Year: 1879

Senator Beck said no doubt the secretary was
great man and might be greater one.


Senator Paddock remarked that the secretary
had done his duty and was entitled to fair
treatment and the word of praise.


Senator Beck said the secretary Of the treas
ury had some time ago stated there would be a
deficit of $51,000,O0O, and therefore it was
necessary to limit arrears of pensions to $685.
OOO, 900, as in the act of March Sd, 1879. 1t APP
peared in view of this statement, and to pro-
vide for an emergency, he asked for authority
to issue $4,000, 600 per cent. bonds. The
amendment which he (Beck) had offered was
designed to use the money belonging to the
people instead of issuing bonds, thus dimin-
ishing the deficit to that extent. Forty-one
million dollars were owing. The 25:OOOOOO
pro rata and some must be favored, therefore
the means should be provided to pay them all.
The secretary was doing a great many things
wrong, and he ought to understand that he
must obey the law.


Senator Morrill, moved an amendment to the
pending amendment so that the secretary might
use the money, if necessary, in lieu of posi-
tive direction to do so. He saidIthe funding act
was executed according to law, and the sccre-
tary had paid no more interest than he was war
ranted in doing.


Senator Ingalls, said the secretary held 40 per
cent. of the legal tender notes for the purpose
of maintaining resumption, which, with the





currency, made $145, 600, ,0O0 which was in ex-
cess of waat was shown to be an available bal
lance. The retention of this 40 per cent. was
arbitrary and without warrant of law. He
would put in circulation money now lying
idle.


Senator Teller said the secretary of the treas
ury, on the 18th Of Feb uary, merely declared
that there would be deficiency and suggested
whether it would not be better to issue bonds
than to take the money from the treasury.


Senator Paddock understood the secretary to
say he could pay two millions month to meet
the demands of the pension bureau.


Mr.. Pendleton did not design to ask ques-
tion not entirely proper, but if the Senator
had no objection he should like to know when
and where the Senator had a conversation with
the secretary.


Senator Paddock had no objection to state he
met the secretary in the cloak room, to-day,
and asked him questions about the payment Of
arrearage of pensions. The reply Of the secre-
tary confirmed him in his impressions and
saved him from the necessity of going to the
Office of the secretary to acquire information.


Senator Pendleton reported the last commu-
nication he knew of from the secretary was the
18th of February, in which he made the state
ment that in order to pay arrearages Of pen
sions, there must be either additional taxes or
a sale of bonds.


Senator Paddock-Is the Senator prepared to
state that the condition of the treasury is now
exactly 40 it was then?


Senator Peudleton replied that if there was
any change in the condition of the treasury. it
ought to have been made officially by the Sec
retary and not to Senator in the cloak room. It
only shows that official communications are not
so clear and authoritative to a Senator as they
would be to the Senate, and hence the great
benefit that would be derived from personal
explanations to this body, as proposed in the
bill recently introduced by him. He was in
favor of appropriating the fund reserved for
redemption of fractional currency for the pay
ment of arrearages Of pensions.


Senator Paddock remarked that the Senator
had intimatcd that the Secretary had come
upon this floor for the purpose of influencing
legislation. 1t was right in him to ask cues.
tions of the secretary, and it was right for him
to answer them as it was right that he pad
Senate.


Senator Pcndleton said he did not question
the right of the secretary to come here and con-
verse with the Senator from Nebraska.


Senator Edmunds suggested the Senator
from Ohio move his bill requiringi the
secretary to appear here and answer questions
as an amendment to the pending appropriation
bill, and tell the President that the operations
of tho government shall not 80 on till he ap-
proved it.


Senator Pendleton said if the Senator from
Vermont would vote for his bill he would offer
it Immediately.


Senator Edmunds replied that his suggestion
was IN the direction of reform as inaugurated
on the other side.


Senator Pendleton said he could not consider
the suggestions from the Senator on matter
of such public Importance.


Senator Edmunds remarked that he had
made his suggestion for the benefit of his
friends on the other side.


Senator Pendlcton, in his seat-"Timeo
danaos.'


Senator Voorhees, said that he this morning
saw the secretary of the treasury circulating
in this chamber. If this cloak ro m and back
door influence was to prevail the sooner the
bill of tho Senator from Ohio was passed the
better. This surreptitious way of coming in
was beneath contempt. If member of the
cabinet was nnt willing to take his full meas
ure Of responsibility let him keep away. They
did not want him to come and go in this man.
ner. When he, Voorhees,. was a member of the
House, he saw the secretary of the treasury
(Fessenden) comforting with members pub
lic business, but who left the hall when it was
proposed that he give to the House what he was
peddling over thei floor and now the Senate
should resent the offense of the secretary of the
treasury, who sought to exert a backdoor inf1u
ence. Yesterday the Senate had voted to apply
idle moneys to the;payment of pensions, and to
day the soft, vevety step of the secretary of tht
treasury was heard, while he passed, drumming
up IeCru1lS. Leu nOG GQe OeUatOE 1TOm feI
mont jeer at the bill of the Senator from Ohio
Senator Edmunds said the Senator from
Indiana misunderstood him. He did not jee
at the Senator's bill. He had called attention
to it measure of reform, and suggested
that if it was as great as the Senator thought
to be, it should be put upon this bill in ordc
to receive its passage, and then the Hous
should be told that if they did not think tina
way, no appropriations to carry on the govern
ment should be made till it was passed. Th
| wheel would revolvc faster the outside i
you attach further reforms to it, SO the Presi-
! dent and others could not fail to be swept int
| the current.


Senator Voorhees, replied that there was not
single rider to the bill but what called for al
appropriation Of money to carry it out. Th'
Democrats said to the Republicans if you wan'
to use the army to interfere with elections WI
do not want to appropriate money for its sup
port. If you say you want the army t.
swarm ut the polls, we don't want to tax the
people for that purpose, nor do We want to ta1
the people for supporting supervisors to act as
spies and detectives on honest voters.


Senator Voorhees, repeated that the suggestion
that Pendleton's bill should be attached to the
appropriation bill was a jeer.


Senator Edmunds said he agreed with tn
Senator in not wanting the army employed t
prevent honest men from voting, but he dit
not 20 with the Senator in not using the arm
| "ueu OtucI mesans uitl Aal1eu W pIotecG uoues
men and election officers against thugs, assas
sins and red spirited bands, who would agai
undertake to overthrow the people at the polls


Senator Voorhees-Who is to be the Judge


Senator Edmunds SO far as my vete is cor
cerned, am the judge.


Senator Voorhecs-So am I. The Senator il
timated that was in favor Of free fights at tt


polls. hope he will say that he did not mea


to say so.


Senator Edmunds-I accept with due humi


ity the rebuke of my friend from Indiana, WI


intimated that we favored interference at tt


polls at the point of the bayonet.


Senator Morrills amendment was then T
jected and Beck's agreed to.


After an executive session. adjourned.