The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-05-08
BOND INVESTIGATION.
The Senate Passes the Amended
PETER Resolutions
WITH BUT SIX DISSENTING VOTES.


The Work Delegated TO the Senate Finance
Committee, and the Instructions Arc for
Thorough Inquiry Into All Recent
Bond transactions.
WASHINGTON, May 8.-By 4he decisive
vote of 81 to the senate yesterday inau-
gurated an investigation to be conducted
by the senate committee on finance into
the facts and circumstances connected
with the sale of United States bonds by
the secretary of the treasury during the
last three years. The six adverse votes
were cast by Senators Caffery, Faulkner,
Gray, Hill, Mitchell and Palmer, all Dem
oorats. The resolution directing the in
vestigaton is very explicit, as follows;
Resolved, That the committee on finance |
be directed first: To investigate and re-
port generally all the material facts and |
circumstances connected with the sale of
United States bonds by the secretary of
the treasury in the years 1884, 1895 and
1896.
Second: To Investigate and report
specially what amount of available funds,
classified was in the United States treas
ury and on deposit in other places, subject
at the time the bonds were sold or offered
for sale; whether there was or was not
coin enough on hand to meet all coin OBJ
legation of the government due at the time
said bonds were sold or when they were
offered for sale; what obligations were due
at the time and the amount of each, stated
separately; what was the reason for any
unusual withdrawal of coin from the
treasury shortly before bonds were sold or
offered for sale If such unusual withdraw
ais were in fact made, and by what per-
sons or classes of persons and for what
purpose or on what account such with
drawals were made; who purchased the
bonds, in what amounts and where,
whether in the United States or in foreign
countries, and in what proportions and
! from what persons or classes Of persons
the gold was procured with which to pay
for the bonds; what the bonds sold for,
and what was the market price of our gov
ernment bonds at the time, and what
effect the bonds sales had on the credit and
business of the people of the United States
"Third: To investigate and report as to
the manner of disposing of said bonds, by
what authority and what contracts, adj
vertisements or proposals were made by
the secretary of the treasury in relation
thereto; what agreements or contracts,
and whether oral or in writing, and
whether publicly or privately, were en-
tered into by the secretary of the treasury
and any syndicate or person or persons
with respect to the sale and purchase of
the bonds, and the profits made or TO be
made by such syndicate, or any person or
persons connected with the syndicate, di-
rectly or Indirectly; whether such agree
,ffN thn
prices offered for the bonds, what the eff
feet was, and who, if any person, profted
by it, and to what extent"
The debate had been animated and at
times sensational throughout the early
hours of the day. Mr.. Palmer's objection
to the resolution and his reference to
"snap conventions brought on heated
colloquy with Mr.. Vest and Mr. Cookrell.
The former arraigned the president and
the administration for influencing public
opinion and political conventions against
silver. and specified conventions in Michi-
gan and Nebraska.
Mr. Vest added the declaration that be
was a delegate to the Chicago convention
but that if it was controlled by otficehold-
ers, and the will of the people stitled, II
would not be Democratic convention tt
him. Mr. Hill closed the debate and the
vote was taken.
The net result of three and a half hours
session of the house was the passage of a
bill to amend the act creating the court o.
appeals so as to allow appeals from tn,
supreme courts of the territories to th
court of appeals. Mr.. Pickler, of Soutl
Dakota, attempted to secure his reveng
for the defeat he suffered Wednesda.
night, when the house refused to remail
in session to pass private pension bills b,
blocking legislation yesterday. He mad
the point or no quorum at every opportu
nifty, and finally the house, losing patience
| adjourned