Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-04
Two Colorado Men Claim of the
Mint at Philadelphia the Right
Of Free Coinage. =
THE REQUEST is MADE In WRITING.
Their Demand Is Duly Denied, Also in
Writing. by the Mint officials, and
the Case Will Be Tried in
THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
The Private Right to ssignorags As Against the Gov.
ernmsnt Is Also Claimed

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. S.-To-day Judge
Harley B. Morse and George G. Merrick, of
Denver, called at the United States mint
in this city with brick of silver weighing
BIAS ounces fine, and presented it to the
weighing clerk and demanded that it be
coined into money for them. Upon their
demand being refused they waited upon
Colonel Bosbyshell, Superintendent of the
Mint, and made the same demand verbally
of him. Colonel Bosbyshell refused to ac-
cept the brick for private coinage, and
Messrs. Morse and Merrick then presented
him with the following formal demand in
writing:
The Demand Formally Submitted.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Jan. 8. 1891.
Col. o. G. Bosbyshell, Superintendent of the
United States Mint at Philadelphia:
DEAR SIR-We, George G. Merrick. George
F. Batchelder, Harley B. Morse and Robert J.
Coleman, citizens of the State of Colorado,
United States of America, tender to you and
to the proper officers in charge of the United
States Mint at Philadelphia a bar of lngot sill
yer bullion, marked and identified as follows:
From Boston and Colorado: s. NJ. Co-hne-
fine weighing. 5l4S ounces Troy, nine hundred
and nineIy-nine fine, ''and demand as our right
under the constitution and laws of the United
States that the said bullion be received and
coined into silver dollars of the weight of four
hundred, twelve and one-half grains Troy
standard silver for the use and benefit of the
depositors, and without unnecessary delay.
GEORGE G. MERRICK,
HARLEY B. MORSE.
The Demand Refused in Writing.
After presenting the above demand, Mr..
Merrick asked Colonel Bosbyshell to give
them a certificate or letter certifying that he
and Judge Morse had offered their silver
for coinage, and that it had been refused by
him, SO that they would be saved the trouble
of proving that fact in court, where they
proposed to test the right of the Government
TO release the bullion. In compliance with
their request Colonel Bosbyshell gave them
the following letter:
Messrs. George &. .Merrick and Harley B. Morse;
GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your offer of this date of
bar or Ingot of silver bullion, to be coined into
silver dollars of the weight of 4l2% grains Troy
standard silver Tor the use and benefit of your
selves as depositors, and beg to decline such Of
fer on the ground that 1t is in violation of the
laws and regulations of the mint service to de-
posit silver for private account. Very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
o. c. BosBYsHELL
A Constitutional Right Alleged.
After receiving Colonel Bosbyshell's
written refusal to receive their bullion, the
two gentlemen wrapped up their brick in q
piece OF paper and departed. The ground
upon which Messrs. Morse and Merrick based
their demand is a constitutional one, and
denies the right OF the Government TO make
what is known as "seignorage." At pres
ent the market value of silver bullion is
1881 cents per ounce fine of 371H grains,
while the actual value of an ounce when
coined into silver dollars is 1899 cents.
When the Government buys bullion it pays
the market bullion price and makes the
difference, which is the ''seignorage," be-
tween that price and the legal tender value.
1t is this seignorage which the gentlemen
who presented their silver brick at the mint
to-day think they have as much right to as
the Government.
What the Bland Act Covers.
Colonel Bosbyshell based his refusal to &C.
cept the bullion on the act of Congress OF
February u, 1873. In speaking of the
ground upon which he based his claim for
free coinage, Mr.. Merrick said:
We will carry this case to the Supreme Court
of the United States. Wesay that it is the con-
stitutional right of an American citizen to
bring his gold and silver bullion to any United
States Mint, and to receive therefor coin OF
lawful weight and fneness for his use and bene.
fit, based upon the coinage value of the metal
deposited Congress has not no authority to
demonetize silver or limit its legal tender
quality. The act known as the Bland hill re-
stores by operation of law the coinage by the
mint of silver dollars of the weight of 4l21S
grains STANDARD silver, to all the provisions OF
the act OF January Is, 1887, applicable to that
dollar, including the fourteenth section of said
act