The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-15

WAsHINGToN, Dec. 14.-Vice. Presi-
dent Stevenson having returned from
his trip to Augusta, Ga, presided over
the Senate to day. Vance, from the
committee on privileges and elections,
reported back favorably the House bill
to repeal the Federal election laws and
it was placed on the calendar Notice
of minority report was given by Chand-
Ter who gave the name of the dissenting
members OF the committee as Hoar,
Mitchell, Higgins and Chandler.
The Senate joint resolution relieving
the employees Of the record and pension
offices, which wero injured in the Ford's
Theatre disaster, from the operation of
the law restricting the amount of sick
leave and pay, was reported and passed.
Voorhees,, chairman of the finance
committee, introduced q bill for the
coinage OF silver dollars, the retirement
of small denominations of gold and
paper money and for other purposes.
Following is its text:
Voorhees' Coinage Bill.
Be it ena, ted, ETC., that the seignor-
age or profit fund, which has resulted
from the coinage of silver bullion under
the acts of February 90, 1878, and July
IL, 1880, or which would result from
the coinage of such bullion, shall be
coined into silver dollars of standard
weight and tineness with full lega!
tender quality at the rate of net less
than S2,000,0O0 per month, and such
dollars shall be covered into the Treas
ury.
Sec 2. That when amount, seignorage
or profit fund bullion. specified in tho
first section of this act, have been
coined as therein directed it shall be
the duty of the Secretary of the Treas
ury to purchase each month silver
bullion at the market value in quantities
sufficient to coin not less than So, 900, 900
each and every month, and he is hereby
directed to coin the said bullion
monthly, as fast as purchased, into
standard dollars, and a sum sufficient
| to carry into effect the provisions of
this act is hereby appropriated out of
any money in the Treasury not other
wise appropriated.
|. Sec. 3. That when any paper cir
| culating notes or certificates, of whatso-
ever character, of denominations less
than ten dollars issued under authority
OF the United States, except national
bank notes or certificates redeemable
only in silver dollars, shall be received
at the treasury or any sub-treasury,
they shall not be reissued, but shall be
assorted, counted and recorded and i'm
mediately destroyed in accordance with
tho existing provisions of law, and as
rapidly as said notes or certificates are
destroyed they shall be replaced by an
equal amount OF like notes or certifi.
Gates of denominations not less than ten
dollars.
Sec 4. That hereafter no national
bank note shall be issued of less de-
nomination than ten dollars, and all
such national bank notes, when received
at the Treasury or any ub-treasury,
shall be destroyed in accordance with
law and the national banking associ-
atoms. whose notes are destroyed under
the provisions of this act shall be re-
spectively required to substitute notes
or denominations not less than ten dol
lars in lieu Of those destroyed.
Sec. S. That from and after the pas.
sage of this act the coinage of the two
and one-half dollar gold pieces and the
i've dollar gold pieces is hereby pro-
hibited and the coins above named shall
not be strict or issued by the mint of the
United States and such coins, when re-
ceived at the Treasury or any sub
treasury, shall be withdrawn from
and double eagles in accordance with
the law.
Sec g. The President of the United
States is hereby authorized to appoint
five commissioners to an international
conference, to be held at place to be
hereafter designated, with a view to
secure internationally a fxity of rela-
tive value between gold and silver as
money by means of a common rate be-
tween these metals with free mintage
at such ratio and for com pensation of
such commissioners and for all reason
able expenses connected Herewith, to
be approved by the Secretary of State,
including the proportion TO be paid by
the United States OF the joint expenses
OF such conference, SSO,0UO or so much
thereof as may be necessary is hereby
appropriated out OF any money in the
Treasury not otherwise Appropriated
To Investigate the Disaster
resolution was adopted providing
for the appointment OF a select com.
mittee Of five Senators to investigate
the Ford's Theatre disaster and report
to the Senate whether in law, equity or