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1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 249
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. President- ADMISSION OF DAKOTA. Mr. BECK. The history of this-let me read before you inter The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pursuant to the understanding, as rupt---:- the Chair is informed, the Chair lays before the Senate the regular.order, Mr. SHERMAN. I should like to have-- being the Dakota bill. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Kentucky declines Mr. HARRISON. Will the Senator from Wisconsin allow me to to yield. . . make a statement·? Mr. BECK. I will yield in one second. I ask the Senator to listen · Mr. SAWYER. Certainly. to this. This is my opinion. The w bole history of the silver question Mr. HARRISON. To-morrow I shall ask the Senate to conclude the ) is written up thoroughly and well in the Croker papers. The memoirs consideration of the Dakota bill. It has been dragging along nomi J will be found in the Library. I hope the Senator from Ohio will read } nally before the Senate for some days, but I think not four hours have them. In speaking of the Duke of Wellington, Mr. Croker said; been consumed upon the bill. I shall ask to-morrow at 2 o'clock that What amused the Duke of Wellington most was the "boldness" of Talley it be proceeded with without interruption until it is disposed of. rand's duplicity. "Would you believe it that at Erfurt, when Bonaparte met Mr. SAWYER. I renew my motion to adjourn. theEmperorof Russia to persuade him to join in overwhelming Austria., Ta1ley rand, theministerforforeign affairs, who all day long labored under Bonaparte's The PRESIDENT pro t.emp()re. The Senator from Wisconsin moves vigilant eye to carry this object, used to visit Alexander secretly at night, and that the Senate do now adjourn. furnish him with every argument, reason, or pretense which he could discover The motion was agreed to; and (at 5 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) or invent against Bonaparte's plan? " This, he said, was told him not only by TaiJeyrand himself, but also by "the Princess of Tour and Taxis," at whose the Senate adjourned. ~ house these private meetings took place." That has been the history of the treatment of silver from the day ( that we ordered it to be remonetized. We have pretended to nego HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. tiate- Mr. SHERMAN. I hope now my friend from Kentucky will allow MONDAY, December 15, 1884. me to interrupt him. The House met at 12 o'clock m. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. JoHN The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Kentucky S. LINDSAY, D. D. yield? The Journal of the proceedings of Friday last was read and approved. Mr. BECK. Yes, sir. Mr. SHERMAN. Where have I ever said anything against the sil CONTINGENT FUND OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT. ver certificate? Where have I said anything against the silver dollar, The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of except to make it good? On the contrary, if I may be allowed to claim State, transmitting statement of the expenditures of the contingent any credit for it, I claim to have done as much as any one could pos fund of the State Department for the year ending June 30, 1884; sibly do to keep the silver certificate in circulation. I believe that a which was referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the State gold and silver certificate is the best formofpapermoneythatwas ever Department, and ordered to be printed. devised. I hope, therefore, the Senator will-- RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH DEVIL18 LAKE RESERVATION. Mr. BECK. I hope when this discussion comes up again I shall show from report after report of the distinguished gentleman as Secretary of The SPEAKER also laid before the House a letter from the Act ing Secretary of the Interior, tran..'Ulli.tting a report from the Commis the Treasury"that he has denied that we had a right~ pay our cred itors in the silver coin of the country-- sioner of Indian Affairs, with accompanying papers, recommending the I Mr. SHERMAN. Ah! passage of a bill g:ra}lting the right of way to the Jamestown and ~ Northern Railway CJ\npany through the Devil's Lake Indian reserva f Mr. BECK. Although the act of July required, and it wa.s written upon the face of the bonds, that it was to be paid in the coin of the coun tion, Dakota; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, try, which embraced both gold and silver of the standard value of that and ordered to be p~ted. · day. · POSTAL-CAR SERVICE, ETC. Mr. SHERMAN. What was the date of that act? The SPEAKER also laid before the House a letter from the Sec Mr. BECK. If that was not hostility to silver, I do not know what retary of the Treasury, transmitting estimates from the Postmaster wM. Now, let me ask the Senator-- General of $100,000 for postal-car service, and $75,00()"for pay of the Mr. SHERMAN. I ask the date of that act. clerks in post-offices; to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for