The advocate., 1896-05-13
THE BOND INVESTIGATION,
Senator Peffer Finally Secures Action on
His Resolution After Long Fight.

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His Resolution After Long Fight.
Several months ago Senator PETER in
troduCed a resolution providing for On
investigation bya special committee O
the charges made in connection with thu
recent bond sales. A very strenuous
effort was put forth by the friends o.
the administration to defeat the res
olution. Senator Hill, who is always
found on the side of the gold standard
people, led the opposition fight and left
nothing undone to prevent action. lie
even paraded the resolution as Populist
scsrecrow, and endeavored to prevent
it's passage by appealing to the party
preiudices of his colleagues, and he
attempted to get the members Of both
parties to combine to secure the defeat
of the attempt to inquire into matter
Of which the people were entitled to the
most complete information. Senator
Hill managed to secure delays and post
ponements enough to discourage anyone,
but the fight for the resolution was just
as unremittingly kept up. 1t soon be-
came clear that it would be impossible
to pass the resolution without the
amendment Of a number Of features
Senator PETER reluctantly yielded, be-
lieving it was his duty to accomplish that
which was possible and that, il exactly
what he desired could not be obtained,
it would be unWise to decline to accept
the best along that line that it would be
possible to secure.
The resolution as amended and adopted
is as follows:
"ReSolUed. That the Committee on
Finance be directed,
"First-To investigate and report gen.
orally all the material facts and
circumstances connected with the sale
Of United States bonds by the Secretary
Of the Treasury in the years 1894, 1896
and 1896.
"Second-To investigate and report
specially what amount Of available
funds, classified, was in the United States
treasury and on deposit in other places
subject to the order Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury 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 obligations Of the government
due at the time said bonds were sold or
when they were offered for sale; what OBJ
legations were due at that time and the
amount Of each, stated separately; what
was the reason for any unusual with
drawal Of coin from the treasury shortly
before bonds were sold OK offered for
sale, il such unusual Withdrawals were
in fact made, and by what persons or
Glasses Of persons and for what purpose
or on what account such Withdrawals
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 government
bonds at the time, and what effect the
bond 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,
advertisements, or proposals were made
by the Secretary Of the Treasury in 10