The San Francisco call., 1898-01-26
Special Dispatch to The Call
Call Office, Riggs House, Washington. Jan. 25.

Call Office, Riggs House,
 Washington, Jan 25. To-day's session of the Senate was characterized by heated, almost acri- monious debate of the financial ques- ton. For nearly two hours the Teller resolution was under consideration, the principal speeches being made by Ali son of Iowa, Berry of Arkansas and Hoar of Massachusetts. The sharpest colloquy was at times indulged in be- tween the advocates and opponents of the resolution, the debate often ap- preaching bitterness. The feature of the discussion was a speech by Teller, author of the resolution, his statement calling out suggestion from HOar that he CTeller) ought to have them stricken from the record. In response to an in- Quiry by SpOOner, Vest admitted that he though the system of coinage re- ferred to in the resolution meant the free and unlimited coinage of silver, that admission apparently giving sat isfactiOn to the opponents of the meas ure.
 The Senate, on motion of Hoar of Mas sachusetts, went into executive session to-day as soon as it convened. The doors were opened at 12:15, and Quay secured the passage of the bill to indemnify the State of Pennsylvania for money eXpend. ed in 1864 for militia called into service by, the Government. The amount in- volved is $46000.
 Quay also reported the army appropria- Butler of North Carolina offered an amendment to the postoff1ce bill provid- ing for the extension of rural free deliv- cry to every State and Territory of the Union, and to as many sections of those States and Territories as possible.
 -1Ear draWn after full consultation with the IOStmaSt ter-GeneraI.
 ! Perkins of California called up the pen sion appropriation bill. The amendment proposed by Allen providing that the low est pension paid by the Government be $S per month was ruled out of order.
 Allen then offered an amendment to the bill increasing the amount appropriated from 4100OOO0 to S148O 900 in accord ance with the estimates made by the Commissioner of Pensions but 1t was lost without division. The pension bill was then passed.
 The Teller resolution was then laid be. fore the Senate. Allison reviewed the history of the Stanley Matthews resolu- tion, maintaining that its purpose at that time was not in OpOSitiOn to public inter est or in derogatiOn of the rights of the public creditors. He held now that the situation was different. He insisted thai the pending resolution gave the Secre- tary of the Treasury no more authority under the law that he had now. The Sec. retdry may now pay Government oblfga-
 
 disposition upon the part of the admins. traitor to eVade the law. and added that the Repuolican party had maintained that It ought to be the purpose of the Government to maintain the gold and sil- yer money of the country at a parity.
 Tfllman asked Allison whether he would say in terms that the bond obligations O. the Government were payable in silver
 In reply Allison quoted the law that the boRds were payable yi in, in coin, but that wa: not satisfactory to Tillman, who insisted upon an answer ''yes'' or mo"
 Allison declined to have words put into his mouth. In response to question o Teller, Allison said he thought 1t wouit be proper for the Secretary of the Treas ury to pay the obligations of the Govern ment in either silver or gold.
 But" declared Allison, ''the Secretary of the Treasury, if he is an honest man in reaching his decision of action upor that point must take into consideration existing conditions, one of which is that the Government is pledged to maintain the gold and silver currency of the coun. try al a parity"
 Allison thought if it were the purpose ot the advocates of the pending resolution to force depreciation of one of the great poneys Of the country they ought to fTow that purpose. He maintained that 4 the objects of the silver advocates were carried into effect 1t would be i'm. possible to main tain the parity of gold and silver coin. ''If I were assured '' said he, that the resolution would strengthen the credit of the country I should cer- Berry (D.) of Arkansas, in an extended speech, declared that the pending resolu- ton was precisely the same as that for which the Senator from Iowa (Allison) voted twenty years ago. If 1t was not a violation of public faith then, he added IL could nor be so now. One of the req sons why Berry was desirous of the pas- sage of the resolution was that it would disprove the charge brought in 1896 that the Democratic party was composed of repudiationists and dishonorable men.
 Aldrich of Rhode Island-Do you desire to take rom the Secretary of the Treas Iury his discretion to pay Government ob- Hgauons In either gold or silver?
 Berry-The trouble is the Secretary ot the Treasury has turned over the Gov ernment option to the bondholders.
 Aldrich-Would the passage of the resolution by the Senate and House act as instructions to the Secretary of the Ut would" replied Berry. but I am satisfied, in view of the recent actions and words of the Secretary of the Treas ury. that he would not obey the instruc- Hale of Maine said when the present law was put in the statute book silver was about twice as valuable as it Is now and Aldrich interiected the inquiry whether, in view of the fall in the price of silver, the Senator from Arkansas (Berry) believed the Government ought to take advantage of it's creditor and pay him in the cheaper money.
 Berry replied that he was as much ir favor of maintaining the honor of the country as the Senator from Rhode Island, but he held that the bondholders ought to be willing to live up to their contract and accept coin in payment.
 Lodge of Massachusetts said it was well understood that the bond purchasers s%ere to be paid in gold. as they paid gold aor the bonds, and he quoted from a speech of Teller showing that he (Teller) had the same idea
 Berry denied that there was such an understanding and would defy anybody to establish as a fact that there was such. Berry said that the country had before 1t the spectacle or a Secretary of the Treasury who wanted to redeem sil-