Mr. BECK. Why did he fail to comply with the law, and pay the the cur~nt fiscal year; which was referred to the Committee on Ap silver dollar received for customs dues, as the laws required him, on the propriations, and ordered to be printed. interest of the public debt? COST OF COLLECTING CUSTOKS REVENUE. Mr. SHERMAN. To what act does the Senator refer? Mr. BECK. The act of July 14, 1870, and the act of February 25, The SPEAKER also laid before the House a letter from the Sec 1862, which pledged all the coin received from customs first to the pay retary of the Treasury, transmitting estimates of the c6st of collecting ment of interest and then to the setting apart of a sinking fund. Did the revenue at each port of entry in the United States for the fiscal he ever pay a dollar received at the custom-house-- year ending June 30, 1886; which was referred to the Committee on Mr. SHERMAN. The act to which the Senator referred by date a Appropriations, and ordered to be printed. FRANK W. LYNN. \ moment ago was passed a year or two after I ceased to be Secretary, / and I have not had a chance to pay out any, except what I received as Mr. l)UNN, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolu ) • my salary. tion; which was read, aud referred to the Committee on Accounts: Mr. BECK. The law remained unchanged and the Senator remained Besoltled, That the Clerk of the House be directed to pay out of the contin Secretary, and he refused to pay in obedience to law the silver coin re gent fund of the House to the widow of Frank W. Lynn, late an employe of the I House, a sum equal to his salary for six months, and also the necessary funeral ceived at the custom-house, though the law required him to do it. expenses, not to exceed $250. Mr. SHERMAN. · What law? Mr. BECK. And it could have been done for no other purpose ex 0. W. STREETER. cept to keep it out of the hands of men whose interest it would be to Mr. WHITE, of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent circulate it and make it good, and to keep it in tlfe Treasury and raise to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 1821) authorizing the Sec the clamor that nobody would take it, when he would not pay it to retary of the Interior to examine and adjust the claim of 0. W. Streeter anybody who was obliged to take it. for moneys expended and services performed in taking the census of Mr. SHERMAN. On the contrary, thelawrequired thatto be done Dakota in 1860, and put the same on its passage. which was done. The Senator can certainly tell me- The SPEAKER. The bill will be read, subject to objection. Mr. BECK. I will get the Revised Statutes and read the very1'unda The bill was read at length. mental law which has been regarded all the time as the law that pro Mr. GEORGE D. WISE. I call for the reading of the report accom hibits us from taking greenbacks-- panying that bill. Mr. SHERMAN. My impression is that there was no express law re The SPEAKER. There is no report, the Chair is informed, accom quiring the payment of silver certificates and silver coin on the interest panying this bill, it being a Senate bill on the Speaker's table. of the public debt until after I ceased to hold the office. Mr. HOLMAN: I think that had better go to the Committee on Mr. BECK. I beg pardon. I will find it in a moment, I think. the Census. Mr. SAWYER. Will the Senator give way for a motion to adjourn? The SPEAKER. The Chair must recognize the gentleman from In Mr. BECK. Yes, I will, and find it in the morning. diana as objecting to the present consideration of the bill. If there be Mr. SAWYER. The Senator from Kentucky gives way, and I move no objection the bill will be taken from the Speaker's table and re that the Senate adjourn. ferred as indicated by him. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Kentucky Mr. SPRINGER. I ask unanimous consent for the present consid yield to the Senator from Wisconsin? eration of a resolution which I send to the desk. Mr. BECK. Yes; I give way. Mr. WHITE, of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker_, this bill, I will say to the ;Mr. SAWYER. I move that the Senate adjourn. gentleman from Indiana, has already been reported unanimously by a Mr. HARRISON. Mr. President- committee of this House. •
250 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECE1IBER . 15,
Mr. .BROWN, of Pennsylvania. The Committee on Claims have re· Speaker's table for reference to the Committee on Banking and Cur ported it. rency the bill (S. 2375) to authorize the increase of the capital stock The SPEAKER. The Chair was informed that there was no report of the Commercial National Bank of Chicago. accompanying the bill. There being no objection, the bill was taken from the Speaker's table, lli. WHITE, of Minnesota. There is a report accompanying the read a first and second time, referred to the Committe& on Banking and House bill. · Currency; and ordered to be printed. - Mr: GEORGE D. WISE. I ask for the reading of the report. ASSISTANT FILE CLERK. ( Mr. HOLMAN. If this has been passed upon by the Committee of Claims of this House, which is also a proper committee