Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-15
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
First Session,


SkNATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA.
Mr.. Hawley again presided over the Sem
ate. Thursday, in the absence of the Presi-
dent pro tenn.
Mr.. Beck said there had come TO him, he
did not know why, several petitions to be
presented to the Senate, urging Congress to
suspend silver coinage. He had declined to
present such petitions and had returned them
to the persons sending them to him. He had
pursued that course because he believed the
sending of such petions had been influenced
by circular letter marked "Confidential'
sent out by committee of the New York
Board of Trade and Trsnsportion.
Beck read copy of the letter. Ii asks its
recipient to write personal letter to Carlisle,
urging him to refrain from from placing ex-
treme silver men on the coinage committee of
the House of Representatives, and to also
write personal letters to Senators and Repre-
sentatives, urging the suspension of silver
coinage.
Mr.. Teller presented = memorial of the
Colorado legislature, urging Congress to see
that no discrimination was made against sill
yer.
The Chair laid before the Senate, Morrilrs
resolution, offered Wednesday, calling on the
secretary of the treasury to inform the Sem
ate whether any collectors of internal revenue
not confirmed by the Senate were in the re-
ceipt of pay and emoluments of office.
Mr.. Beck opposed it but Cockrell offered
an amendment to Morrilrs resolution, max
ing it apply to back years. This was accept
able to Morrill,, and the resolution as amended
was agreed to.
Mr.. Allison desired to correct an error of
a statement occurring in the Kelley corre-
spondence, a printed copy of which has been
placed before the Senate. He disclaimed anv
intention to criticiss the secretary of state IN
whose letter the error occurred; that the sec
tary had no doubt been enormously informed
by a subordinate. As q matter of Justice
however, to the distinguished citizen of Iowa
the facts should be made known. The state
ment was to the effect that when Mr. Kasson
had been nominated to Spanish mission he
WAS objected to by the government of Spain
Mr.. Allison sent to the desk and had the clerk
read a letter dated July g. sc, from Mr.
Evarts to Mr. Kasson stating that no question
was ever raised as to Mr.. Kasson's accept
bility to the Spanish government "The
appointment for Madrid, the letter continues,
Originally proposed by me, was changed on
your preference to Vienna and for reasons
having no connection whatever with or
knowledge of either government"
On motion of Mr.. EdmLnds the portion of
the Presidents message which relates to for
egn affairs was referred to the committee on
foreign relations.
Mr.. Brown called up Mr.. Beck's silver
resolution and addressed the Senate on it. 1t
would be unwise, Mr.. Brown said, and un-
just to the people to suspend coinage of silver
at present. As far as bondholders are con-
cerned the medium in which they were to be
L
nominated in bond They we're to be paid
in lawful money of the United States. At the
time of the contract greenbacks were lawful
money of the United States and almost the
only currency. Bondholders however, mapv
of whom had paid in silver over fortv and
fiftv cents on the dollar for their bonds, soon
went systematically to work to increase the
value Of their demands against the govern
ment The officers of the treasury. he said.
should treat all public creditors alike. If
they paid bondholders in gold alone, they
should pay a laborer in gold alone As to
the accumulation of silver dollars in the
treasury, Brown insisted it was the duty of
the secretary of the treasury to paw them out
to public creditors whenever ANYTHING was
due, and if that didn't dispose of them he
should call in enough bonds on winch the
people are paving interest to absorb the silver
dollars and so stop the interest payments. If
public creditors were paid thirty or forty
millions of silver their endeavor would b. to
keep up the value of silver. If paid in gold
alone their endeavor would be to depreciate
the value OF silver to make it represent less
property. Mr.. Brown advocated the issuance
of silver certificates to represent silver in the
treasury. Every gold and silver dollar, he
said, not part of the necessary treasury re-
serve 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 circulation
in the form of paper certificates to meet the
demands of our immense and growing busi-
ness. We could safely carry S40O,OOO,O 900
more silver and then we would have less legal
tender silver coin than France and Germany
together and only little more than France
alone.
Mr.. Maxey said the raid on silver was
European raid and if successful would inflict
incalculable injury to the United States.
Mr.. Maxey expressed himself as utterly op-
posed to the irredeemable paper currency and
declared fuctuating currency inconsistent
with healthy trade while holding sound cur
rency based on precious metals and cOnver-
tible into coin was blessing to civilization.
The silver advocates he contended, repelled
the imputatlon that they wanted to take any
advantate of their creditors by psy dollar
debt in an 80 cent dollar. fouler lie has
never been uttered against brave and in
dustrous people. The people knew that the
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