The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-04
BRIEF SESSION OF SENATE.
QUAY CASE AND FINANCES WERE
UNDER DISCO ssION.

Ross of Vermont Opposed the Seat
ing of Quny-TeIIer Heard Against
Conference Report on the FInnn-
ciaI DiII-says 1t Gives Secretary
of the Treasury TOO Much Power.
Pettigrew Is Trying TO Get to Cor
bins Record.
Washington. March S.-The Senate held
a brief session to-day. adjourning early on
account of the death Of Representa- tive
Eppes of Virginia.
During the session, Mr.. Ross of Yer
mont spoke in opposition 90 the seating
Of Hon NJ. S. Quay, and Mr.. Teller spoke
IN criticism of the conference report upon
the currency bill. number of private
pension bills were passed during the day.
When the Senate convened Mr.. Petit
grew introduced and the Senate passed a
resolution instructang the Secretary OF
War 90 send to the Senate the proceedings
in the courbmartial proceedings of 1864
against the then Lieut.. Col. Cor'bin, now
Adjutant General of the army.
The resolution also calls for further in
formation bearing upon Gen. Corbin's mii-
itary record.
The Quay resolution was then laid be-
fore the Senate, and Mr.. Ross of Vermont
made an address in which he opposed the
seating of Mr. Quay.
He contended that under the constitu-
tiona ur vision a vacancy in The Senate
could only be filled when it occurred dur
ing a recess of the Legislature. The Quay
case id not, to his mind, meet this re-
quirement.
At the close of Mr.. Ross speech Mr..
Teller of Colorado took the floor to dis
cuss the conference report of the finan-
cial bill. He maintained that too much
power was given to the Secretary of the
Treasury, and he was opposed to all the
provisions of the measure, which he dis
cussed in detail.
Mr.. Teller said he did not believe it was
a good thing to extend the public debt,
but he did not think the gold standard
could be ma ntained without it.
Mr.. Teller asserted there had been no
effort made in the last twelve years to
reduce the public debt, nor would there
be by the Republican party. Mr.. Teller
asked why, with all the money in the
treasury, it could not be used to pay cur
rent expenses instead of issuing bonds.
Mr.. Allison replied that this would pre-
vent any evil effects from possible end
less chain, and was to prevent a drain
upon the treasury.
Referring 20 the premium of per cent.
on the proposed bonds Mr.. Teller argued
that they would sill go higher because the
holder could at any time get the full face
value of them in money, drawing 2 per
cent. interest while holding the bonds,
meantime paying no taxes.
He predicted that under the operation
of the proposed law the banks would con-
troll the volume of the currency.
Referring TO the recent act of the treas
ury department in coming to the assist
ance of the banks in an emergency, he
said that the money then deposited could
not now be taken out without creating
disastrous effects.
Mr. Teller criticised the bimetallic de-
dlarauon of the bill as silly and weak, be-
cause it meant nothing. Senators who
had stood here for years calling Them
selves bimetallists had accepted the gold
standard bill at the dictation of a caucus
and the probability was that they would
go to the full length demanded by the
banks.
AT O'Clock the pension appropriation
bill was taken up, but on account of slim
attendance of senators its final considera-
$ion was postponed. After the executive
session the doors were reopened and the
Senate took up private pension bills, of
which thirty-seven were passed.