to consider Mr. ERMENTROUT, by unanimous consent; submitted the follow \ this subject as well as the· Census Committee, I ask for the reading ing resolution; which was read, and referred to the Committee on \ of that report, and I presume it will be found to justify the action .Accounts: sought by the gentleman from Minnesota. Resolved, That the Clerk of the Honse be authorized to continue in the service of the House during the remainder of the session the assistant file clerk ap The SPEAKER. The report accompanying the House bill will be pointed under resolution of March 8, 1881, and pay him out of the contingent read. fund of the House the same salary heretofore allowed. The report was read at length. The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the present consideration of GULF .AND CHICAGO Am-LINE RAILROAD. the bill? Mr. OATES. I ask unanimous oonsent to take froin the Speaker's Mr. STOCKSLAGER. It seems to me that this man has waited a table for present consideration the bill (S. 1909) granting the right of long time before presenting his claim, and as this covers quite a large way over the public lands in Alabama to the Gulf and Chicago Air sum of money, I would therefore like to hear some explanation with Line Company and for other pUrposes. reference to the matter before action is taken upon it. The bill was read. \ Mr. WHITE, of Minnesota. There is no sum of money appropri The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the present consideration of ated except such sum as the Secretary of the Interior shall find to be the bill? due to this man for the services performed. Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. I do not o1;>ject to the bill. But I will 1\Ir. STOCKSLAGER. Why has action upon itbeen·so long delayed? say that no railroad in the world needs 200 feet in width M a right of Mr. WHITE, of Minnesota. If the gentleman from Indiana had ob- way; and if the land is worth anything it ought not to be granted. erved the reading of the report he would have seen that there were The SPEAKER. The bill is not yet before the House. Is there ob many reasons which neces itated it. The report was made to the Cen jection to its present consideration? sus Bureau in 1860. The claimant shows further that his vouchers and Mr. COBB. I object, and move that it be referred to the Committee receipts were destroyed by fire in 1862, and also that his going into the on Public Lands. war prevented him from presenting his claim where only he could get 1\lr. OATE . I ask but one minute to give an explanation of the relief for several years afterward. The delay in prosecuting the claim bill. I think there is no necessity for referring it. seems rather to have been his misfortune, and not his fault. It has The SPEAKER. If there be no objection, the gentleman from Ala been pending in the House of Represent.:'lti ves ever since the second ses· bama may make a brief statement. sion {)f the Forty-third Congress. There was no objection. Mr. GEORGE D. ·wiSE. I demand the regular order. Mr. OATES. What this bill gives to the railroad company is noth The SPEAKER. The regular order havii:lg been demanded, is equiv- ing more than they can get under the general statute except the right alent to an oQjection. • to take from the adjacent public lands snch necessary timber and stone This being Monday, the regular order is the call of States and Terri as they might see proper to use in the construction of the road. The tories for the introduction of bills and joint resolutions for printing and general statutes give them the right of way 100 feet on either side; so reference to appropriate committees. that the objection interposed by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. WAR Mr. ADAMS, of illinois. I will ask the gentleman to withdraw his NER] is one tha.t would go to the repeal of the Revised tatutes in this call for the regular order and simply object, if be desires to do so, to the regard. This in every particular as to the right of way corresponds bill called up by the gentleman from Minnesota, in order that I can get to what would be given by the general statute, except in the partic a bill referred to a committee, which I have been trying to do tor some ular I have mentioned; and as a compensation for that the bill obli time. gates this company to carry for the Government mails, troops, muni Mr. GEORGE D. WISE. I will withdraw the demand for that pur tions of war, &c., which it would not be obliged to do if it obtained pOse. a right of way under the general statute. The SPEAKER. Does the gentleman withdraw his objection to the The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. COBB] objects bill of the gentleman from Minnesota? If the demand for the regular to the present consideration of the bill and asks that it be referred to order is withdrawn simply, that bill is now before the House for con the Committee on Public Lands. sideration. Mr. OATES. Very well; let it be so referred. Mr. GEORGE D. WISE. I object to that bill. The bill was taken from the Speaker's table, rea4 a first and second The SPEAKER. Does the gentleman withdraw his d~mand for the time, referred to the Committee on the Public Lands, an
