The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-14
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-
Dir. Ingalls, Proposes the Coinage of Sill
vert0 the Amount of S500,000,0O0,
And Mr.. Coke Makes an Argument in Favor
Of the Metal-Mr. Curtin Resigns the
Chairmanship Given Him.
THE SENATE.

Tsr. ingalls, Wants $500, ooo,o 900 Of Silver
Argument by Mr.. Coke.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Ex-senator Hawley pre-
sided over the Senate to-day, in the absence Of
Senator Sherman.
The Chair laid before the. Senate a letter from
the Secretary of the Interior in relation to GER
tain information called for by the Senate regard
ing lands in Kansas granted to railroad COM
panies. The letter states that the information
will be furnished as soon as possible, but that it
will probably take two months to fully examine
the books and compile the information.
Mr.. Ingalls, offered the following resolution,
which, at his request, was laid over for the
present:
Resolved, That in the opinion of the Senate the
compulsory coinage Of silver dollars. directed by the
law of Feb. 2, 1873. should not be suspended until
The aggregate reaches the sum of $500, 0 O,OOO.
Mr. Eustis. gave notice that on Monday next,
ut 2 o'clock, he would call up Mr.. Beck's silver
resolution, with the view of making some re-
marks on it.
MI. Voorhees, stated that the better to suit the
convenience of other senators, he would not call
mp his resolution expressive of the sense of the
Senate on the death of the late Vice-president
Hendricks until Tuesday. the 10Th, instead Of
next Wednesday, as originally proposed.
Mr. Henderson offered a resolution. which was
agreed to, calling on the general to
Inform the Senate over what railroads the So
called fast mail was transported from Chicago to
points in Colorado, Utah and Idaho, and what
advantage was gained by the government by
transporting such mail over roads other than the
Union Pacific; also, as to the costof such service,
and why it is paid out of the Treasury-if the
fact be that it is so paid for-to other companies,
instead of having the service performed by the
Union Pacific company. and the compensation
eredited on that companyis indebtedness to the
government.
MI. Bowen offered a resolution which, at his
re1uest, was laid over for the present, directing
She committee on Indian affairs to inquire into
the expectancy of removing all the Indians in
the United States to the Indian Territory, west
Of the State Of Arkansas.
Mr.. Platt offered q resolution, which was
agreed to, authorizing the committee on patents
to take testimony relative to the subject of in
ternational copyright.
The Senate then proceeded to the considera-
lion of bills on the calendar. Several bills for
private relief having been disposed of, the bill to
admit Dakota WAS reached.
Mr.. Harrison said it would be impossible to
consider that bill under the five minutes rule,
and at his suggestion it went over. He stated
that he would call it up as early next week as
practicable.
A bill authorizing the Secretary of War to
furnish certificates of discharge to certain mem
Ders of the Missouri Home Guards was passed.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Morrill, calling
on the Secretary of the Treasury to intern the
Senate whether or not any collectors of internal
revenue not confirmed by the Senate have re-
ceived any portion of the salary pertaining to
the Office, contrary to the law of March l, 1878,
which provided that no collectors should be emit
tied to any portion Of the salary pertaining to
the Office unless such officer should have been
confirmed by the Senate, except in cases of COM
missions to fill vacancies occurring during the
recess of the Senate.
Mr.. Harris and Mr.. Beck asked that the reso-
luton lie over one day. under the rule, and it
went over accordingly.
Mr.. Plumb asked permission to withdraw a
petition heretofore presented by him., he having
found that the petitioner was a British subject.
Mr.. Hoar hoped that if a citizen Of a foreign
government had any grievance at the hands of
the United States the Senate would not refuse
TO receive a respectful statement Of such
grievance.
Mr.. Plumb said the Senate rules provided that
such petitions should be received by the Senate
through the President of the United States.
Mr. Plumb's request was granted and the peti-
4ion was withdrawn.
On motion of Mr.. Harrison, the Senate con-
CURED in the House amendments to the bill
legaiizing the Territorial Legislature Of Wy
Gming.
At 2 o'clock MI. Coke called up Mr.. Beck's
silver resolution and addressed the Senate on it.
The question of the suspension of the silver
coinage, Mr.. Coke said, was one of such trans
ceudant Importance that the arguments of the
President and Secretary of the Treasury on the
subject should be considered on their intrinsic
merits, and should not be influenced by the fact
that they were arguments coming from high Of
feers of the government. Mr.. Spencer said it
Nas an abuse of terms to say that silver had de-
preciated. Silver had constituted one-half of all
the coin in the world, and a step against the coin
age would deprive the world of one half of it's
coin supply, and would double the purchasing
power of the other half. England's income from
her foreign trade was $58, 900, 600 annual
~. She was a creditor country, and wanted
her debtors to pay her in gold; that
fc Che vvartad daar ynnpou-pnopov fhaf ruo~,ld
have the largest purchasing power. When Ger
many had secured twelve hundred million dollars
of gold from Frsnce she demonetized silver for
the same reason that England had. It was done
upon a cold calculation of self-interest. The
same reason actuated the creditor section of
these United States-the section where the big
banks and the large bondholders were. The
eight against silver was a fight against the people
against labor. Had Andrew jackson been in the
White House siEce 1873 the silver question would
have been settled. He would have executed the
laws of the United States, and would have
taken by the throat the conspiracy
against these laws. The officers Of cur
government had failed to state the whole truth
as to our silver circulation. They we'll knew
that there were to-day $l0'of silver coin in circu-
iation to one OF gold coin, and that three-quar-
tiers Of the silver in the treasury were repre-
sented by silver certificates in active circulation
among the people, maintaining prices and
wages. MI. Coke made no war on the bond
holders or on the bank men. They were no worse
and no better than the average of men; but they
should never be permitted to dictate our 6nan-
cial policy against the interests of the people.
The President and Secretary Of the Treasury
protested to favor the use of both gold and sill
yer, but declared that the amount of silver al
ready coined was enough, and that If we continued
to coin it. gold would leave the country. This
statement was made in the face Of the fact that
in 1878, when the coinage of the silver dollars
was ordered, there was in the United States only
&l44 600 O0O in Gold wbila TO-DAY arcordiu0 RI
the repo,s Of the Director of the Mint, the gold
coin and bullion in the United States had in
Creased to 5000. 0O0, 000, SO that. instead of silver
coinage having driven gold out of the country,
our supply OF it had been trebled since the silver
coinage had commenced. This was a fact that
no theorizing could eontrovert. The silver
standard had no terrors for Mr.. Coke. Germany
had been a silver country before it had cot so