The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-09
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS
Bill Changing the Datesebr Meeting Of
Congress Fayorably Reported.
Debate on the Eustis Resolution Inquiring
Whether officers of the United States Have
Sought to Make Silver Unpopular.
THE SENATE.
The Date for Assembling of Congress-Mr
Eustis's Resolution of Inquiry.

WASHINGTON. FeD. S.-Ihe Chair iald Defore
the Senate a communication from the Secretary
of the Treasury, in compliance with a recent
resolution offered by Mr.. Ingalls,, inquiring as
to the amount of silver bullion purchased each
month since July l, 1885; also. a communication
from the Secretary of the Navy, in compliance
with the law, showing the number of clerks,
ETC., in the Navy Department.; also, a memorial
of the Legislature of Mississippi, ~favoring the
Eads ship railway. The papers were appro-
priately referred.
Petitions were presented by Messrs. Logan,
Sawyer. Wilson, Cockrell, Palmer. Coke, Miller of
New York, Harrison, Plumb and Dawes, from
various assemblies of Knights of Labor, praying
for the opening up to settlement of the Okla
homa lands and the gran ting of lands in sever
atty to Indians; also, a number of petitions
praying that a constitutional amendment be
submitted by Congress to the several States
forbidding disfranchisemen. on accoun. of sex.
A memorial of the Kansas Legislature was pre-
sented by Mr.. ingalls,, urging Congress to pro-
vide for rights of way for railroads through the
Indian Territory. A memorial of the same
body was presented by Mr.. Plumb, setting forth
that the course of Land Commissioner Sparks
in indiscriminately and indefinitely suspending
land titles was working great hardship to bona
fde settlers in that State. and. while not wish
ing to interfere with any effort that would pre-
vent the fraudulent acquisition of public lands.
the Legislature urges Congress to take such
steps as may be deemed necessary to secure the
earliest practicable settlement of the question
involved. in order that the injury to bona fde
settlers may be as light as pc ssib!e. The papers
were appropriately referred.
Among the measures favorably reported from
committees and placed on the calendar were the
following:
By Mr.. Hoar. from the committee on priv
ileges and elections: A bill fixing the time for
the meeting OF Congress In 1887, and every Sec
ond year thereafter, on the first Monday in Octo.
Der, and in 1888, and every second year there
after, on the second Monday of November.
Mr.. ingalls,, from the committee on rules. re-
ported adversely on Mr.. Platt's resolution pro-
viding for the consideration of executive nomi-
nations in open session. Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Ingalls, offered a resolution, which was
agreed to, directing the on finance to
inquire into the propriety of making such an
amendment to the Revised Statutes as may be
necessary to require the issue of United States
notes of the denomination of one and two dol
lars. In offering the resolution, Mr.. Ingalls, said
he understood the smaller notes had been with
drawn and practically retired from circulation
for the purpose of forcing silver into circulation,
and thereby rendering silver unpopular with the
people. Mr.. Ingalls's impression was that the
people of this country wanted gold and silver as
a basis of circulation, but did not desire to carry
either metal in their pockets. The people did.
however. desire the restoration of the small
United States notes, and inasmuch as they paw
all money to the Treasury from their own re-
sources, and are the owners of whatever cur
rency there may be in the country, he mr.. In
gals did not see why the peoples wish should
not be granted. He had, therefore, offered the
Mr.. Eustis offered a resolution directing the
finance committee to inquire whether it had
been the custom for the Assistant Treasurer at
New Orleans to receive deposits Of standard sill
yer dollars from shippers of said coin. and to
issue to their correspondents at New Orleans
receipts for the silver, subject to count, and to
issue silver certificates after the count of said
dollars, SO deposited, had been made; and
whether said custom, if it had prevailed, had
been changed by instruction of the Treasurer of
the United States, and the reaseas therefor;
also, whether such custom was now in force at
any other sub.treasury; also, whether there was
adequate clerical force at the New Orleans sub
treasury, and. if not, what increase was neces-
sary to enable the sub-treasurer to carry out the
law. The New Orleans sub-treasury, Mr.. Eustis
said, had refused to receive a shipment of $685.
600, silver, from the Memphis, Tenn, Bank of
Commerce, and the Waco State Bank, of Waco,
Tex. If that statement should be sustantiated,
Mr. EustiS continued, and if it should be proved
that the custom of receiving silver had prevailed
at New Orleans. and it was not violative of law.
and that it now prevailed in New York and
other places, then. Mr.. Eustis said, the official
who had approved of the change of customs in
the city of New Orleans exposed himself to
very grave suspicious, to say the least of it.
with reference to a secret warfare against the
silver dollar. Mr.. Eustis would make no charge
in the absence of PROOF, but ne wanted to get at
the facts.
Mr.. Ingalls, thought it no concern of the sub
treasurer to inquire for what purpose the silver
dollars were to be deposited. If the statement
of the Senator from Louisiana was true, the &C.
ton of the sub treasurer should be character
lied, not as a departure from custom, but as a
direct, positive, deliberate and willful violation
of the law.
On motion of Mr.. Logan the pending business
was laid aside. and the Senate took up and
passed the bill. providing for the sale. to the Chi
cago & Great Western Railroad Company, Of
what is known as the "Bridewelr property in
Chicago.
Consideration of Mr.. Eustis's resolution was
then resumed, the education bill retaining it's
place as unfinished business.
Mr.. Teller said everything possible had been
done by the administration. rs we'll as by
others, to make it difficult or impossible for peo-
pie holding silver dollars to exchange them for
silver certificates, and to render silver dollars
as unpopular as possible. He inquired: .'Who
10 IL CStToidIJ " u 1TSdSuTy, bDat ne SlOul0
the law of Congressl Where did he get
his training that he should say, L possess all
the knowledge and wisdom of this government
on finances, and no matter what the legislative
department. may say, | know what is good for
the countryP The administration had shut the
mints to silver, and barred the Treasury to it,
and then said they did not believe the people
wanted silver. Men had been hung before now
for debasing the coin because they had cheated
the people, and here was a case of a government
debasing its own COIN"
Mr.. German defended the administration
Abiding to Mr.. Teller's criticism on the train
ing" of the Secretary of the Treasury, MI. Cor
man said it was true that the Democrats had
men who had been trained in the government
service for the past twenty-five years. but they
were fresh from the people and had trained
with the people, and knew the wants and wishes
OF the people. Time would show that the Secre-
tary of the Treasury was right. That officer was
the peer of the Senator from Colorado or any
other gentleman on the floor of the Senate.
During further discussion of the resolution,
Kama Shorrpa ~ tno1 &ha a.. =