The herald., 1896-02-14
IN THE HOUSE
The Senate Amendment to the Bond Bill Is
Rejected

The Senate Amendment to the Bond Bill Is
Rejected
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-After q ten days.
debate the house today, by a vote Of 80 to
100, In committee of the whole, rejected
the senate free coinage amendment to the
bond bill, and reported back to the house
with a recommendation to nonconcur and
insist on the house bill.
The strength developed by the silver
men was disappointing. They had been
con padcntly counting on over 100 votes.
After two hours' debate tomorrow the final
vote will be taken. Mr.. Dingley will close
for the majority and Mr.. Crisp for the
minority. Propositions were offered dur
ing tie day to concur, with amendments as
follows:
To coin the American silver product for
the retention of the seigniorage by the
government and to open the mints to the
tree coinage of silver at the ratio OF 15H
10 when Germany and France should
have agreed upon similar action. All were
proposition, offered by Mr.. Towne oi
Minnesota, mustered fifty-three votes, the
largest number of any. Mr.. Towne had
stated to the house that similar PROPOSE.
tions would be submitted to the reichstag
and the French parliament at the present
sessions. The most significant statement
today came in the form of an intimation
ported from the ways and means commit
tee looking to the initiation by this country
of q project of another international
monetary conference to meet within o
year. While DinRley said he was
probably expressing his personal po-
sition in the matter, it was generally
understood from the manner in which
he spoke that the suggestion has already
matured into a we'll defined intention on
the part of the Republican leaders of the
house. Although the galleries were
thronged today, and there was a good deal
OF outside interest manifested in the clos
ing debate. as was evidenced by the pres
ence OF Senator Sherman and others from
the other end of the capitol. the debate was
only saved from utter staRnation by q very
spirited and very personal encounter be-
tween Mr.. de Almond and Mr.. Hall, both
of Missouri, on differences on the financial
question. The gentlemen had paid their
respects to each other during the debate,
but each in the absence of the other. To-
day the encounter was at close quarters.
Mr.. Hall took the initiative, but he met an
adversary worthy of his steel.
The session of the house from IL 80 to
IL o'clock today was devoted to q general
debate on the land bill, the speakers be-
ing Grout, Republican, of Vermont; Nc
Call. Republican, of Tennessee; and Will
lis, Republican, of Delaware, against Doo-
little, Democrat, of Washington, in favor
Of free coinage. The senate substitute to
the bond bill, under the arrangement ef-
fected. was then open for amendment and
debate under the five-minute rule. Ding
ley. Republican, of Maine, chairman of
the ways and means committee, explained
the parliamentary situation. He would
make a motion to non-concur in the SEN
senting the minority of the committee,
would move non-concSrrence. The latter
motion took precedence and would be the
pending motion, open for amendment uu-
til o'clock. when a vote in the committee
OF the whole be taken.
Under the ARRANGEMENTS made With the
minoriy he said two hours would be al
lowed tomorrow for closing the debate-an
hour on side-and a final vote be taken
about 2 pm. tomorrow. DingIey and
Crisp then formally entered their motions.
johnson (R.) of California had the honor
OF offering the first amendment. He
moved to amend the motion to concur by
striking out the first section of the senate
substitute and inserting provision for the
free coinage of American silver and for
levying q prohibitory duty on foreign sill
yer. The latter portion of the amendment
was withdrawn in Difference to the point of
order that it was not germane.
DTuturU b dIIleIluIueut 10 the silver bond
bill for retention of the seigniorage by the
the government was defeated-32 to SIS.
Corliss (R.) of Michigan offered an
amendment for the coinage of the Ameri.
can product and retention of the seign-
forage, which was defeated without di-
vision.
An amendment to the bond bill to coin
the American product Of silver was defeat
ed in the house by vote Of Al yeas to 11s
nays.
Crisp's motion to concur in tho free coin.
age substitute was defeated in committee
of the whole-SO to 100.
While the amendment was being for.
mally prepared Mr.. Long (Republican, OF
Kansas1 offered an amendment to the
same effect, adding q proviso to the senate
bill for free coinage limiting the coinage to
the American product, and it was declared
pending.
The debate then proceeded under the
fve-minute rule. Messrs. Mcguire Demo
crst, OF California; and Hutcheson Demo
crAt, Of Texas) spoke for concurrence, and
Mr.. Blue (Republican, Of Kansas) against
it.
After some further remarks by Messrs.
Grow Republican, Of Penusylvania), Nc.
Call Republican, Of Mississippi1 and Boat