Evening star., 1894-03-23
BY THE CABINET
A Thorough Discussion of the Bland
Seigniorage Bill.
ONLY ONE MEMBER PAVORS IT
Big Pressure on the President to
Veto the Measure.
NO OPINION EXPRESSED

The much-discussed seigniorage bill was
again the subject Of consideration by the
President and his cabinet today. 1t Is said
that the President contented himself with
listening attentively to what the different
members Of his official household had to
say on the subject and purposely refrained
from saying anything himself that could
be taken as a safe indication Of his pro-
posed action on the bill. Secretary Smith
is reported to be the only member OF the
cabinet favorable to the approval Of the
bill. The constitutional limit of ten days
within which the President can act on the
measure will expire on Thursday. Unless
1t is returned to Congress on or before that
date. with or without his approval it will
become a law without action on his part.
Although the Senate will not be in session
until Monday, there is nothing to prevent
the President from sending the bill back
to the House today or tomorrow, provided
that body is in session. There are good
reasons for the belief that the President
will take full time for the consideration
of the matter and that he will not act one
way or the other until after the next reg
ular meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday
next
Some officials familiar with the Presi-
dents custom in such matters predict
that the matter will be held in abeyance up
to the last day. Time alone viii determine
the correctness of this prediction.
The burden of the Presidents mail at
present relates to this subject. He has re-
ceived petitions memorials, appeals and
personal letters from all parts of the coun-
try. and is fully alive to the deep and vital
interest attending his action on the bill.
The communications represent both sides
OF the question. but the proportion of those
against to those in favor Of its approval Is
as twenty to one. So far as heard from,
commercial bodies trades organizations and
business men generally are opposed to the
bill, as being hurtful and pernicious to the
true interests of the country. This is spe-
cially the case with the commercial bodies
in the southern states.
They were heard from In large numbers
yesterday and today. Many of them take
occasion to say that politics cuts no figure
in their action. They urge the veto of the
bill solely on business grounds and in the
best interests of the country at large. Rep
resentative Tracy of New York, who was
one Of the foremost opponents to the meas
one Of the few people who were accorded
an interview with the President today
He Is going to leave the city for a few
days, and he wanted to see how the case
stood before he left.
A Star reporter met him as he was leav-
ing the White House and tried to persuade
him to give him Tip" as to the prospects
of the bill. Gen. Tracy assured the reporter
that he did not know what the President
proposed to do. and, moreover, he did not
believe that the President has committed
himself to anybody on the subject. AS for
himself, Gen. Tracy said he was for a veto,
and he hoped the President was OF the
same mind.
The noticeable scarcity of Congressman
and politicians at the White House today
was undoubtedly due to their knowledge
that the President does not care to see WIS.,
ttors on cabinet days.