New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-04
THE SENATE STARTLED.
A SIMPLE MOTION CARRIES THE DAY.
A LONG DEBATE OK THE PRESIDENTIAL nxLIsS

A LONG DEBATE on THE PRESIDENTIAL HxtisS
BILL BROUGHT TO A SHARP CLOSE
WARRINGTON April CSpeoiap.-1he Senate has
startled close Observers of legislative proceedings
by the eccentrioity Of its treatment oil tho Bond
Purchase bill This measure adds no new legis-
lation TO the statute books; il simply emphasizes
An old law contained in one OF the annual ap
preparation bills passed several years ago, which
gives the Secretary the Treasury the power to 60
into the open market and purchase bonds not yet
mstured Since the President expressed douoe
as to his exercise Of that power IN his last annu
message to Congress on the absurd ground that o
law contained III IN appropriation Dill Carried
less obiiaarica with IL to obey its mandates than
n IL wer. enacted separateiy, the House put The
President At his ny passing The Dill when
proved such a bone oi contention In the senate
This 6i Tor the rsast o. srs %snasa by the
Senate, w evoryDody'S surprise, ny the Adoption
Of The Plumb proviso, designed 10 prevent
further contraction OF inc currency sne SHs
amendment winch passed the Senate by large
majority last week. was to-day knookeo out III ine
twinkiing OF an eye. was tne incest plgce an %
had as its author that wlde-awaKe junior SENATOR
from Wisconsin, MIR. Spooner.
The Senate had Just come out Of second session,
and Mr. Pamer's motion to reoommit the whole
bill TO the Finance Committee was defeated Inc
silver men and infationists felt considerably ehled
The question then required To The Stewart amena'
ment which provides Tor the issue ol coin certil-
Gates upou bullion deposited in the Treasury. MI
Stewart finally agreed 10 withdraw his amendment
SO as to permit Mr. Beck To offer his proposition,
which he considered to be compromise between
the Plumb amendment already adopted and the
Stewart amendment then pending. Brichy stated,
the Beck amendment provides Tor the purchase
by the Treasury Of silver bullion and lts coinage
into silver dollars equal In amount TO The clrcula
ton surrendered by National banks going Out OF
business, and over and above the s2,OVo'oVv
coined every month now under the provisions OF
existing laws. . .
some length. Mr.. Beck. too took hand In tho
discussion, as did Messrs. Plumb, Mcl'herson, oteW
art Reagan and Ctllets. Great confusion relgned
in the chamber Apparently, no one knew whst
the pending question was; whether IT was simple
amendment. an amendment to an amendment, or
an amendment in the nature Of a substitute While
the Chair was endcavOring to make the thing clear
and to straighten out the tanglc into which the
Senate had got, Mr.. Spooncr offered an amend.
ment. Coming from Senator who has rarely, II
ever taken part in a financial debate, little at
tention was paid to it,. 1t proved to be- however
cut the Gordian knot. Briefly put; it was sub
stitute for the original bill, the Plumb amend
ment and all other amendments still pending; ana
was simple resolution declaring IN unmlstak5anie
language that the law whose validity the PRESIDENT
doubted was law, and as such OF equal force
with any law over enacted by Congress MI
Palmer, who was In the chair, pnt the question
upon the passage OF this resolution, and In less
time than H. takes 70 write 1t declared 10 carried
TO say that the Senate was surprised when 10
found out what il had done. is to state IL mildly;
Only a small number Of Senators was present and
when the ahscntces returned they found that the
bill had been taken ont Of the Committee OF tho
Whole and was then In the Senate. Ihercupon
the fight was renewed Mr.. Beck again Offering
his amendment for consideration. Bnt the Senate
rial dinner hour was at hand. and when Mr.
Cameron offered a motion to adjourn there was was
see renewal Of the fight. There is no doubt
about that.