The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-12
CONGRESS.
SOME THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED IN A WEEK.

juno Gin the Senate the con
tinuation Of the silver debate wa;
all that was done. Mr.. Plumb saiC
that there seemed to be an agree
ment Of opinion that the volume Of
currency should be increased. The
circulation to-day Is $240,000,00C
less than the trainers Of the financlal
legislation Of 1875 anticipated, al
though the commercial business oil
the country had doubled within that
time. lie favored free coinage and
an increased currency.
In the House the same subje2t was
discussed. Mr.. Walker OF Mass
achusetts said there. was not q word
of truth in the argument that bust
nees is dull because of low prices.
The decentralization Of silve" had
nothing to do with prices going down,
for they had been going down q
hundred years. He said that more
money meant more misery to which
Mr.. Perkins replied that 1re all 50Ce
misery. Walker became so heated
in his argument that there is plenty
Of gold in the world he laid aside his
coat and spoke in his SHIRT sleeves.
Mr.. Bloun3 said that the demon
itization of silver had cast q curse
over everybody except the capital
lists. To increase the volume of Cir
cuIation, said he, was the only way
to relieve not only the agricultural
interests, but every other interest Of
the country.
June Tn the Senate, there were
800 private pension bills passed.
In the House the silver bin WAS
vigorously discussed. 1t was finally
passed-yeas 1876, nays l19. Eight
Republicans voted with the Demos
Gratis against it, and one Democrat
voted with the Republicans for it.
June 9.-In the Senate there was
some resolution relative to the reduc-
tion Of the dlty On cattle shipped
from the United States to Spain.
The silver bill was resumed. Sen
ator CocIrell spoke on the bill as
follows:
If the pending bill be enacted into
law, he said, the further coinage OF
silver into standard dollars would
rest wholly in the mere discretion OF
the Secretary Of the Treasury. He
could coin it or not, at his pleasure.
Under the law Of February, 1878,
the Secretary of the Treasury had to
purchase not less than two millions
Of silver monthly and coin it into
dollars and he could, if he wished,
purchase and coin four millions o
month. Under the proposed meas
ure the Secretary would have to pur-
chase four and half millions worth
of silver every month and pay Treas
ury notes for it, but he was not re-
quired to coin any Of it into silver
dollars. Where then, lie asked, was
there any benefit in the proposed
bill over the existing law? All the
benefit lie could see or that could be
claimed for the proposed bill was
that the Secretary would be compcl>
led to purchase $500, geo worth Of
silver every month more than he now
has right to purchase, AID that the
currency would hc Increased 10 that
extent. Silver bullion was to be
treated as q mere commodity and
was to DC given none Of the ClnlYa-
Tents % money or currency. " by,
be asked, continue that legal dis
elimination AMI that relentless war
fare against silver? He skttched
the history Of the legislation IN the
United States touching gold and sill
yer and asked whether there was
any valid reason jastifyipg a con-
tinuance of the existing dl8crimina-
ton in favor Of the free and unlimited
coinage OF gold and Of the issue of
gold certificate for gold bullion, and
against the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver bullion into standard
dollars, and the issue of certificates
for silver bullion? He denied that
the free and unlimited coinage of
silver. and the issue Of certificates
for silver bullion, would be in dero-
CATION of any obligation to the credi-
tors of the nation.