time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be second time, referred to the Committee on Claims, and ordered to be printed. printed. STEPHEN J. MATTHEWS. :MARQUIS D. DAVIS. Mr. PRYOR (by request) also introduced a bill (H. R. 7683) for the Mr. TOWNSHEND introduced a bill (H. R. 7698) for the relief of relief of Stephen J. Matthews for stores and supplies taken by and for Marquis D. Davis; which was read a first and second time, referred to theuseofthe United States Army during the rebellion; which was read the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and orde!ed to be printed. a first and sccon9. time, referred to the Committee on War Claitns, and HEIRS OF MANNING HARRIS. ordered to be printed. 1\fr. RIGGS (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. 7699) for there REU:BEN COPELAND. lief of Thomas J. Harris and others; which was read a first and 8e<'.ond Mr. PRYOR (by request) also introduced a bill (H. R. 7684) for the time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be relief of Reuben Copeland for stores and supplies taken by and for the printed. use of the United States Army during the rebellion; which was read a CHARLES P. JUDD. first and second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and Mr. ROWELL introduced a bill (H. R. 7700) for the relief of Charles ordered to be printed. P. Judd; which wa-s read a first and second time, referred to the Com 1\IRS. ELIZABETH ANN PORTER. mittee on Invalid Pensi!)ns, and ordered to be printed. Mr. HEWITT, of Alabama (by request), introduced a bill (H. R. JOHN H. DEXTER. 7685) granting an increase of pension to Mrs. Elizabeth Ann forter, widow of the late Commodore William D. Porter, United States Navy; 1\ir. KLEINER introduced a bill (H. R. 7701) for-the relief of John which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on H. Dexter, of Evansville, Ind. ; which was read a first and second time, referred the Committee on War Claims, and ordered be printed. Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. to to JAMES .A. HANGER. FORFEITURE OF RAILROAD LAND GRANTS. J 1\fr. MATSON introduced a bill (H. R. 7'W2) for the relief of James Mr. OATES introduced a bill (H. R. 7686) to declare forfeited to the United States all lands granted by act of Congress to aid in the con A. Hanger; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com struction of any railroad which have not been earned by the grantees, mittee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. and to provide for the adjudication of controversies in relation thereto; ALLEN S. THATCHER. which wa-s read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Mr. MATSON also introduced a bill (H. R. 7703) for the relief, of the Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. Allen S. Thatcher; which was read a first and second time, referred to ADA:\1 HARDIN. the Committee on 1\Iilitary Affairs, and ordered to be printed. :l't!Ir. OATES also introduced a bill (H. R. 7687) for the relief ofAdam ALTHEA A. FRASNER. Hardin, a citizen of Lee County, Alabama; which wa-s read a first and Mr. W A.RD introduced a bill (H. R. 7704) granting a pension to second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to Althea A. Frasner, widow of 1\iHton Frasner; which was read a first be printed. and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and I HOT SPRINGS RESERVATION. ordered to be printed. / Mr. ROGERS, of Arkansas, introduced a bill (H. R. 7688) to regulate CAROLINE PARISH. the Hot Springs resE;rvation, in the State of Arkansas; which was read 1\fr. COBB introduced a bill (H. R. 7705) for the relief of Caroline a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Public Lands, Parish; which wa-s read a first and second time, referred to the Com ~ and ordered to be printed. mittee on lnmlid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. IMPROVEMENT OF HOT -SPRINGS CREEK. PEOPLE' S NATIONAL BANK OF INDIANA. Mr. ROGERS, of Arkansas, also introduced a bill (H. R. 7689) making Mr. HOLMAN introduced a bill {H. R. 7706) to authorize the Sec appropriation to complete the improvement of Hot Springs Creek, in Ar retary of the Treasury to issue a duplicate _certificate to the People's kansas; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com National Bank of Indiana; which was read a first and second tim~, re mittee on the Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. - ferred to the Committoo on Ways and Means, and ordered to be printed. J. H . T. 1\fA.IN. FRENCH AND AMERICAN CLAIMS COIDIISSION. Mr. ROGERS, of Arkansas, also introduced a bill (H. R. 7690) for Mr. HOLMAN submitted the following resolution; which was re- the relief of J. H. T. Main; which was read a first and second time, _ ferred to th_e Committee on Foreign Affairs: . referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered be print:OO· f-9 Whereas this House, by resolution of the 7th day of .June, 1884, requested the KANSAS CITY, ARKANSAS AND FORT SMITH RAILROAD. Secretary of State to inform this House of the mode and manner, in