Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-05
C0SGKgssIONAL.
sESAIE

hbNAIE-
WAsHISGros, Feb. t.-Tbe Chair lai,
before the Senate the Presideut,s secs
sage relating to Mrs. Grants offer I,
tns Government OF the swords snd
other military and civil TESTIMONIAL
lately belonging 60 General GRAFT, ant
recommending that Congress pass a hill
20 enable the President to place Genera
Grant on the retired list.
hoar, from the Committee IN Priv
hefes and Elections. reported that ths
credentials of Evarts, the newly elected
senator from New York, had been
found defective, not being signed by tbs
Governor or countersi0ned by the See
rotary Of state. while the detailed pro
csediDRs OF the Legislature, which ara
furnished, are not necessary 10 the Gre
dentials. Ihe report was laid on the
table, hosr saying tina: toe Deficiency
would doubtless be supplied before
Evarts' term should begin.
The Senate then, on motion of Cul.
lon, resumed consideration of the Inter
State CommeRoe bill.
Van WICK moved to modify the see.
ton that provides for the payment OF
the necessary expenses of the COMMITS
travelling expenses. He said there had
been no much scandal in connection
With expenses Of committees, etc., and
the Treasury Department had bseu 50
liberal, that be Van Wyck) thought
tnat the addition 10 the section OF the
words suggested was desirable.
When the question had been put the
presiding officer Frye, after the usual
pause, remarked, The chair has not
heard any Senator veto either aye or
10, and Is therefore in doubt" This
orought a full vote. which vas unani-
nous for Van Wyck's motion.
salisbury Submitted an amendment,
providing that no right of action At
present allowed by the Law should be
denied after the passage of the bill IN
der consideration, bat Wilson propos-
ing an amendment of similar tensr and
somewhat more comprehensive, Sanls-
bury withdrew his amendment, and
Wilson'S amendment was agreed TO.
salisbury. IN some remarks on che
bill. said he had never seen any good
come Of commissions. What had the
Civil Service Commission ever accom-
plished 7
Plamb remarked that what IL had
would, TO a Democrats
apprehension, be much more apparent
IN about forty days than 1t had ever
been before.
The bill having BEEN perfected. IL
vas reported to the senate from the
Committee Of the Whole, read the third
time and passed-yeas 43, nays IL.
The Chair laid formally before the
Senate today's Pacific Railroad land
forfeiture bill.
Morrill, moved to lay 1t aside IN order
to take up the HOUSE bill for the retire
ment and recoina0e of trade dolIara."
The bill. as amended By the Senate,
provides, also, for a suspension of the
standard silver dollar. rns Senate, by
= vots Of 81 to %, decided to take up
the last named bill.
Ingalls, moved TO strike ont the fifth
section, which IL the section suspendipg
the coinage of standard d0tiArs.
Morrill, then addressed the Senate on
the bill. de did not feel that the ma
ton Is under the slightest legal or moral
obligation 10 redeem the trad dollars,
aud With some reluctance hs consented
20 the measure in order to relieve the
country from at least one OF the embar-
raising Incidents which SURE Gad the
silver question. He spoke OF the danger
of silver coin alone Suddenly beoomins
the standard money Of the United
States, and of the rapid increase of all
yer certificates, which be character ed
as queer form OF paper money aud
the most expensive paper cnrrenoy ever
invented. In conclusion Morrill, said:
81 do not wish 10 demonetize silver or
R.f tF,a Isa L. a. l. 4
would make 10 safe and practicable to
increase the amount held by our hnsn-
ciAl institutions as well as in the hands
Of the people. The present bill and
amendments are intended TO provide
against any untoward combination of
events that shall leave us with only
one OF the precious metals TO support
our standard Of money. We greatly
need them both. Il may be FAR
OH, u may never happen, bat
IL we should be at any time
driven 10 single standard OF silver, it
would be a great disaster. affecting the
value Of all property and all invest
ments. The blow, should il ever hap
pen, would strike With the greatest Sc.
verify upon the workingmen OF the
country, who would suddenly fiud their
wages reduced BY the cheaper mode of
legal tender payment. Employees iD
the United States are better paid than
in any European country, and the Lon
don Times, In speaking on this subject
on September nth, 1853. says with rs-
gard 10 the remuneration of labor: AS
suming the produce Of Iabo- 60 be 100,
In Great Britain IS parts 90 10 the Ia
borer, u 90 capital, and q to the gov
eminent In France Il parts 90 20 la
Dor, s. 20 capital, aud 3 10 tho govern
ment. In the United States 72 pats go
to the laborcF. q to cspital, and 3 10
the government" This sd 1vs that for
any depreciation Ia the earreusy which
may at any time arise. the lsb0Fins men
- the country must bear the bront."
After speeches by Beck and MePher-
son, the debate on the bill closed for
the day. II will be unfinished business
tomorrow.
Blair made two unsuccessful attempts
during the day 20 secure consideration
of the ansi-foreign contract labor bill.
After Executive Session. the Senate
adjourned.