The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-02
FIFTY-TAIRD CONGRESS.
THE SENATE TAKES ITS FIRST VOTE
ON THE SILVER QUESTION.
PETERS Amendment Laid Under the Daisies
by Vote OF SO to 28-Then the Com
mittee's Substitute Was Passed
By Vote Of So to 9.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.-When the
senate met this morning Senator Jones
resumed his speech. He traced com
petition of India in the two commodi-
ties to the decentralization of silver in
1878, which was done, not by nature,
but by legislation. In the course of
his speech Senator Jones said: "In
this country it is not possible for a
! farmer and cotton planter to be bene-
flied directly by protection. By legis-
lation bringing the price of silver to
$l20 per ounce, where the fathers of
the republic placed it, and not by the
market price, there would be an abso-
Iute,y certain method without any
cost whatever to the country of giving
protection to farmers aud cotton
planters, both north and south"
After reading the letter of the pres
ldent to Governor Northern of
Georgia. Senator Jones said if he had
been as explicit before election as now
he would not have been elected
Senator Voorhees, IN errupted: II
understand the senator from Nevada
| desires to complete his remarks tOmor.
row. | regret he is not able TO com
plete them now, but shall not press
him. In the meantime. as there seems
~ be nobody ready to go GU now, and
not with view OF denying any body
the privilege of speaking, | ask for a
vote on the pending amendment, and
| LEFT nS get "A long in this WaVn
Senator PETER said he was not ready
to vote on the amendment (his OWN.
| He desired to submit some remarks in
advocacy of it.
After little parliamen sparring
az to which of the senators, PETER or
Voorht es. was entitled to the floor,
Senar or Pet1er proceeded. He had dis
covered in puDlIc prints that he had
surrendered and recommended to his
political associat to surrender. Mr..
President, We have not surrendered
nor do we intend to. We do not in
tel d 10 interpose facetous opposition,
but at every stage shall interpose de-
termined resistance and determined
| OPP o.ition."
The question was put on the amend
ment and it was rejected, yeas 20. nays
80 The amendment voted down re-
vived with some slight exceptions the
coinage act of 1887 and provided for
free coinage of silver. Senator Voor-
hees then moved that the substitute
reported by the finance committee for
the house bill be adopted, and asked
unanimous consent that after its
adoption it might be treated as
open to amendment as an original
bill would be. To the latter request
there was no objection. On his mo-
ton the yeas aud nays were taken aud
by vote of yeas, So; nays, 9; the sub.
stitute reported by the finance com
| mlttee was agreed to.
Those who voted against the substi.
tute were Senators Allen, Bate, Call,
Cooke, Irby, Kyle, PETER, Roach and
| Vance.
Senator Perkins (Cal) then offered
an amendment, of which he had given
notice Oh Oct. ID Itprovides for coin-
ing American silver at existing 10
with spignorage charges OF 90 per cent.
| No gold issue of less denomination than
$40 o be coined and no legal tender,
national currency or treasury notes Of
less denomination than s. to be Issued
The holder OF any s: standard silver dol
l
or at any sub re4snry of the United
States and receive therefor notes
for denomination less than
$40, which notes shall have
the same legal tender quality for coin
which they are exchanged. There
are to be appointed five monetary ex-
perts mem bers of which will not be
otherwise connected with the govern
ment, whose duty it shall be to keep
the treasury and executive advised on
all necessary matters relating to the
currency.
Gen ttor Perkins explained and said
now that slack water of debate had
come, amendments could be discussed
aud considered dispassionately.
Senator Stewart called attention to
the change over on the part of Sena-
tors Voorhees,, Gordon, Ransom, Hill,
Turpie aud Squire on the silver ques-
ton, who last spring voted for free
coinage, and now on Senator PETER 8
am ndment voted against it.
Senator Allen expressed regret at
what he called the "backdown" to
some extent upon the part OF advo-
Gates of silver. Senator Teller, while
not iavoring heretofore the PROPOSE
ton to coin only silver of American
product, as that savored OF class legis-
iation, would vote for the Perkins
amendment as it was better than the
proposed act,
Senator Teller went on to speak
with great bitterness of the
desertion OF the cause o
silver by Republican senators
He said the whole question
| oupht To have been seItled nv conces-
sion to the advocates Of silver. No