The herald., 1898-01-18

Au1eU ~ pass UPON dRpAiSoeioAA' 49,
crease Of pensions until twelve months
shall have elapsed. since the last allow
ance was made.
Mr.. Gallinger, (New Hampshire.
Chairman of the Pension Committee, OBJ
jected to immediate consideration.
went over until tomorrow.
AT 1890 Mr.. Wolcott, Colorado.
Chairman Of the Bimetallic Commission
was recognized for a speech upon the
work of the commission. BY this time
the galleries and the floor were crowded
Mr.. Wolcott was in fine voice ane
spoke with only occasional references te
his manuscript, which he had before
him. He was accorded the closest atten-
tion by his auditors, among whom were
many members of the House.
SENATOR WOLCOTTS SPEECH
Mr.. WoIcott introduced his subject by
saving he was glad to make a statement
respecting certain phases of the work OF
the recent Bimetallic Commission, but
in SO doing he spoke unofficially, not
committing his associates in the slight
est degree either to his opinions OF de-
ductions.
Later in the session." he said, 1--WE
are certain to have ample discussion on
the subject of silver and it will probably
be acrid and bitter enough"
In his remarks today, he continued. he
must avoid, as far as possible, anything
which might give rise to controversy.
Taking up the subject of his remarks,
he said that when Congress met year
ago. soon after the national election,
there was an universal expression by
the Republican membership in the Sem
ate that the pledge of the party in its
st. Louis platform to promote inter-
national bimetallism by every means in
its power was an undertaking to be
faithfully carried out without evasion
or delay He then gave an account of
the appointment of the committee, say
ing that all three of it's members were
bimetallists.
sOur views were," he said, known to
the President before our appointment.
There was no one of us who did not
and does not now believe the financial
question overshadows all others and
that continued adhesion to the single
gold standard means only disaster to
our agricultural and commercial inter-
ests."
The commission had, he said, in its
six months stay abroad, visited only
London and Paris, and he added that
whatever measure of success or failure
had been meted out to the commission,
cit had been hampered by no lack of
authority or sanction or administra-
tive support"
The language of the law had been the
commissions guide, and there were
never at any time, he said instructions
given us that sought in the slightest de-
gree to change or hamper or limit the
full powers conferred upon us by law
I'VE have been" he continued, "of
one mind and in entire agreement dur
ing all of our negotiations and our eff
forts have loyalty been furthered by
our representatives abroad, who were
fortified by strenuous instructions. In
England especially, the able and intel
ligent and cordial cooperation of our
Ambassador was of great advantage in
our deliberations"
FAVORABLE CONDITIONS
Summing up the favorable conditions
under which the commission operated,
Mr.. Wolcott said:
full in it's powers; we have been free
to act under its provisions; our views
have been identical and earnestly favor
ling an international agreement; and
we have had the hearty support of our
Ambassador at the court of st. James.
Further than this, from the day of first
upon the fulfillment of our
duties until now the President of the
United States has extended to the COM
mission his answering support in all
its efforts to bring about an interna-
tional agreement. There has been no
that we have not known that
back of our efforts was the earnest de-
sire of the Chief Executive to carry out
in its integrity the provisions of the
platform of the Republican party pledg-
ing it to every effort to bring about an
bimetallic agreement"
The failures of former international
he said, made it evident
that unless some prior understanding
was arrived at with some of the CONNER
cial nations, failure would be the re-
suit of an international conference at
this time, and as France, Germany and
Great Britain had within the year made
decided to bring the subject to the at
tention of these various countries, and
the first turn was made to
France, for many reasons, but above
all, because Of Premier Melne's belief
in bimetallism.
In France, he said, the question of
was regarded as strictly an
question and it was agreed
that France and the United States
should unite in presenting the question
to Great Britain. He contended for the
Importance of the preliminary under
standing with France because of the
large per capita circulation of that coun-
try.
Had England even adhered to her as
of the 18th of March, 1885,
countries representing more than half
of the total money of Europe and the
United States would have agreed prior
to conference, that upon terms to be
settled at such conference, they
would reopen their mints to the unlim-
tied coinage of both gold and silver"
THE JOINT NEGOTIATIONS
Mr.. Wolcott detailed at some length
the joint negotiations on the part of the
American Commissioners and the
French Ambassador in England. At
first he said there seemed but few diff
culties in the way, and he quoted the
resolutions of the House of Commons
and the utterances of Balfour and Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach of March II, 1896
I'VE were not therefore, he continued,
'intruders. We could present ourselves
with the certainty of that reception
which must follow direct and open in
and the welcome we had the