The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-18
Passed by the Senate by Vote
Of Forty-Two to Twenty
. Five.
The Bill Is an Act for the Free
Coinage Of Gold and
Silver.
Certificates Issued for Bullion to be of
Full Legal Tender Quality and Re-
deemable In Coin.

He said when senators who lived in the
silver-producing states were accused Of
holding sordid and unworthy and un-
patriotic opinions, and when it was said
those who were demanding that silver be
restored to it's own place with it's sister
metal were speculators and adventures,
and were Indifferent to the true welfare of
the country, he would have to be pardoned
for feeling that he had right to claim the
attention of the senate long enough to pro-
test against such intimations and against
such method of conducting this debate.
If it were true, as it was not, that the people
of the silver producing states were governed
in the matter by desire to protect an in
dustry on which their prosperity depended,
large warrant was given to them
for such course by some of the eastern
states. The country, particularly the north.
ern states, seemed to have fallen on days
when politics were rated at a commercial
value alone and when political fealty
was made to depend upon whether the
prosperity of the locality where the voter re-
sided was to be fostered by competition
with other countries or by large and prohib.
iting duties which practically excluded for
eign competition. The prosperity of the
people of the mountain states of the west
had ever to rest chiefly on the products of
their mines. Yet, while they were less ben
Gifted than any other region of country by
high protective tariff, they were asked
every session to stand by the duties which
the east formulated. and when they asked
that silver should also be protected they were
told they were sordid and unpatriotic, and
that these ideas were those of dissatisfied and
visionary people. Wolcott went on to criticise
the unfriendly attitude of the administra-
tion toward the silver question and said
that when Harrison was nominated his rec
ord was searched in vain for any note
worthy act or saying; that the republican
leaders of the west made great efforts
among the farmers and miners and secured
the success of the ticket; that the president
has not exactly materialized on the silver
question and the awakening has been
rather rude. He ventured the opinion that
if the presidents opinion on that question
had been announced before the last cleo
river would have given republican major
ity. not because majority of the people of
those states were not true and staunch an d
earnest republicans, but because they
would have wished to rebuke overwhelna-
ingly that convention that selected as their
standard bearer one who was unmindful of
the interest of the country and disregardful
of the will of the majority of the members
of the party. The conclusion of Wolcott's
maiden speech in the senate was attended
with great applause and compliments from
the senator's.
The senate then voted On the amendment
reported by the finance committee striking
out of the house silver bill the provision
that treasury notes issued for silver ''shall
be legal tender in payment of all debts,
public and private" The amendment was
rejected: Yeas IA, nays 80. and the pro-
vision remains in the bill. The senate then
voted on the second amendment striking
out the bullion redemption clause. Agreed
to: Yeas 57, nays Z, so that clause is cut
out Of the bill. The senate voted on the
third amendment reported by the finance
committee striking out the sixth section for
free coinage of silver when the market price
is one dollar for 3714 grains pure silver.
The amendment was rejected: Yeas 16,
nays 46, so that provision remains in the bill.
The amendment fixing the limitation of
nays GA. On motion of Plumb the follow
ing was substituted for the first section of
the house bill by yeas 49, nays "a: That
from and after the date of the passage of
this act the unit of value in United States
shall be the dollar, and same may be coined
of 4l215 grains standard silver, or 258
grains of standard gold, and said coins
shall be legal tender for all debts, public
or private. That thereafter any owner of
silver or gold bullion may deposit the same
at any mint of the United States to be
formed into standard dollars or bars for
AAo UCLCAU dAA WluuOub CAdIkC, UuG IL 8OAll
be lawful to refuse any deposit of less than
500, or any bullion SO base as to be insult
able for operations of the mint.
Mitchell addressed the senate on the gen.
eral merits of the bill, and in the course of
his remarks he declared that any adminis-
M tratlon which would set itself up against
the free and unlimited coinage of the silver
dollar would be, as it deserved to be,
hurled from power. Plumb moved to add
new section to the committees report, as
section two, as follows: That the provi-
slons OF section three, of the act to author
and to restore its legal tender character,
which became q law February %, 1873, is
hereby maze applicable to the coinage in
this act provided for. Agreed to without
division.
Reagan offered the following amendment
as a substitute for sections 3, and 5: Sec
tion 3. That the certificates provided for in
this act shall be of denominations of not
less than one nor more than one hun
dred dollars, and such certificates shall be
redsemable in coin of standard value. A
sufficient sum to carry out the provisions
of this act is hereby appropriated out of
any money in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated. The provision in section one
of the act of Feb. ls 1873, which requires
the secretary of the treasury to purchase at
market price not less than two nor more
than four million dollars worth of silver
bullion per month, is hereby repealed. |
Agreed to. Teller moved to add the follow
ing as a new section: That the
certificates provided for III this
act shall be receivable for all
taxes and dues to the United States of every
description, and shall be legal tender for
the payment of all debts, public and pri- |
yate. After long discussion, it was modi-
ned, at the suggestion of Eustis, by adding
the words, ''and all silver certificates
already issued" and, SO modified. it was
agreed to-yeas 81, nays %. Plumb moved
to insert the following as an additional
section: The owners of bullion deposited
for coinage shall have option to receive
coin or Its equivalent in the certificates
provided for in this act. and such bullion
shall be subsequently coined.'' Agreed to
without division.
The bill was then reported to the senate |
and all amendments agreed to in commit
tee of the whole agreed to in the senate. |
yeas 40, nays 26. The bill as amended was |
then passed. yeas 4. nays %.
The title of the bill was amended SO as to |
read. IAN act to provide for the flee coin
age of gold and silver bullion and for other |
purposes
The bill for the admission of Wyoming |
was taken up SO as TO make it unfinished |
business and the senate adjourned.
The house passed the sundry civil appro- |
priation bill and then went into committee |
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