The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-11

members taxing part in the discussion
o. January IL. M. the hs.s after eonssssr-
able dfScusssea vas agsfn re>om-nisre9.
ard On February :. lS-.. IL was again re-
pDrvs-s frcrn the coinage committee by
representative Hooper, printed ard re-
committed. aad On February g, 49,. re-
ported back By Mr.. Hooper wiki amend
raenss. printed and made the special order
for March L. fS-9 until disposed Of On
Ar-l ,, MI the bill came op II the hoGse
fer consideration. AMI Mr. Hooper in a
carefully prepared speech OF ten cosnznas
explained the provisions Of each section
OF the BILL AS 10 SEXTON Is he said.
section Is rs-eaacss the provisions 90
existing laws defining the silver CONS and
shsir weights. respectively. except in rsla-
ton 70 Ehe silver dollar. which Is reduced
In weight from siess to 81 grains. thus
making il subsidiary coin n harmony
with the silver coins Of less denomination
10 secure iss concurrent circulation with
them. The silver dollar OF 4isa@ grains BIZ
reason Of its ouilioa or intrinsic vzs1e be-
ing greater than its nominal value. long
since erased 70 ce a coin Of circulation.
and Is me.tsSS by manufacturers of silver
ware Il does not circulate now IN corr
merciAi TRANSACTIONS with any country.
and The convenience % these manufacture
ers in this market can better be met BY
supplying small stamped bars % the same
standard. ayokasng the useless expense OF
coming the dollar for that purpose
And Mr.. Kelley. replying 10 some OBJ
jseticas raised againS; this feature Of the
bill. said Bat, sir. / again cal the at
tention Of the house TO the fact thar the
gentlemen who oppose this bin insist upon
maintaining b silver dollar worth u cents
more than the gold dollar and worth
cents more than TWO half dollars. and that
SO long as these provisions remain You
cannot keep silver coin IN the country
These are samples OF a debate which
eiaborareiy and thoroughly covered the
provision OF the btu relating 10 the Old
4i2is grain silver dollar and providing for
making the silver dollar q subsidiary coin
OF 81 gains. On May =. is72. the bill pass
cd the house by vote Of lie yeas to Is
nays.
The bill then was again printed in the
senate May -. iS-2. and referred 70 the
finance committee Senator Sherman re-
ported il December is. ls7s- After debate IL
was ordered printed IN fall with amend
ments- On January :. fs-5. !. vas again
reported with amendments. and again
printed for the information 81 the senate.
On January Il. 1873. after a. discussion hil-
ing nineteen columns OF the Congressional
Globe, the bill passed the senate
The bill was sent TO the house. and on
January 81. 1915. on motion OF Mr.. Hooper.
K was again printed with amendments.
and subsequently, committees OF confer
encs were appointed The reports OF the
committees OF conference ware agreed 20.
and the bill became law on February Z.
1913 substantially as originally prepared
at the treasury.
The bill as prepared az the treasury
emitted the silver dollar piece. and the
report stated the fact OF it's omission
49, = h
therefor. The silver dollar piece was omit
ted from the bill a. Il first passed the
senate. II was also omitted from all the
bills reported By Mr.. Kelley: but in the
bill reported by Mr.. Hooper, new silver
dollar was proposed equal in weight tssi
g-ainsl 10 two Of the half dollars then
authorized The senate substituted a trade
dollar weighing 40 grains IN place OF the
proposed dollar OF 3S4 grains in accord
ance OF the wishes OF dealers in bullion
upon the Pacific coast. that being consid-
cred By them as the most advantageous
weight for coin TO be used fer shipmen,
10 China and Japan.
IL is difficait In brief newspaper re-
sumo TO convey an idea OF the thorough
ness and care with which congress, aided
by the compietest information attainabis.
considered the feature Of the bill which
discontinued the coinage OF the silver dol
lar. but these quotations from the record
viii convey a fair suggestion.
This Important fact appears. during the
whole elaborate discussion OF this feature
in congress no one present AT any time
definitely proposed 20 continue the coinage
OF the standard silver dollar OF sf.1r grains
The only question was whether the coin
age OF the silver dollar should De dis
continued or the silver dollar should
thenceforth be a subsidiary coin. Ike the
other silver coins then authorized
And the official record more than bears
ou. the statement OF Nr. Knox. who gave
such efficient and painstaking care 20 the
original draft OF the bin: Il know that
everything in connection with the act OF
1875 was as open as the day>ght and as
the sunshine"