New-York tribune., 1891-02-21
FREE COINAGE POSTPONED.
Az ADVERSE REPORT ON THE SENATE BILL
TO BE SENT TO THE HOUSE.

THE BILL WILL COME BEFORE
THE HOUSE FOR ACTION.
washington. Feb. oO.-The House Coinage Com
tee decided today by vote Of to T. to report the
senate Free Coinage bill adversely. with recon-
nsndatfon that 10 do not pass. The four In the
minority Messrs. Carter, Battine, Bland ana
williams. Two compromises were proposed 10 tle
committee by Mr.. Carter, but both were delea'eu'
The first for free coinage Of the American prooucV
and the second for purchases Of ten millions OF SILVER
for three months and six millions each month there
after Both propositions did not get as much sup
mort as unlimited free coinage
II was expected that the bill would be reported au
v.rselv TO the House late to-day, but Mr. WcRhah
chairman Of the committee, will not submit the report
untl tomorrow. His report will 60 into an argument
NJ the question. A minority report, favorng Tree
coinage WI probably be submitted Nothing was
ad in committee about bringing the bill before the
.orsa and il now goes to the foot of the already
orerhurdened House calendar, with the recommendation
NJ the committee that it do not pass.
The silver men generally disposed to regard ule
action today as practically the end of silver lesisia
,ion for this Congress. An effort is likely 10 DO
made 10 have the bill acted on by the House, ou'
IFS friends do not express hope OF success ior ''c'i
ogorts There are it is said, only two methods by
which 10 can be called up. The first Is by speoi"
order from the Committee on Rules, but TINS Is IT.
carded as lmprac cable as the majority Of the com
mittee do not favor the measure. The other Is Dy
motion to substitute the Silver bill for some o'ncl on
before the House. There is II is thought, no doup'
that the Speaker would rule such motloh ouV VI
order and a majority vote OF the House wouiu DO
necessary TO override that decison II the Speaher
should entertain the appeal. Tile silver men iaN0
heretofore been defeated on a morton TO oVerfuie
decision OF the Chair against the Silver BILL ana 40
not expect a better fate the next time tiNy maho
a similar motion. There was some nope entertainer
that the Coinage Committee would report COM
nromtse bill on which most of the Repub-
ucans could unite, but now that the un'
limited free coinage measure VIII be reported
with an adverse recommendation it is almost conceded
that nothing can be done until next Congress. The
antver men are well pleased with the situation and
Mr. Walker OF Massachusetts, predicted this afternoon
that the bill would never the light again this Con
gTess.
Before the committee took action on the bill several
persons were heard, some advocating and Others op
posing free coinage. The first one to be heard was
Congrcss smane elect Jerry simpson OF Kansas, repre-
senting the Farmers Alliance. lie said the farmers
Of the country demanded and would insist on moro
money. He advocated free coinage as one means 10
this end and aEo the subTrcaSury scheme and tho
issuing Of paper mOpey as other methods whereby
more money could be put into circulation. The peo-
pie demanded a great deal more money. and ii was
the duty of the Government to furnish it, Mr. simp-
son said he did not care if free coinage did cause
silver TO to the United states he wished it would
come. and it would not come too soOn for it would
give the people more money.
Alonzo Waddell, Of South Dakota. who was defeated
for Congress at the last election the candidate OF
the Farmers Alliance, also spoke in behalf of fres
coinage which, he said, advocated by all the mem
bers Of the Alliance Pierre Humbcrt. jr, of Boston,
concluded the argument begun by him yesterday in
advocacy Of free coinage.
T. r. Bacon, Of Milwaukee representing the Cham
Der of Commerce and Merchants Association OF that
city, submitted an argument against the passage of
FrecCoinage bill and Mr.. Wichham, the chairman OF
the committee laid before it the protest adopted at
meeting Of Baltimore manufacturers against the passage
OF additional silver legislation.
John J. Knox, of New-~ork. formerly Controller OF
the Currency, then made statement with reference to
the passage of the Silver act Of 1873. He said it, had
been charged publicly. both in this country and in
England. that the parties who framed the act
and those who were prominent In its pas
sage through Congress guilty Of passing the act by
secret methods and without giving the people Of the
United States their representatives in Congress
knowledge of what the bill contained or what its effect
would be- He was an officer of the Treasury Depart
ment the time, and everything done in connection
with the act was as open as daylight He read from
departmental reports prior to the framing Of the bill
discussing the silver question. The bill was then
framed, he said and sent to all the ASSAY and mint
officers and to every specially interested in the
subject, with request that the ycommunicate their
views By marginal notes the copies sent them.
Among those to whom copies Of the bill were sent were
President Barnard Of Columbia College. and Pro
fessor Taussig of Harvard lie also read from Con-
gressional proceedings in support Of his assertion a,
there was nothing done secretly in connection with
the passage of the bill The act OF 1873 lie declared.
simply registered in the form Of statute what had been
the unwrltten law of the country for forty years
Senator stewart. Of Nevada. was tncn allowed TO
close the hearings lie said that he should not take up
much time with any statement of the candcstnc man
ncr in which the decentralization Of silver in S73 lad
been accomplished. lie had made several speeches
on that matter. The proceedings in Congress would
show that there discussion in the senate what
ever, and that the amendments which had been hAed
in the bill had been submitted and printed in
I" The Globe" as was customary in all legislation
lie thought that if anybody knew that the sep wa
to be TAKEN and its effect he did great wrong not
to call il 10 public attention ana nave the Puesuoh
understood.
Mr. Walker interrupted Mr.. stewart to inquire II he
asserted that anybody intended TO do great wrong
The senator -ponded that whether they c0mpIehchoed
the great wrong or not he not the judge. Mr.
alher insisting his question, and stating that inc
senator came before the committee as an expert MI
stewart said II you want my opinion as an expert,
think it was improperly done and severely open 10
adverse criticism Whether II was design or negil'
,ence the mode of legislation by which the dem0nez
lion of silver had been accomplished should always be
criticised"
Mr. stewart then made argument in favor OF
fres coinage When he stated that lie wished to wpo
ut the great crime Of the nnetecnth century, the de-
nopctIzaton of silver Mr.. Walker asked him TO name
Dne persbn connected with that crime Senator Stew
art replied that he was not prosecuting any one lie
was not now I'm the criminal court the crime was 700
notorious The senator then took up the question OF
credit and said IL had grown out OF all bounds com
pared with actual money. business men eoafrald
OF collapse.
Mr.. Walker asked the name Of single Institution
whose failure had not been due 10 dishonest or FOOLISH
MIR. stewart responded that a great many soou Ousl.
ness men had failed. Look, he said al t'e HUMMER VI
uen who have had lately TO give up Idiiioau sec"le''