Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-21
IN SENATE AND HOUSE.
Many Bills and Resolutions in the Former
Body.
Messrs. Powers and Hooker Speak Upon
the Financial Question in the
house.
THE SENATE.

Among the numerous petitions presented
| in the Senate this morning was one remark
able specimen as to photography, penman-
ship and ideas, which was presented by Mr..
PETER. 1t gives the views of some of the
agriculturists and laboring classes of a
neghborhood in Illinois on the subject of
finances. 1t was referred, all others on
the same subject were, to the committee on
finance.
Mr.. PETER also offered a substitute for the
bill to increase National Bank circulation.
1t proposes the issue Of $3.50. 100000 in treas
ury notes, to be deposited in the treasury
and treated as SO much available cash.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution, which
was referred to the committee on elec.
tfons, declaring that there was no lawful
election of United States Senator in Kan
sas by the joint assembly which met on
the 18th of January of this year and that
John Martin is not entitled to seat as
Senator.
Mr.. Stewart offered a resolution, which
was agreed to- calling on the Secretary of
the Treasury for a statement as to the sill
yer bullion purchased by the government
during the month of July. with the price
paid. and the silver bullion offered for sale
In the same month, with the prices asked.
The finance committee bill discontinuins
the purchase Of silver @ bullion ' WAS then
portunity of addressing the Senate in favor
of the bill. He first, however. asked and
obtained an indefinite leave Of absence. re-
marking that he was in the Senate cham
ber today against the advice OF his physi-
| clan. He then proceeded to read from slips
| his speech bearing the motto Sound
money cheats nobody
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Morrilrs
| speech Senator Vance asked for and OBJ
tained consent that the vote on the Lee
Mantle resolution, which was to have been
| taken this afternoon at o'clock, be post
poned until Wednesday at the same hour
| Mr.. Vance then took the floor to speak
on that subject.
THE HOUSE.
|
| After the reading of the journal Mr.. Pow
| ers Vt) took the floor in support of the re-
peal Of the purchasing clause OF the Sher-
man act He referred to the Chicago plat
/ form and to the Interpretation placed upon
| 1t by various democrats. The gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sibley) had re-
| ferred to the Savior of mankind as the
! first democrat and had taken the utter
ances of the Savior as his platform; the gen.
| tleman from Massachusetts, (hr. Everetp
had taken Grover Cleveland as his plat
| form and had gone around his district
singing at the top Of his voice, 'Oh, isn't
Mr.. Powers went on to argue that the
purchasing. clause Of the sherman bill
ought to be repealed Internationally be-
| cause II was vicious in principle and dan
| gerous in application. 1t would not do 10
say that the gold bugs of Wall street were
for she soa
could corner the market just as easily as
they could today. 1t did not do merely to
say that the republican party was respon-
| sible for 1t.
The practical question was what remedy
| should be applied. Both parties had de-
clared In favor OF bimetallism, but IL the
| United States were allowed to open Its
| mints to the free coinage of silver the
treasury would be carried to the verge OF
insolvency. The only solution Of the prob
lem was a. once to suspend the coinage OF
that metal. which the world had discarded
until We could bring the world to its
senses That could be done by suspendins
the silver purchase of the silver bullion.
Then the nations of the world would come
to recognize that there was not enough
| gold in the world to act as currency and
| they would come to a bimetallic basis.
| Mr. Hooker (Miss.o opposed the uncon-
| ditional repeal OF the purchasing clause.
| The President had said that the remedy
! for the present deplorable state was the
| unqualified repeal of that clause. What
| relief would come from such repeal!
The President spoke about restoring con-
| fidence. Where was confidence lacking
| 1t was not in the great mass OF the people,
! it was in the great money institutions OF
| the country that locked up the currency.
| If labor was distressed ii was attributable
| to the action of the banks. The repeal or
| the Sherman law would not restore trade or
| commerce. nor would II relieve the wage
| Garner.
| After the announcement of the COMMITTEES
| appointments. on motion of Mr.. Bland, sat
| urday next was set apart for general de-
| bate instead of five-minute debate or the
| repeal bill