The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-11
THE FoRTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
Mr.. Edmunds Much Distressed on Learning
that an Alleged Rascal" Is Democrat

Mr.. Edmunds Much Distressed on Learning
that an Alleged .Rascal" Is Democrat.
WASHINGTON, Feb. lo.-The Chair laid before
relating to quarters for hospital stewards at the
various military posts throughout the country.
Also, letter from the Secretary of the Navy
transmitting report Of the National Academy
OF Sciences on the advisability of building new
naval observatory. The papers were appro-
priately referred
Among the bills reported favorably from COM
mittees and placed on the calendar was one by
Mr. Hale, from the committee on naval affairs,
to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to fit out
an expedition to observe the total eclipse of the
sum- which occurs on the oath of August, 1886.
Among the bills indefinitely postponed was
one reported adversely by Mr.. Sewell, from the
committee military affairs, allowing dis
charged officers Of the army one years pay and
allowances.
The Chair laid before the Senate Mr.. Riddle
berger's resolution. offered yesterday, directing
the committee on public buildings to report to
the Senate the aggregate amount of money rec
commended by the committee at this session to
be expended by the government
Mr. Riddleberger said he had no objection to
any specific measure supported by the commit
tee, but objected to these. omnibus" schemes by
which twenty nine public building appropriation
bills on the calendar were taken up and passed
yesterday without any written report to show
the necessity for the buildings, and by which
nine other similar bills that had only just been
reported, were put through on the same day on
which they were reported, without giving time
for their consideration. The resolution was
agreed to-
Mr. Hoar offered the following resolution, for
which he asked immediate consideration:
Resolved, That the committee on the library con-
slider and report at early day the expedency of the
erection at the seat of government, of statue or
monument to the member of the late llustriouS SOL
der, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock
In Offering the resolution, Mr.. Hoar said that
when the announcement WAS made, yesterday
of the great public calamity that had occurred,
in the death of the illustrious citizen named in
the resolution, the Senate very properly followed
all the presidents in like cases, and what Mr.
Hoar was sure would have been in accordance
with the desire of the distinguished deceased
that is to say, the Senate proceeded with pub
| lie business. But it was proper that proceed
ings should at once be initiated for paying fitting
tribute to the memory of the deceased
The resolution was agreed to.
On motion of Mr.. Call, the Senate took up Mr..
Eustis's recent resolution calling on the Secre
tary of the Treasury for information as to the
refusal Of the assistant treasurer at New Or
leans to receive shipments of silver and to issue
silver certificates therefor.
Mr. Call defended the action of the Treasury
officials in the matter referred to.
Mr. Plumb said he had been told that Treas
urer Jordan, being asked why he did not pay for
silver bullion in silver dollars, replied that if he
did so the holder would return the dollars and
demand certificates, and he Mr. Jordanl was
not willing to encourage that sort of thing. He
thought this threw much light upon the per-
formances of last summer, when there was an
apparent effort to circulate the silver dollars,
but there was, at the same time, an intrigue
with New York people to bring the law into con-
tempt
Mr. Coke said the question was whether the
Treasurer had technically complied with the law,
but in reality violated it. He had no taffy for
those who violated the law he cared not whether
they were Republicans or Democrats. For one.
he proposed to bring any officer who is guilty of
violating the law to the bar of public justice and
public opinion. Banks in Galveston were en-
deavoring to establish discount on silver be-
cause they could not get certificates from the
sub. treasury at New Orleans. Mr.. Coke con-
tended that the Treasury officials were unani-
mously taking credit for supporting the public
credit while doing everything in their power to
accomplish directly contrary results.
At 2 o'clock, Mr.. Coke being still on the floor,
the Chair laid before the Senate the education
bill.
After some discussion, that bill was made the
unfinished business for tomorrow at the same
hour and Mr. Coke resumed his remarks on the
Eustis resolution. Something had been said,
Mr.. Coke continued. about an attack on the ad
ministration." Mr.. Coke had helped to put this
administration In power His State (Texas) had
given 134, 600 popular majority for the Demo
cratic ticket-the largest majority of any State
in the Union. There were 240 newspapers in
Texas, and he knew but four of them that sup
ported the executive department of the govern
ment in its war on silver. He made on
the administration but he believed that public
Office is public trust, and he executed the trust
conferred on him by the people whom he in part
represented.
from time to time of the subserviency OF public
men to executive influence; but there had never
been seen so exalted an example of the indie
pendence of public men as had been exhibited
by the Democratic members Of the House of
Representatives, in the spring of 1885, in resist
ing the effort of the incoming Democratic Presi
dent to discredit silver. Not only then, but
since, those servants of the people had scorned
to be in accord with the executive, preferring to
be right Mr. Teller severely commented on
the statement of the Presidents message and the
reports of the Secretary of the Treasury and
Comptroller of the Currency, to the effect that
60 000 900 of the silver dollars all that it had
been possible to get into circulation, when. in
the same message and reports they had been
compelled to admit that there were really 49,,
O00 900 of the silver dollars in circulation, be-
cause in addition to the 100000 of metallic
silver dollars out. there was 60 000 600 of certif
Gates. So much stress had been laid by the
President and his officers on the $4,000, 600 fig
ures that the people largely got the idea that
that represented the whole silver circulation.
Mr.. George insisted that the action of the
Treasury officials in the case under consideration
was in every respect sound and in compliance
with law.
Mr.. Eustis said he had telegraphed to Mr.
Roach, at New Orleans, to ascertain the purpose
of the bank shipment of silver His reply to-