arrangement Of the
present day was, however, In Mr.. Plumb's
oPInloh, antquated and totally unneces-
sary' and he hoped the committee would
recommend to the Senate that it be abol-
Isned; de had not observed that the
Wnees OF government had moved with
any more friction since Mr.. Keiley's re-
yecIlon than they had moved before. The
les0iution was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations.
COIN RECEIVED FOR DUTIES.
Mr.. Beck called up the resolution here
toiore offered by him directing the Com
mIttee on Finance to inquire whether the
OIhclals OF the United States had complied
! WIN the laws requiring that coin paid
lor duties on Imported goods should be
set apart as special fund and applied to
Ine payment of the interest on United
states bonds, etc. MIR. Beck spoke at
| considerable length on his resolution.
| Ihe laws OF the land, he said, were
equally binding ON the highest executive
! ofhcer and on the humblest citizen. Yet
the laws to which his resolution. referred
had not for many year been complied
with by the treasury officials.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
No more statesmanlike message had
! ever emanated from the executive man.
sion, IN Mr.. Beck's opinion, than Presi-
dent Cleveland's first message, but he
| beck did not agree with the position of
| that message, regarding silver. Three
| tourths OF our business troubles arose
from the fact that the laws of the United
states were not carried out by our eXecu-
tive officers. Combinations of bankers
| and bOndholders, and their well paid
| press, were opposed to silver, and their
| present crusade against that metal was
another evidence Of the audacity of the
organizations of wealth, organizations
which had always secured whatever they
| had demanded.
BOND PAYMENTS.
AS to the question of paying bonds
otherwise than in gold, Mr.. Beck quoted
an opinion given in 1868 by Senator Sher-
man, the present presiding officer of the
Senate, to the effect that bOndhOlders
should take payment for money advanced
in the same medium in which they had
advanced money. That opinion was as
sound now as it was in 1868. There was
not an obligation existing in this country,
national or municipal, that could not law
fully be paid in gold or silver coin of the
United States.
LOOKING INTO THE RECORDS.
An examination of our trade and COM
parison of the exports and imports of this
silver dollar now bought 90. per cent.
more than it did in 1870, yet our Treasury
officials told us that grave troubles were
apprehended by them if the present con-
ditiOn of things should last much longer.
| The falsity of this clamOr could be readily
proved by an impartial examination Of
! the figures given out by the Treasury
officials themselves, and we were quite
as capable, Mr.. Beck thought, Of coming
to conclusion from the figures given as
were those officials.
HOW 1T WORKS IN ENGLAND.
| The example OF England was held up
to us by those officials, Notwithstanding
the fact that the workingmen of England
were paid their wages In silver coin with
out regard to the bullion value Of the
metal. Why, too, had not France been
troubled by it's large amount OF silver
coin. The reason was to be found in the
fact that the public funcuOnaries of
France supported the silver coinage Of
their country as ours did not.
POWER OF THE BONDHoLDERs.
The bOndhOlders of the United States
controlled enormous amounts Of money
and the best talent Of the press, and haV-
ing now captured the executive branch of
| the government they were clamOring for
! gold, and gold alone, in the settlement of
! their claims. How was the surplus sill
yer to get out Of the Treasury if the Sec
retary Of the Treasury would not call in
bonds that ought to be called in and pay
out silver? The people and their repre-
sentatives, however, supported silver.
| No executive officer should be allowed TO
| disregard the law. He (Beck) was not
making war on the bondholders or banks,
but be would if he could take from the
! banks their political power and their in
! fuence on the currency, as shown when
they received President Hayes veto on a
memorable occasion.
NOT A MINE OWNER,
MIR. Beck dIsclaimed any personal in
terest in silver, saying ne had never in
his life owned share OF stock in silver
mine.
Mr.. Morrell remarked that Mr.. Beck's
speech seemed TO be very elaborate as
sault on the Secretary of the Treasury
and President. and II the resolution in
support OF which it was delivered should
| pass the Senate, it would be equivalent to
a vote OF want of confidence
in the President and his admins
tration. He regretted that the
Senator from Kentucky should have
represented the Secretary Of the Treasury
as little better than common thief and
the President and Secretary together as
! having been bought up by the bOndhold-
ers. but as probably no Senator son the
left7 was at present prepared TO enter
into a defense of the present administra-
ton he would move reference OF the reso-
luton 10 the Committee on Finance. II
was so referred.
PUBLIC LAND FRAUDS.
Mr.. Call offered a resolution providing
for a special committee Of five Senators
10 investigate the alleged fraudulent APP
proprlatiOns OF public lands in Florida.
MIR. Allison had no objection to such an
| investigation, but thought It ought 10 be
made general. so as 10 cover other States
| as we'll as Florida. He moved that il be
referred 10 the Committee on Public
/ Lands, in order that that committee might
| nave the opportunity Of considering
whether such general investigation should
| not be mad.
DOWN IN BLACK AND WHITE.
He(Alhson) had read a report Of the
| Commissioner OF the General Land Office
in which he found intimatl0ns that In nu-
merous places there had been a misap-
| preparation OF the public domain through
| land grants, homesteads, pre-emptions,
| etc. II this were 80 It should be ascer-
| tained.
MIR. Call said he had no charge OF cor
ruption 20 make against any officials, but
hsd received letters stating that there
had been some improper dispositions or
Il IN Aaa H.NH