The Portland daily press., 1894-03-02
After Weeks Of Delay the Quorum
Mustered at Last.
DEBATE WAS THEN SHUT OFF IN
SHORT ORDER.

| The Text OF the measure somewhat
! Altered from the First Draft.
Washington, March 1.-Mr. Cummings,
Democrat of New York. today asked
! unanimous consent for the present con-
sideration by the House and passage OF
the bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Navy to expend $45,O0 for the recovery
of the wreck of the covrette Kearsarge
on Roncador reef
Mr.. Kilgore. Democrat of Texas, de-
manded the regular order and despite
the appeal of Mr.. Outhwaite, Democrat
of Ohio, to Withdraw it for the reason
that failure by the House to act prompt
ly might result in the loss of property
valued at hundreds OF thousands of dol
lars, he persisted IN the demand and
the matter was dropped.
The Speaker stated the question to be
upon the passage of the order of the
committee on rules, to take up the Bland
seigniorage bill in the House, discuss it
two hours and proceed to vote on its
passage or upon the adoption of any
amenments that may be pending, with
the Intervention only of a motion to re-
consider and lay On the table. The roll
was called on the adoption of the order
resulting: Yeas, 1866; nays, 13. Before
the vote was announced, Mr.. KIlgore,
Democrat of Texas, and Mr.. Everett
Democrat of Massachusetts, changed their
votes, having voted aye. The vote
reached just quorum, Speaker Crisp,
having voted to make the required num-
ber. A wave of applause swept over the
Democratic and Populist seats when the
Sy,no b cfpfo t1ot tha hofn
the House for consideration and amend
ments and ordered it read. When this
was completed, Mr.. Bland offered the
following substitute for the pending
measure:
Section 1-Tnat the Secretary of the
Treasury shall Immediately cause
to be coined, as fast as possible, the
silver bullion in the treasury purchased
under the act of July IA, 1890, entitled,
An act directing the purchase Of silver
bullion, and the issuing of treasury
notes thereon and for other purposes to
the amount of the gain or seigniorage of
such bullion; to wit, the sum of $685.
156, ,681, and such coin and silver certifi-
Gates issued theron shall be used in the
payment of public expenditures, and the
Secretary of the Treasury may, in his
discretion, if the needs of the treasury
demand, issue silver certificates in ex-
cess of such coinage. provided that said
excess shall not exceed the amount of
the seiniorage as herein authorized to be
coined.
"Section 2-That after the coinage pro-
vided for in the first section of this act,
the remainder of the silver bullion pur-
chased in pursuance said act of July II,
1880, shall be coined into legal tender
standard silver dollars as fast as possible
and the coin be held in the treasury for
the redemption of the treasury notes
issued in the purchase of said bullion.
AS fast as the bullion is coined for the
resumption of said notes, the notes shall
not be reissued but cancelled and de-
stroyed in amounts equal to the coin
held at any time in the treasury derived
from the coinage herein provided for.
Silver certificates shall be issued on such
coin in the manner now provided by law,
provided that this act shall not be con-
strued to change the existing law re-
lating to the legal tender character or
mode of reduction of treasury notes
issued under the said act of July IA,
1850. A sufficient sum of money is here
by appropriated to carry into effect the
provisions of this act"
Mr.. Cultivate, Democrat of Ohio,
moved to strike out the second section
of the su Institute.
Mr.. johnson, Democrat of North
Dakota, offered an amendment to the
bill giving the holders of silver dollars
the same rights as to exchange and re-
demption as are possessed by the holders
of subsidiary coin.
Mr.. Strauss, Democrat of New York,
submitted an amendme MT to Mr.. John
sons amendment authorizing the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to issue and sell five
years, three per cent bonds in denomina-
tions of $40 and multiples thereof, the
principal and. Interest payable in coin, the
receipts from the bonds to be held in the
treasury for the ordinary purposes of the
government.
Mr.. Reed, Republican of Maine, made
the point of order that the amendment
tanned. Mr.. Cannon, Republican OF
Illinois, offered a long amendment to
tho johnson amendment proposing to
buy silver bullion until the price
reaches ST.. 80 an ounce and providing for
its coinage under the act OF -e2', Wnen
silver reaches that price.
Mr.. Bland made point or order
against tine amendment and the speaker
ruled it out of order.
Mr. A hbott, Democrat of Texas. offered
as an amendment his bill introduced last
month directing the coinage every month
of two million ounces of silver bullion,
etc. The introduction of these amend |
ments occupied half an hour OF the two
hours allowed for debate. The Speaker |
announced that one and one half hours |
remained.
Mr.. Bland explained the differences in
his substitute from the original bill. |
But two were of Importance The first |
directed the coinage to be made as rapid |
ly as possible" instead of "practica BILE. "
The Sc cond was proviso that no change |
shall be made respecting the legal tender |
quality of the notes issued for the pur-
chase of silver bullion or of the manner |
of their redemption.
MIR. Stone, Repu blican of Pennsylvania,
pointed out what seemed to him to be |
serious provision of the substitute,
which had not been explained. 1t WAS
that the Secretary of the Treasury should |
not only coin the seigniorage to the |
of fifty-five millions, but issue
certificates in excess thereof to an equal
A long discussion followed.
Mr.. Hartman. Republican of Montana,
charged that the pending bill would not |
be accepted by the people Of the West, as
the fultiIment of the pledges Of the Dem |
oeratic party.
Mr.. Dingley, Republicans of Maine,
directed Mr.. BANDS attention to the |
point made by Mr.. c. W. Stone, that the |
proposed substitute authorized the issue |
of fifty-fve millions of certificates in |
excess of the fifty-five millions of coinage. |
Mr.. Bland denied that the language was