Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-05
BLAND ON HIS BILL.
Free Silver's Champion Fears the
Measure Passed by the Senate
ISN'T JUST WHAT 1T SHOULD BE.
II Nav Have to Be Sent Back From the
House for Amendment
THEN IT COULD BE TALKED TO DEATH

WASHINGTON, July 4-Mr. Bland ha'
returned from Missouri and is ready to take
hold of the silver fight. His return wa.
entirely on account of the silver bill having
passed the Senate, and he is here to try to
get it through the House. He will call q
meeting of the Committee on Coinage,
Weights and Measures on Wednesday for
the purpose of considering the measure,
and a speedy report is expected.
There is a complication in the situation,
however, which embarrssses the silver men.
Mr.. Bland believes that the Stewart bill
will have to be amended in order to pre-
vent its being a practical reputation Of the
silver certificates now outstanding.
MI. Bland said to q reporter to-day: 81
have not had q chance to talk with members
of the committee or with the Senators who
are interested in silver, nor have L made a
full investigation of the subject, but look
ing the bill over, fear it will have to be
amended.
Danger Turks in the Bill.
'It seems to me that by repeating the act
of 1880 this bill deprives the eighty-odd
million of silver certificates of their legal
bv the President without reference to the
question Of silver coinage, upon the grounds
that the act repudiated the certificates as
lawful money. The legal tender quality
given these certificates when they were
issued must be preserved, and if this act, by
an insdvertence, deprives them of that
quality, it must be amended before it is
passed by the House. Of course there was
no intention on the part of the gentlemen
proposing the bill to destroy the legal
tender character of these certificates, and it
NAV be that they have looked into the
matter and discovered that it is all right,
but it seems to me that there has been an
oversight which must be corrected.
at is unfortunate if we have to amend
the bill, as it will then have to go back to
the Senate for further action, and its ene-
mics then may be able to talk it to DEATH
but it is better to do that than to pass It as
it is, if it takes the legal tender quality
from more than $50, 900, 600 in the hands of
the people. / am, as l have said, talking
without having consulted with those who
prepared the bill, and it may be that am
mistaken. hope am
Not at All Doubtful OF Success
GAS far as the passage of the bill is con-
cened, / am sure we can accomplish that if
we can bring it to vote. If it proves nee
essary to amend it we will do so and send it
back to the Senate for consideration. If it
turns out that no amendment is necessary the
matter will be very simple"
There will be meeting of the Committee
on Rules tomorrow, to consider the
proposition to fix upon Thursday of this
week as suspension day to take the place of
the day lost by reason of to-day's being a
legal holiday. The purpose is to secure the
passing of the tin plate bill, action on the
conference report on the river and harbor
bill, and to pass several less important bills
This proposition contemplates the ordinary
two-thirds suspension.
Mr.. Pierce has introduced a resolution
providing that on a day to be agreed upon,
it shalNbe in order to move suspension of
the rules to pass public measures which
have been previously discussed and that a
majority vote shall be sufficient. 1t is
probable that such rule will be reported |
from the Committee on Rules, and of |
course, ifA majority favor it, it will be |
adopted, as reports from the Committee on |
Rules cannot be filibustered against
1t may be that this proposition will be |
adopted at the meeting tomorrow, instead |
of the two-thirds suspension rule for Thurs |
day TO secure the passage Of the tin plate
and other bills, as well as the silver bill,
but this is uncertain. If it is not adopted |
now it probably will be adopted later, in |
order to bring about a vote on the silver |
bill