The record-union., 1894-02-10
Bland's Silver Seigniorage Bill De-
bated in the House.
A VOTE EXPECTED TO BE REACHED
BY TUESDAY.
The Wilson Tariff Bill TO be Reported
to the Senate in Practically the
Same Form as 1t Passed the House,
Excepting That Sugar, Iron and
Coal VIII be Put on the Dutiable
Special to the REcoRD-UN1ox.

List
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The entire day
in the House was consumed in debate on
the Bland silver seigniorage bill, the
speakers being Bland, Stone of Pennsyl-
vania, McKeighan, Harter and kilgore.
The debate will be Interrupted to-mor-
row at 2 o'clock by special order, set
ting aside the rest of the day for eulogies
upon the late Representative ONeill OF
Pennsylvania 1t is expected vote on
the bill will be reached by Tuesday at the
furthest, and Bland is confident it will
pass, This opinion is generally shared
by the leaders on both sides, although
there will probably be some modifica-
tions of the DILL that will make it mere
acceptable to the Democrats now oppos-
ing it.
The House was in tangle Immediately
after the opening over the Bland bill,
several members insisting that they have
Deen wrongly recorded. 1t looked at one
time as ii yesterdays proceedings in
Committee OF the Whole might be viii
ated. 1t appeared that BabcCck, recorded
as voting on the roll-call for going into
vote, which would have broken the
quorum; but Marshall and Shell, not re-
corded as voting, declared they voted,
which restored the quorum, and the incl
dent ended.
The House then went into Committee
of the Whole on Bland's seigniorage bill.
Bland explained in few words that he
never agreed, as stated in some OF the
public prints, to the striking out Of the
second section of this bill, which provides
for the coinage of all the bullion in the
Treasury. Aside from the question OF
raising a revenue he regarded the second
section as more important than the first.
If we are to deal with the bullion i'll the
Treasury" said he, 'let us deal with II
as a whole. We have already repealed
the purchasing clause Of the Sherman
Act. No more bullion will come into the
Treasury. Why should we not coin what
is there? To coin only the seigniorage
(S55, ,0OO, 900 would be tantamount to
declaring the rest should remain there as
worthless. 1t should be dedicated to
monetary use"
Stone contended that the coinage oi
seigniorage was in effect watering OF
Treasury notes TO the extent OF S55, 900, 900.
He referred TO the disturbance in Eng
land and Prussia over silver, and said
Europe is walking the floor. Let US pur-
sue the Fabian policy of non-action, and
Applause.
McKeighan (Pop.) of Nebraska made a
free silver argument. The gold basis and
high tariff, he said, was discriminating
the West in the interest of the East. I'll
/ had the power,o said he, Il would strip
down the tariff that protects the East aud
torce it into competition with the vest.
The East forces us into competition"
At the conclusion of Mckeighan's
speech, which consumed an hour and q
half, Harter (Dem.l of Ohio took the floor
IN opposition to the bill. There was, he
said, little place for sentiment in the dis
cussion of this bill, but an abundant Op-
portunity for the exercise of common
sense. The United States had bid good
by to the coinage of silver. That ques-
ton had been settled, and he hOpe7 it was
rot to be reopened by the Democratic
Congress. The question ought to be set
tied in business manner. There was q
safe and easy way out of the difficulty.
There was at present a deficiency in
the revenues and an increase in the eX-
penditures. There were three means Oi
relieving the treasury, any of which
would suffice. The first was to reduce
salaries % per cent, including mem berS
of Congress. The second was duty on
sugar, which would provide S35, ,0O0000; g
further increase in the whisky tax tc
81 20 per gallon, which would furnish
$40, ,OO0. 900; an increase tax on beer to u
and duty on tea and coffee. A tax OF
one-tenth of a cent per cup on tea an0
coffee would yield revenue OF S29, 900, 900
The third method was by the negotiation
OF a short-time loan.
In speaking of the coinage of silver
Harter called attention to the fact that il
twenty-four hours the value of silver
in the Treasury had fallen S4,000,000.
1.-The papers to-day" said Sibley o.
Pennsylvania, interrupting Harter, ian.
nounce that silver had touched the Lowest
point in history, and the same papers
showed thaH wheat was never so low
Wheat and silver have maintained
naritv. The gentleman from Ohio told
the House last summer that the repeal o.
the Shernanlaw would be followed by
q revival of prosperity and high prices. y
"And to-day we see the result of the
prophecy" added Bland. supplementary
10 Sibley's remark. The country wa;
saved from disastrous consequences"
.sAt last" replied Harter, turning tC
Bland. cit would have been worse ii VIZ
had taken your advice"
lyon don't know that" retorteC
Bland, s'and we do know the result O
your prophecy"
Harter created some amusement by
reference to the manner in which the
Democratic party was dellneateu III tne
comic papers as a jackass. lie thought
was perfectly fair, perhaps. for the he
publican papers to portray the Democracy
as a jackass, but he did not see why y,
when a proposition like the Bland Dll
was brought into the House, the Demo
Gratis should flap their ears and bray t(
show that they were jackasses.
kilgore of Texas, who made the con
Guiding argument of the afternoon. con
tended that il the Government was IL
need of money it had better coin the sll
yer seigniorage than borrow money anC
pay interest upon the loan.
Without completing his speech, Xii
gore yielded to motion that the com.
nlittee rise.
Cieissenhainer, from the Committee or
Naval Affairs, presented report from
that committee on the Holman resolution
to investigate the premiums paid con
tractors for war vessels.
Ats O'Clock the House adjourned.