Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-11-04
The Silver Repeal Bill Passed by the
Senate.

The Silver Repeal Bill Passed by the
Senate.
The bill for the unconditional re-
peal of the silver-purchase clause OF
the Sherman law passed the Senate
at half-past z o'clock Monday even
ing by vote OF 49 ayes to 80 noes.
For three months the bill had occu-
pied the attention of the Senate to
the exclusion of almost all other bust
ness. had been debated as per
haps no single bill ever before the
American Senate has been discussed.
The House of Representatives passed
the bill on Monday, August %, three
weeks after the beginning of the ses
sion and although the Senate had
been discussing it practically all the
time it was under consideration in
the House, they kept it before them
for exactly nine weeks after 1T came
from the House before voting on its
final passage. The bill was passed,
with the VOORHEES, amendment, eXac-
tly as it was reported from the COM
mittee on finance on August 90.
Senator Hunton of Virginia voted
for repeal and Senator Daniel against
it.
SENATOR HUNToN, OF VIRGINIA, Ex-
PLAINS.
When the Vice-President's gavel
descended at II o'clock and he called
the Senate to order there we're not q
dozen Senators in their places, but
they came in so promptly that when
the question Of the presence OF a
Quorum was raised many more than
the necessary forty-three were on
hand before the call of the roll was
completed. There was small
amo unit of business transacted by
unanimous consent, and then Sena-
tor Hunton, of Virginia, took the
floor to read O short speech defining
his position on the pending bill and
the amendments so clearly that there
could be no misconstruction put
upon any of his votes. He declared
himself to be q subscriber to the Chi
cago platform. He was, and had
been from the beginning, IN favor OF
the repeal of the Sherman law, but
he was also in favor Of the next clause
of the Chicago platform, which de
clared in favor of the reconciliation
of silver. lie was q bimetalist and
he believed the repeal OF the silver
purchaselaw without additional Iegls-
lation would be q step in the direc-
ton of gold monometalism. This, in
his opinion, would give to gold too
great purchasing power and would
be detrimental to the interests OF the
farming classes. These were some
of the reasons that had led to his
voting for the various amendments
that had been offered. 1t was clear.
however, that no amendment could
be adopted, and he was, therefore,
confronted with the question OF
whether he should vote for the un-
conditional repeal of the silver
purchasing clause and trust to the
future for further legislation. The
condition of the treasury was such
that to continue the purchase under
the present system would be danger
Gus to the best interests of the coun-
trv. The chairman of the finance
committee had given repeated assur,
ances that other financial legislation
would be brought forward, and the
President had said he would approve
a reasonable and safe bill for the use
of silver. He would, therefore, vote
for repeal.
THE VOTE FOR AND AGAINST REPEAL
Following is the vote in detail:
Yeas-M essrs. Aldrich, Brice, CAT.
fery, Carey, Cullom. Davis, Dixon,
Doiph, Faulkner, Frye. Gallingcr,
Gibson, German, Gray. Hale, Hawley
Higgins, Hill. Hoar, Hunton, Lindsay,
Lodge, Mcmillan, MCPHERSON, Mand-
erson, Mills, Mitchell Of Wisconsin,
Morrill,. Murphy, Platt, Proctor
QUAY. Ransom, Sherman, Smith,
Squire, Stockbridge, Turple, Villas,
VOORHEES,, Washburn and White OF
Louisiana-43.
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Bate, Berry
Blackburn, Butler, Call, Cockrell
Coke, Cameron, Daniel, Dubois,
George, Harris. Irby, Jones OF
Arkansas, Jones of Nevada, Kyle,
Martin, Pasco, PETER, Perkins, Petit
grew, Power, Pugh Roach, Shoup,
Stewart, Teller, Vance, Vest, walthall
and Wolcott-32.
SHERMAN LAW NO MORE.
WASHINGTON, November 1.-The
final touches were put on the Silver
Purchase Repeal bill in the House
to day. 1t was taken up soon after
the reading of the journal and was,
after series of abortive attempts at
obstruction and after q half hours
discussion, the time being parcelled
out to some half dozen speakers,
steered to final vote by Mr.. Wilson,
of West Virginia, who had charge OF
it. A motion by Mr.. Bland to refer
it to the Committee on Coinage, with
instructions, was voted down-yeas,
100: NAYS, 175-and then the Senate
substitute was concurred in-yeas,
1893; nays, 81.
The bill was signed by the Speak
er shortly after its passage in the
House. The announcement that the
House had concurred in the Senate
amendment was made to the Senate
at $40, but it was 4 o'clock when the
enrolled bill was laid on the Vice.
Presidents desk for his signature.
Imme diately after, twas returned to
the House Committee on Enrolled
Bills, which committee is in charge,
with the duty of delivering it to the
President for his signature. The
President signed the Repeal bill at
exactly 4:3O o'clock this afternoon,
one hour and thirty-fve minutes after
its passage.