Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-10-26
HON. v, {, CARTER,
Of Platteyille,
REPLIES TO GEO. MILLS.
FACTS AND STATISTICS ABOUT
GOLD AND SILVER FROM EAR
LY TIMES TO THE PRESENT.

In last week : Herald Mr.. Carter clos
ed by saying: 1T remains to he seen
whether Mr. Mills version Of what
transpired in the Senate. is amy nearer
the truth, than his account of its pass
age in the House
As appears from the Globe it was
received in the Senate May Is. 1872.
| e.Globe, : p 1861 and on May %,
1872. it was referred to the Senate Com
mittec on Finance, Up. $780, consist
inc. | believe. of Senators Sherman,
/ (Chairman,) Morrill,. (Yt.) Trenton.
4 IN. " Ames, Miss Scott. Penn
Wright, Ga,) and Bayard, (Del.).
On December 10th 1872, Mr.. Sher-
man. Chairman Of that Committee, re-
ported it back. with, as he said two or
three amendments. He stated that
the bill had, in substance, passed both
Houses. except that the bill passed By
the Senate enlarged and increased the
salaries of the Mint twas passed BY
the Senate, he said, at the last session
of the last Congress, went TO the House,
and now, somewhat modified had pass
ed the House. The Senate Committee
on Finance proposed to modify only 4
single section: but as that was not the
same Congress that passed the bill in
the Senate, nc supposed it would have
to 90 through the form Of a full read
ing, unless the Senate were willing TO
take il on the statement of the Com
mittee. unless the Senate gave unani-
nous consent that it be passed with
tout reading. it would have to be read.
He did not, however. ask that it be
considered mt that time. Objection
was made TO its being SO passed. Sen
ator Edmunds suggested that it should
be printed Senator Sherman replied
1T has been printed, and tits scarcely
necessary to reprint it, because there
is but one section of it that is proposed
to be amended. Senator Edmund still
thought it ought to be printed. Sena-
tor Cole of California, thought 80 too.
and it was ordered that ii be printed
together with the proposed amend
ments, (.'Globe'' 3rd sess.. IL Cong,
p. 203
On January eth, 1873 Mr., Sherman
further reported tina he was directed
BY the Committee on Finance to report
further amendments to the bill in
question and he moved that the
original bill .'be reprinted with the
amendments which motion was
agreed to, (.Globe' p. 3G3.) This, it
will be noticed. is the second printing
in the Senate of the bin as it passed
the House, May 9th, 1872. with the
amendments proposed by the Senate
Committee ON Finance. On January
10th. 1873 it came up in the Senate
and was discussed, (s'Globe' 66S-674.)
Mr. Mills informs us that ''in the SEN
ate, the debate between Mr.. Casserly
and Mr.. Sherman who had charge OF
the bill, with reference to the super
: scription on one silver coin, was all
the discussion that took place on that
: subject The Senate was satisfied
with the explanation of Mr.. Sherman
: and passed the bin without division,
on his MSS urance that ii contained q sii
Ter dollar che exact e1UiUGiem Of the 8
! franc piece 70 float al over the world.
&c =
Respecting this statement Of MIR.
Mills ! have to say. first, that as to
the facts, it is about as inaccurate as
J the rest of his statements, ant second
that by it he completely gives away
the whole case of the silver statesmen.
: 1t is an unquestionable verify. that,
when the bill in question was passed,
silver dollar of 4123 grains, if one
existed. weighed nearly $500 900 Of an
ounce. and was worth 81 to y cents
more than a gold one at the then
market price of silver, rs was many
times stated in the discussions over
the passage Of that act, and above
quoted. and was never denied, 50 far
as | have been able to discover. While
: the five franc piece. was, like our own
coins. nine-tenths fine. and weighed,
: on the average 500 Of an ounce, on
as nearly as possible 384 grains. the
: weight Of two of orr own half dollars.
or Isl grains. less than the weight 81
our silver dollar. and was worth a.
] two Of our half dollars were, as nearly
rs possible, 96.3 cents. or nearly 4
cents less than gold dollar, and
fully Z cents less than a silver one.
According to Mr.. Mills himself, there
, fore. the Senate tand even Senator
stewart himself, who. as We shall
J presp' tly see. was present IN the SER
ate during at least part Of the dis
: cus9ion and took part in It. were in
formed by senator sherman. befo
the bill passed that body that Il
: silver dollar was to be reduced 81