Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-03
MISTY SITUATION
As to What Congress Will Do
Regarding Finances.
TRIUMPH OF TIE SILVER PEOPLE

In sSss Senate Leaves . Condition of Appar.
Sns IrrccoucilabiiitJ Between the Two
Houses and the Question of Relief L.
About Where It Was at the Opening OF
Congress-Some Details Of the Vote ON
the Bnl-Capital City Miscellany.
WASHINGTON, Feb 3-The passage of
the free silver bill by the senate means
for one thing that is certain-further de-
lay In the enactment Of whatever legisla-
ton Is necessary for lifting the alleged in :
cubus on the trade of the country 1t is
said with great positiveness that the
house will overwhelmingly reject it and
that means conference committee work
between two apparently utterly irrecon-
cilable bodies-the Sound money house
and the free silver senate The free sill
yer bill passed by the senate was a sub
stitute for the house bond bill and the
majority for free silver on the final pas
sage was seven, the vote being ~ ayes to
B5 noes, one vote which had gone free sill
ger on all tho test votes, Mills of Texas,
going among the noes on the final vete.
The Senators Who Voted Nay.
The senators who voted nay on this
dnal vote, listed according to their pol.
itics, are as follows: Republicans-Alli.
son, Baker, Burrows, Chandler, Davis,
Elkins, Frye, Gallinger, Gear, Hale, Haw-
Icy. Honr, Lodge, Mcbride, Mcmillan,
Morrill,, Nelson, Platt, Proctor, Sherman,
Thurston and Wetmore. Democrats
Gallery, Faulkner. Gibson, German Gray.
Hill, Lindsay, Martin, Mills, Mitchell
(Wis.), Murphy, Palmer and Villas. Mills
even voted among the yeas on the motion
to report the free silver bill to the senate
from committee of the whole, and what
motive cctuated him in voting nay ut the
last Is not ut this writing known.
Some Test Questions Voted On.
There were several test votes taken, and
a number of free silver senator's rs Jones
Of Arkansas and Teller, objected to
amendments that complicated the issue.
Among such amendments was Buffers
which prohibited the issue of bonds with
out the authority of congress and re.
CURED the treasury to pay its debts in the
cheapest coin on hand. This amendment
was the worst defeated of the lot, those
voting in. the affirmative being: Repub-
licans--Brown, Cameron, Cannon, Pritch-
ard and Stewart. Democrats-George
Hill, Roach and Tillman. Populists-
Allen, Butler, Kyle and PETER 1t was
the general explanation Of the presence of
Hills name in the fore going list that he
wanted to make the bill Us obnoxious as
possible.
Gave a Hint to the President.
All the speeches except that of Morrill,
were under the five-minute rule, being
brief and snappy. Lindsay took occasion
to say that in his judgment the presi-
dent had fulfilled the full measure
of his duty in financial affairs and should
do no more. If calamity came as a result
of congressional inaction the president
should leave the responsibility where it
belonged, on the shoulders of congress.
There was an attempt on a technicality to
get around the unanimous agreement to
take vote Mt 2 p. m, but Baker of Kan
sas hit the attempt very hard when he
said it was pettifogging and withdrew his
own amendments because a vote on them
had not been reached by the agreed time
limit.
Provisions of the bill Passed.
The bill passed by the senate rs q sub.
stitute for the house bond bill provides
that from the date Of the act the minis of
the United States shall be open to the
coinage of silver and the dollar shall be of
the present weight and flneness, and also
provides for certificates. 1t further pro-
vides for tho coinage of the seigniorage
now in the treasury and authorizes the
immediate issue of certificates upon tho
same in advance of it being coined. One
section Of the bill provides that no bank
note Of less than SO shall hereafter DO
issued, and those outstanding of less
amount shall be taken up and cancelled
as rapidly as possible. Section four pro-
vides that the greenbacks and treasury
notes shall be redeemed in standard silver
dollars or in gold coin. at the option of
the treasury, and the greenbacks when so
redeemed shall be immediately reissued.
CUBAN REBELS IN HIGH FAVOR.