The morning call., 1891-01-16
Prospects Of the Silver Bill
in the House;
Reference Ordered to the Committee on
Coinage, Weights and Measures.
Prominent Features Of the Bill as Passed
by the Senate Comments on The Prob
able Effect of lis Operation.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-The Silver Bill
ets been, under the rules of the House, re-
Aerred to the Committee on Coinage,
Weights and Measures, of which Wickham
OF Ohio is Chairman. The silver men in
the House have been actively engaged in
age. They are Sanguine of ultimate sue
cess. and are certain that the bill cannot be
kept indefinitely in the committee. and that
within reasonable time the Coinage Com
mittee will order a report made notwith-
standing all efforts to prevent the bill hay
i.ne OF Nevada, one of the outspoken Re-
publican advocates of free coinage who is on
Tue committee, said to-day he was confident
Of getting the Silver Bill back to the House.
de thought the sentiment toward silver had
grown much more favorable than it was last
session, and that good many Republicans
we're not inclined 10 under-rate the intiu-
ence silver had on the recent election.
FEATURES OF THE BILL.
The Free.coinage Bill. passed by the Sen
ate last night, is substantially as follows:
An act 10 provide for the free coinage of gold
and silver bullion and other purposes.
Ihat from and after the date of passage of this
act The unit OF value IN the United States shall be
the dollar, and the same may be coined OF 41213
grains standard silver, or % $40 grains stand
aia eold ana said coins shall be.a legal ender for
al debts, public and private; that hereafter any
owner oT silver or gold bullion may deposit he
same al any mint of The United States 10 be coined
INTO standard dollars or bars for his benefit and
without charge; but it shall be lawful 10 refuse
say deposit OF less value Than $780, or any bull
lon so base as TO be unsuitable for the operations
OF the mint.
Sec 2. Tie provisions OF Section of ian act
70 authorize the coinage OF the standard silver
dullAr, and 10 restore its egal-iender character"
which became a law February 2S, 1875, is here
Dy made applicable 10 coinage in this act as pro.
yiaed for.
See. 3.-That the certificates provided for In
The Seeoud section OF this act shall be OF denom-
nations OF not less than one nor more than one
hundred dcllars, and such certificates shall b.
redetnaDle In coin of standard value. A sufi-
cient sum 10 carry out the provisions OF this act
Is hereby appropriated out OF any money In The
4, d'essuty ,na not otherwise appropiated So much
directing the purchase of silver bullion and he
issue OF Treasury notes. and for other purposes -
as requires Inc purchase OF 4, 500, 900 ounces OF
siivef bullion per month be and the same Is here
by repealed.
See. 4. The certificates provided for in this
aet, aud all silver aud gold certificates already
Issued shall be receivable for all taxes and dues
10 Inc United States OF every description, and
shall be legal tender for the payment OF all
debts, public aud private.
Sec. D. Owners OF bullion deposits for coinage
shall have the option 10 receive coin OF IS equi-
vaen In The certificates provIL ed Tor In this act
and such bullion shall be suoSeq uenty coined
RESULT OF A POPULAR DEMAND.
.Nte Star says: FrDm the general tenor of
cplversation among the silver majority il
sss.s apparent that they regarded their vic
tory as merely due to the force of the ire
sistibe popular demand, which they believe
will make itself felt in similar manner in
the House and ultimately in the executive
mansion. More cautious and conservative
friends of silver are inclined TO think that
the action OF yesterday will prove TO have
been fortunate thing for tue country. 1t
may serve to satisfy the strong craving of
the West and South for financial relief, and
thus prevent recourse to the more extreme
measures in the way of the sub Treasury
schemes OF fiat money which are meditaJed
so seriously by the Farmers Alliance and
rural political agitatcrs In the interior of
the country. The defeated party takes the
matter calmly but rather glOomIly.