Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-21

only two votes those Of Nfessra ca,.a~
ana Wartime the two Democratic freo.
coinage men Messrs Bland and N iiiams
voting against IL.
lt was then arranged that the chairman
o. the committee, MIR Wickham ~ ob;l
should draw up the report in behalf az the
majority OF the committee and present h
10 the house as promptly as possible
A resolution was agreed to giving ,ba
minority authority to submit tba;r 800 S"o
70 the House in The shane OF a minoritv 20
port 4 they see fit 60 do so.
Nothing was said In committee about
bringing the bill before the Houae and h
now goes % the foot of the Rlrea3y 49,
burdened House calendar with the recon-
mendation Of the committee that Il do NOT
pass. ~ Wv "Oe
While Mr. Bartine voted for the compro.
illse proposltion to make larger monthly
purchases Of SILVER, ne stated tbat bo a.
so with reluctance and only FOR tho nT,r
pose OF getting favorable report To the
House and that he should feel AT ibertv
20 vote on the hoor for some other silver
measure.
LA-CoNPTRoLLEB KNOX on THE SILVER ACT
or '78.
Mr. John j. Knox. of New york for
morly Comptroller Of the Currcpcy tbcn
made statement with reference TO tbo
passage of the silver act of 1873. lie "a 4
IL hNd beer charged publicly. both in this
country and IN England. that the parti "a
VINO framed the act and those who waro
prominent IN It's passage through Congress
were guilty OF passing the act by secret
.ie'nIous ana without giving the people of
t't ultcd states or their Representatives
IN congress "a knowledge Of what the bill
contained or what It's effect would be. Ho
was an officer Of the Treasury Department
AT the time, and everything done IN CON
neetlon with the act was az open az day.
hght. lie read from departmental re-
ports prior 70 the framing of the hill
discuss NJ the silver question The bill
was then framed. he said, and sent TO an
the assay and mint officers and 70 every Que
specially interested in the subject. with u
request that they communicate their views
10y marginal notes on the copies sent them.
lie also read from the congressional pro-
ceeo'ngS IN support ot his assertion that
'Aefe was nothing done secretly in con
heclon with the passage of the bill. The
act OF 1873, De declared. simply registered
IN the form of statute what had been the
unwrltteu law Of the country for forty
years.
SENATOR STEWART CLOSES THE HEARINGS.
Senator Stewart. of Nevada, was then
gwen an opportunity 20 close the hearing
lie SAID that he should not take up much
time with any statements of the claudcs-
tine manner in which the characterization
OF silver IN 1913 had been accomplished
tie had made several speeches uthat mat
ter. The proceedings in Congress would
show that there was no discussion in the
the Senate whatever. and that the amend
ments which had been fixed in the bill had
never been submitted and printed IN the
tiobe as was customary in all legislation.
lie thought that # anybody knew that the
step was TO be taken, and its effect, he did
great wrong not 10 call IL 10 public atten-
ton and have the question thoroughly uu-
derstoOd. MIR. Stewart then made an argu-
meut IN favor of free 90 mage.
After a colloQuy between Senator Stew
art and Mr.. John }. Knox and several of
the committee over the manner in which
the act Of 1873 was passed the committee
closed the hearings, and soon afterwards
began consideration of the Senate free
coinage bill III secret session with the re-
suit told elsewhere.
Just before the hearings closed the COM
mttee received a communication from
Murat Halstead, presenting an argument
against free coinage which was ordered
printed.