The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-25
SESSION OF THE SENATE.
MORGAN INTRODUCES A NEW sIL-
YER BILL.

II Fixes the Limit of Value and Pro-
vides for Free Coinage-Its Author
sneaks in Advocacy OF Its Passage
The Indian Educational Question
Discussed.
WASHINGTON, July 24-The Senate met
nt IL o'clock this morning with the Vice
President in the chair. Among the bills
renorted and placed on the calendar was
House bill granting pension TO the only
daughter of a revolutionary soldier, DaVlo
Wilkinson.
Mr.. Morgan introduced a bill to fix the
limit of value, and to provide for free coin
ace of silver, and it was read and referred
to the committee on finance. Itrecites that
the market value of silver bullion is rapidly
approaching the value Of gold on the stan
dard relation fixed by the laws of the
United States, and that there is no provls-
ion of law for the coinage of standard silver
dollars or for the purchase of silver bullion
by the government, when the value of silver
bullion exceeds 81 for S71H grains OF pure
silver.
THE LIMIT VALUE.
1t. therefore, provides that the limit value
41216 grains of standard silver. or 25 $40
grains of gold; that these coins shall be
legal tender for all debts, public and pri-
vate, and that any owner of silver or gold
bullion may deposit it at any mint to be
formed into dollars or bars for his benefit
and without charge. He called the special
attention of the finance committee
to the bill, which, he said, was
the same as had already received a majority
of II in the Senate. He had introduced it
because he was convinced that in the rapid
advance in the price of silver bullion in the
markets of the world, the time was not far
distant, to say the least, when silver and
gold bullion would be on par with each
other.
NOT PREPARED NOW.
When that day did arrive the law, as it
now stood, would not permit the govern
Inent to buy silver bullion if there was any
shade of appreciation of its price, beyond
the price of gold, and there was no pro-
vision of law for the coinage OF any silver
except that purchased before silver had
reached that point. In view of what ap-
peared to be in the air as well as on the
the land and on the sea, in regard to the
immediate future of the country, he
thought that it would be well
enough to make some proviso against the
possibility that silver or gold bullion would
be Withdrawn from the United States by
other interested governments and boarded
up in their great banking institutions. The
United States might then find itself in
very unpleasant predicament. weakened on
one of its great elements of strength at
time when it needed it most.
CLASSES WHO NEED SILVER.
The United States had locked up in its
bosom negroes, Indians aud the poorer
classes for whom o silver currency should
be provided. Great Britain provided for
her India by laying up silver and permit
ting its coinage in these provinces. The
United States would have use for all the
silver coin which could possibly be put
through the mint In case Of collision or
hostilities between the United States and
foreign power the United States would
lind itself very much disarmed in one of
the essential powers of war-making capac-
lty If it permitted its bullion to be taken
abroad.
THE SAVANNAH RIVER BRIDGE.
The House bill to authorize the construc-
tion Of bridge across the Savannah riy er
was taken from the calendar and passed
with an amendment.
The Senate then resumed consideration of
the Indian appropriation bill, the pending
question being upon the insertion of an
item OF $4,000 for the prosecut ton of a
suit in North Carolina to enforce certain
rights of the Cherokee Indians in that
state.
Mr.. Dawes, after consultation with Mr.
Ransom, modified the amendment so as
merely to appropriate $1,000 to pay the
legal expenses already incurred in the suit
and 1t was agreed to.
The next amendment to provoke discns.
sion was one increasing the appropriation
Oh SlOU,OO0 for the support of Indian
schools 10 Sl5o,OO0 including the construc-
ton of school buildings at the Blackfeet
agency in Montana
VEST OPPOSES 1T.
Mr.. Vest opposed the amendment as an
interruption OF the system intended to
aooilsn UNCONVENTIONAL education among
tne Indians. He spoke of an official visit
WHICH ne mad made to the Indian agency
seven OF eight years ago. and of his obser-
EaUlon OF the work Of the Catholic church
An eeaucating the Indians. The school
Il tL winch had been erected
standing unoccupied. There was to he a
koserniIent school put on that reservation
mcolupetltlon AZ with them, but they were to
4: aYe no contract whatever for the educa-
.loh oi ene Indian, as had heen plainly i'm
p1.eu @ ~ tne correspondence between the
uSrsnrs SiSoioner au OF Indian affairs and the
pe.sonS IN authority in the church.
MT Dawes submitted that this discus-
s slon would more properly take place on
some subsequent amendments va
GOOD WORK BY THE CATHOLICS.
% Mr. VT vest explained his position TO be that
~ ~ Cat9ollcs were doing better in educating
sno INDIANS than other denominations he
tI o was IN laVor OF the Catholics. and that if
S tne rresbyterians or Baptists were doing
r Ue1.eF ~ was because the agent would not
REgfinlt Der Jesults to teach any Indian children
IIs opinions on the subject were fixed Tha
"esuits had succeeded better than anv othar
Re4pie hVing in the education of Indians
mnaVeYer ,,oIl prejudice, if that was the nronar
ToS,'a TIu ne might have against the Society of
O' oesus' ne had to say that much as an adm. N.
"a Gated protestant. - Oh eou-
snd ar, Davis also opposed the amendment
81 rn;ssop ms spoke OF the efforts of the Catholic
ba5 b55'onaIles oneis at Blackfeet. The good peonle
tbo nau applied to those philanthronio Iadies
M oI.o we Misses Drexel of Philadelnhie and bad
in sJ a So S@T'QOO which they had expended
He school building recently oompleteS
& vero "as convinced that the Ca aIboIics
A India 4ar al more efficient among the
coniS 1'is 'nan any protestant denomination
tel-d. ult De- No other denominations co,,id
liz liz Ia I4elr places, because when the TndisnS
prassin1e "a, o'ner people, receive religious i'm
',Utis care .ttaey are permanent, he did not
superstition. Oe oalled religion or
ere1 11 amendment was adopted. as vera sev-
ton ot1els NJ .1 upon which debate on the oues-