Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-15

be paid in gold dollars or silver
dollars, at the convenience Of the
Treasury. Though they had thus
agreed to take payment in either
gold or silver, they were being
paid in gold alone, while everybody
else was paid in silver. This was
neither fair dealing nor common hon.
esty. Ever since the passage Of the
act Of 1878, remonetiziDg silver and
directing the coinage Of s2,000,000 q
month, the bondholders ami bankers
had been threatening that all our gold
would be exported If we did not stop
the coming Of silver. II was now eight
years since the passage Of that act, and
still, according to the report Of the
Secretary Of the Treasury, we had
twice as much gold coin as silver coin
in the country. Almost every year we
had imported more gold than we had
exported. France and Germany had
three times as much legal tender in sill
yer coin as we had, yet our country
was several times larger than those
countries combined, while our popula.
ton was more energetic and enter
prising than that Of any other
country. We had within the past
five or six years exported $780,
100000 worth Of merchandise more
than we had imported Those figures
represented the sum Of money which
foreign nations had paid US over and
above the exchange of commodities.
Inasmuch as gold was the medium Of
settlement between Europe and Ame-
RIGA, we would receive gold for our
European balances. AS to our COM
merce with China in tea and with Bra
I'll and Cuba in coffee and sugar, the
balance Of trade was against us, but
those were silver countries, and would
take our silver in settlement.
Mr.. Brown advocated the issuance of
silver certificates to represent silver in
the Treasury. Every surplus gold and
silver dollar, he said, not part Of the
necessary Treasury reserve, should be
put into circulation by gold or silver
certificates instead Of having too much
silver coin. Business would be much
improved if We had more of it in circu-
lation in the form of paper certificates
to meet the demands OF oar i'm
mense and growing business. We
could safely carry four hundred
millions more silver, and then
we would have less legal-tender silver
coin than France and Germany together,
and only little more than France
alone. "If the national banks attempt
to practically demonetize silver" said
MIR. Brown, in conclusion. land if the
officers who now represent the people
III the different departments of the
Government will not take the matter
in hand, then the people at their recur-
ring elections should take it in hand
and fill all departments Of the Gov
eminent with the men who will apply
the corrective and forfeit the charters
Of such banks as abuse their prlyi-
leges."
Mr.. Maxey followed, taking the same
view of the silver and bond question as
MIR. Brown.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Maxey's
remarks, the judicial salary bill was
laid before the Senate. Zone Of the
sections of the bill provides that no
person related within the degree of first
cousin to any judge Of the United States
shall be appointed by such judge to
any position in his Court, and that per-
sons so related who now hold such
Office shall not continue in Office after
six months from the date Of the passage
Of the act.
Some discussion arose on the last
clause, which would legislate out Of
Office relatives now in office.
Mr.. Edmunds was willing that such
appointments should not be made in the
future, but thought it would work
great hardships and injustice to legislate
out of Office men, who by experience
and training had come to be perhaps
the most efficient and capable persons
who could be found to fill the offices.
The clause too, in Mr.. Edmunds' be-
lief, was retrospective and therefore OBJ
iectionable. On that account he moved
to strike out the clause that would af-
feet persons at present in Office.
This was agreed to after considerable
debate.
At $40 P. NJ, with the bill still
pending and Mr.. Morgan speaking
against the bill, the Senate adjourned
till Monday next.
House of Representatives.
Mr.. Dingley, of Maine, from the
Shipping Committee, reported resolu-
ton directing that committee to inquire
what, if any, legislation will promote
the interests Of American marines en-
ployed in the fisheries, and report by
bill or otherwise.
Mr.. Wellborn offered a resolution
authorizing all committees having ju-
risdiction Of the general appropriation
bills to have printed such documents as
they may desire. Referred.
Two private bills only were reported
under the call Of committees for reports,
and then began the morning hour for
the consideration of such business as
might be called up.
On behalf of the Committee on Ways
and Means Mr.. Morrison, Of Illinois,
called up the resolution for the distribu-
ton Of the Presidents message, which
was adopted without objection or amend
ment.
On behalf Of the Committee on Presi-
Dental Laws, Mr.. Caldwell, of TenneS-
see, called up the Hoar presidential sue
cession bill, and as there were but a
few minutes of the morning hour re-
naming, by unanimous consent it was
agreed that the debate should continue
during the afternoon, Mr.. Caldwell re-
serving the right to call the previous
question at any time.
Mr.. Caldwell stated that the com.
mittes in reporting this measure had
not dealt with indifference or disre-
spect with other propositions before it.
There were many measures proposed
that would more probably meet all
possible or imaginary exigencies than
the one now reported, but they all re-
quired constitutional amendment be-