Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-18
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Coinage of Silver From 1894 to the
New Free Silver Agitation.
MEMBERS OF TIE NEXT CONG RESS.
A Popular Error - to the Value Of Can
cslled Postage Stampa
THE CREDIT MUBILIER BEIBERIEs

In this column an attempt will be made
to answer all questions of public interest.
Those desiring information should remem-
Der, however, that space is too valuable to
devote to questions that are of Importance
only to one or two persona The idea in
publishing this column is to do the greatest
good to the greatest number. For instance,
space cannot be set apart for the man who
wants to know what day in the week Janu-
ary II, 1853, came on, because that question
would be Of no earthly interest to anyone
save himself, and only to him because that
was his birthday. And bets cannot be de-
cided in this column unles the subject in
dispute is of extraordinary interest The
duty of newspaper is to help educate the
people and, SO, if you have a question that
is important and of general interest send it
in. Below are some queries recently re-
ceived with what are believed to be correct
answers.
Please give me brief history Of our
lion in the fractional currency reduced.
while the dollar retained It's full amount of
silver bullion, in 1857 Why was the trade
received for mintage? R. A. T.
The Act of April 2, 1892, established
mint and authorized the coinage of dollars
or units. each to contain 37r4-16 grains of
pure silver, and of half-dollars, quarter
dollars, dimes and half-dimes of correspond
ing weights. Under this act silver
dollars, halves, dimes and half.dimes
were first struck in 1894, and quarter dol
lars in 1896. In 1858 gold had fallen so
much in comparison with silver that sill
yer dollar was worth 104 cents in gold. Now
as person could pass silver dollar in this
country for only 100 cents in gold, he pre-
ferred to pass it in other countries as
bullion, and get 104 cents tor it; so silver
dollars became very scarce. As the frac-
tional coins were worth one-half, one.ouar-
ter, one-tenth, one-twentieth of silver dol
lar, they too disappeared from circulation
with the silver dollars, until even the coins
needed for small retail transactions were
wanted, and the business of the country be-
came seriously embarrassed for the want of
change.
To keep the small coins in the country.
'he weight of pure silver in the fractional
coins was reduced and their legal tender
value limited by the act of February 21,
1853 Thus, though within the United
Sta tes two half-dollars would pass for one
whole dollar, outside of the United States
they ould pass only for the amount of
bullion in them, which was less than that
in the dollar; so it became improbable to
export them as bullion The same thing is
done in every country; the smaller silver
coins are over-valued. and as they have
more purchasing power at home than
abroad, they remain at home and supply
the necessary change. The trade dollar
was intended to circulate in Asia, where
the Mexican dollar, or piece of eight, had
been the standard; there was no mint in
China, so Mexican and Spanish dollars were
relied upon as the medium of exchange The
trade dollar was not our silver dollar with
increased weight; it was wholly different
piece. 1t was coined under the act of Feb
ruary II, 1873. The mlntage charges 20 to
material, labor, wastage and use of ma
chinery in the minting
]. How many members from each State
will mako up the next House of Representa-
tivesi 2 Who are the Judges Of the su-
are the Supreme Court Judges in Texas?
DAVID.
1. Alabama, 9 (s); Arkansas, 6 (5); Cali
fornia, 7 (6); Colorado, Q); Connecticut,
4; Delaware, 1; Florida, 2; Georgia, II
(1O); Idaho, 1; Illinois, % (2O); Indiana,
13; Iowa, IL; Kansas, CD; Kentucky, II;
Louisiana, 6; Maine, 4, Maryland, 6;
Massachusetts,, 13 Q2); Michigan, 70
QD; Minnesota, 7 (0; Mississippi, Z;
Missouri, 15 Q4); Montsna, 1; Nebraska,
6 (3); Nevada, 1; New Hampshire, 2; New
jersey, (O; New York, "a; North Caro-
lima, 9; North Dakota, l. Ohio. 21; Oregon,
2 %; Pennsylvania, 80 (2S); Rhode Island,
9. South Corolipa z. Sopfh nal-oto o., IT,.
nessee, 10; Texas, 13 (11); Vermont, 8; Viz
ginia, 10; Washington, 2 O; West Vir-
ginia, 4; Wisconsin, 10 (9J; Wyoming, 1.
The figures in parenthesis show the present
number of Representatives of those States
whose representation has been altered by
the new apportionment
2. Melville w. Fuller, of Illinois, Chief
Justice; Associate Justices Stephen j.
Field, California; John M. Harlan, Ken