The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-28
A FREE SILVER AMENDMENT.
OFFERED TO PORTO RECAN BILL,
BY SENATOR MORGAN.

Provides for Free Coinage of Silver
in the United States-ArSued That
Porto Rico Is Not Foreign Coun-
try-United States to Pay Sixty
Cents for the Porto Rican Peso.
The Amendment as to Franchises.
New Porto Rican Bill.
Washington, March 27.-The Porto Rican
tariff and government bill was under dis
cussion for nearly three hours in the SEN
ate to-day, but most of the time was con-
sumed in the consideration of free coin
age amendment offered by Mr.. Morgan.
The amendment is still pending.
Mr. Foraker announced that he had
concluded not to ask a separation of the
tariff and civil government bills, but had
decided to proceed with the unfinished bus
mess as it was now before the Senate.
Mr. Stewart of Nevada addressed the
Senate on the general features of the
measure. He maintained that we had
nothing to fear either from the people Of
the islands or from the possession of the
islands The criticism, he said, would
soon pass away and the islands eventually
would give employment to many thousands
Of Americans, as well as their own inhab-
tants Their products would not injure
the trade of this country.
The paragraph as to franchises in the
bill was amended to read as follows
Provided, however that all grants of
franchises, rights and privileges or con-
cessons of a public or quasi public ma
ture shall be made by the executive coun-
Gil, with the approval of the governor,
and all franchises granted in Porto Rico
shall be reported to Congress, which
hereby reserves the power TO annul or
modify the same
Morgan and Free silver.
Mr. Morgan offered an amendment 10
section of the bill providing for the free
coinage of silver in the United States. He
said he found no provision in the bill for
the establishment of national banks on
the island.
Mr.. Foraker replied that the bill ex-
tends all of the laws of the United States
to Porto Rico, which are not locally in
applicable
Does the Senator think national banks
may be established there?' inquired Mr..
Morgan.
Within the Limitation named in the
bill l should say yes responded Mr..
Foraker.
Then" retorted Mr.. Morgan, Porto
Rico is not a foreign country. There is
no question about the logic of that prop
osition"
Mr.. Foraker explained that the provis-
ion in the bill relating to coinage was
simply one for the exchange of the Porto
Rican silver coin into American silver
coin. The general question of the free
coinage of silver did not enter into the
matter.
Porto RicO's Silver Money.
Mr.. Morgan declared that the pending
bill proposed to take from the Porto Ri
cans the peso, which was practically
collar, and pay them 60 cents for them.
TO this statement Mr.. Foraker took is
sue, The Porto Rican peso, he said, was
now worth about As cents in our money
IN Porto Rico and the bill proposed to
pay go cents in money of the United
states for it, provided the Porto Ricans
desired to make the change.
Mr.. Clay-Is it not a fact that the Porto
Rican peso contains an ounce of Silver
and that when recoined into American
money it will be worth 100 cents?
Well" responded Mr.. Foraker 81
don't know what will be done with it,
but do know that we are proposing to
pay the Porto Hicans 50 cents for what
we could get at a less price elsewhere.
And the Porto Ricans are pleased at the
prospect
An aye and no vote was taken on the
amendment, but as no quorum was pres
ent the Senate at 1850 p. m. adjourned.