The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-01-15
FOR FREE COINAGE.
THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE
FINANCIAL BILL REPORTED.
Mr.. Stewards Amendments Rejected and
the Measure Free Coinage Bill Pure
and Simplc-Thc Vest Substitute and
What Members Have to Say.

hbu hbihbo iN'BNthNi NiiNi phh NhNs
they knocked out all the distinctive
features of the Financial bill as it had
been reported from the Committee on
Finance, adopted Mr.. Stewards amend
ment, rejected the bond feature, AMI
finally, just before midnight, adopted n
substitute proposed by Mr.. Vest, which
makes the measure free coinage bill
pure and simple. The substitute sets up
the double standard without any qualili-
cations whatever. 1t was adopted by the
decisive vote of 80 yeas to ~ nays. This
is some distance away from two-thirds
vote. Indeed, IL looks as though the bill
would not pass the Senate over Presi-
dental veto. The Vest substitute is as
follows
The full text of the Free Coinage bill
introduced by Mr.. Vest and adopted by
the Senate last night is as follows:
A bill to provide against the contraction
of the currency and for other purposes.
That from and after the date of the pas
sage Of this act the unit of value in the
United States shall be the dollar, and the
same may be coined of il2l grains OF
standard silver, or of % $40 grains of
standard gold; and the said coins shall be
legal tender for all debts public and pri-
vatc. That hereafter 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 his benefit
and without charge; but it shall be lawful
to refuse any deposit of less value than
500, or any bullion so base as to be UNI
| suitable for the operation of the mint.
Sec. .. That the provision of section
| of IAN act to authorize the coinage of the
standard silver dollar and to restore its
| legal.tender character" which became
law February %, 1873, is hereby made
| applicable to the coinage in this act pro-
| vided for.
Sec. 3. That the certificates provided for
| in the second section of this act shall be
of denominations of not less than one nor
more than one hundred dollars, and such
| certificates shall be redeemable 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. SO
much Of the act of July IA, 1890, entitled
ian act directing the purchase of silver
bullion and the issue of Treasury notes
thereon, and for other purposes" as re-
quires the purchase of 100000 ounces of
silver bullion per month, be, and the
same is hereby, repealed.
Sec. 4. That the certificates provided
for in this act and all silver and gold Ger
| tificates already issued 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, pub
lie and private.
Sec. 8. The owners of bullion deposited
for coinage shall have the option to re-
ceiye coin or its equivalent in the certiii-
Gates provided for in tins act, and such
bullion shall be subsequently coined.
The Bill in the House.
The prospective fate of the bill in the
House is a matter of interesting specula-
opinion is that the bill will be passed If it
can be gotten out of the Committee on
Coinage, Weights and Measures, to which
il will be referred. There Is some talk
that Speaker Reed who practically vetoed
the bill at the last session, will do so again.
But on the other hand it is argued that
Mr.. Reed by his course at that time saved
President Harrison from the embarrass-
ment of expressing himself officially upon
the measure.
Three days after Mr.. Reed had done this
service to President Harrison he showed
his appreciation of it by nominating Mr..
Reeds most active political opponent for
collector of port at Portland despite the
Speakers most earnest protest. Whether
Mr.. Reed is willing. again to save Mr..
Harrison from exercising the veto power
is q question. Those who know him say
that he is not just now in the mood to pull
any more Presidential chestnuts out of
the fire.
The Democrats
on the Weights and Measures Committee
will all vote for a favorable report upon
the bill. There will be added to them Mr..
Carter of Montana and Mr.. Bartine of Ne
vada, two Republican members of the
committee. Their votes will give the bill
majority Of the committee. The chair
man of the committee, Mr.. Wickham of
Ohio, who was last year against free coin
age, is understood to be now in favor of It,.
From all of which it is pretty evident that
the House will have q chance to vote on
the bill, which means that the President
will have an opportunity to veto it. That
he will do that there seems to be no
doubt.
Opinions of Members of the House.
THE CRITIC reporter talked with num-
Der of members of the House to-day on
the chances of the bill in that body.
Said Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee: 1--WE
will get to the bill bye-and-bye. There
aie means for getting it out of the com
mittce and we will get it out. Then 1t
will be passed"
Said Mr.. Burrows: ~ have no means of
forming an opinion as to the fate of the
bill. We must first get it out of the COM
mittee."
Mr.. Caruth-"we can pass it if we can
get at it."
Mr.. Vaux of Pennsylvania-"rh only
means that ] have of forming an opinion
upon the subject is the vote in the Senate
last night"
Mr.. Stewart of Texas-"It did not get
through before, and | do not see why IL
should now"
There is no stauncher advocate of the
free coinage of silver than Mr.. Carter of
Montana. A few days ago Mr.. Carter, in
an interview with CRITIc reporter, said
he was little afraid that majority of
the Committee on Coinage, Weights and
Measures would vote against free coinage,
but he has changed his mind. He now
believes that the Senate bill will 60 through
his committee without a hitch, and that
the House will ratify the committees
action.
Mr.. Lacey of Iowa said; "The Senate
bill will pass the House; there is no doubt
of that. The people are clamoring for
free coinage, and why not give ii to them.
If the Coinage, Weights and Measures
Committee is not inclined to favorably re-
port the Senate bill the House will pass q
resolution ordering them to bring in the
TO get vote in the House would be Ia
tack the bill ON as substitute to some
other measure
Mr.. Kerr of Iowa is not an out-and-out
free coinage man. He said: II am in
Clinod to think that the House will not &c
any further than it has already gone on
the subject of silver
Representative j. ii. Walker, the ven
cradle Bay State statesman, is member
of the Committee ON Coinage, Weights
and Measures, lie is against free coinage
and made memorable speech in the
House on that subject last summer. liz
grew SO earnest on that occasion that hC
threw of his coat ard finished his speech
in his shirt sleeves. His constituents in
dorsed his silver views as we'll rs his man
ners, for he was one of the, few Respubli