detail. of the expenditure of the amounts appropriated by Congress for the expenses of the Mr. PEEL introduced a bill {H. R. 7691) to grant to t·he Kansas City, French and American Claims Commission, stating when, where, to what per Arkansas and Fort Smith Railroad Company a right Of way through sons, and for what purposes the moneys so appropriated had been paid, and also what amounts had been pa.id by the French Government for the expenses of the Indian Territory, and for other purposes; which was read a first said commission ; and and second time, referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and Whereas on the 25th day of June, 1884, there was laid before this House a mes ordered to be printed. sage from the President of the United States, tro.nsmitting a. report from the Secretary of Stat.e inclosing a statement of the expenditures of said commis MERVIN J. SMITH. sion under general headings, without stating the details of said expenditures, Mr. CLEMENTS (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. 7692) for the and without any statement as to the times when, places where, and persons to whom the moneys appropriated had been paid, as was required by the said relief of Mervin J. Smith; which was read a. first and second time, re resolution : Therefore, ferred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Be it f'esoZved, That the Secretary of State be directed to inform this House of the mode and manner, in full detail, of the expenditure of the sums, amounting DILLARD M. YOUNG. in all to $325,000, appropriated by Congress for the expenses of said French and American Claims Commission, stating specifico.lly when, where, to what per Mr. CLEMENTS also introduced a bill (H. R. 7693) for the relief of sons, and for what purposes the moneys so appropriated have been paid, giv Dillard M. Young; which was read a first and second time, referred to ing in each case the date and amount of the payment, the name of the person the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. to whom such amount was paid, and the object for which the payment was made; and also whether the officers of said commission, or .any of them, con ESTATE OF ALLEN BLACK. tinued in the exercise of their functions after the date fixed by treaty for the conclusion of such commission, and of the labors thereof; and, if so, how long 1\Ir. HARDEMAN (by reqQ.est) introduced a bill (H. R. 7694) for the and by what authorityoflawthey so continued, what services they performed, relief of the estate of Allen Black, deceased; which was read a first and and what payments w:ere made them for the same. second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. 1\Ir. HOLMAN also submitted the following reoolution; which was MRS. SARAH M 7D0Nl\""ELL. referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs: Be it resolved by the House of .Representatives, That the President be, and he is Mr. DAVIS, of Illinois, introduced a bill (H. R. 7695) granting a pen hereby, requested to furnish to this House, if not incompatible with the public sion to MJ:s. Sarah McDonnell, widow ofHugh McDonnell, late sergeant service, a copy of all correspondence had 'With the Government of France in re Company H, Second United States Artillery; which was read a first and lation to the French and America.n qaims Commission, since the 23d day of November, 1881, the date of the first meeting of said commission, up to the present ~aecond time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, awl ordered time. . to be printed. Second. Alsoacopyofthecommunicationorcommunicationsmadebythetwo THOMAS D. FITCH. remaining commissioners to the Secretary of State on the resignation of 1\fr. L. de Geofroy, July 11, 1881, the date when he withdrew as commissioner on the ~Ir. DAVIS, of lllinois, also introduced a bill (H. R. 7696) granting a part of the Fr~nch Republic, and the 15th day of October following, in rela tion to the resignation of said commissioner; and a copy of the correspondence pension to Thomas D. Fitch, ]ate surgeon Forty-second Regiment illinois between the two governments relating to the same subject, and of the notice Volunteer Infantry; which was read a first and second time, referred to of the Government of France reappointing said commissioner. the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and order.ed to be printed. Third. Also a statement giving the name and num her of each and every claim which was withdro.wn by the agent of either government after the same had MOSES M. BANE. been duly filed before said commission, and thereasonsforsuch withdrawal and a copy of all correspondence between the two governmE"nts relat.ing tht:ll'eto. Mr. CANNON introduced a bill {H. R. 7697) for the relief of Moses Fourth. Also a copy of all reports or other communications made by the Amer "U. Bane, receiver of public moneys in Utah; which was read a first and ican commissioner, Hon. A. 0. Aldis, to the Secretary of State relating to the busi- . 252 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 15,
ness of said commlssion or to any matter or thing pending before said commis REFUNDING PUBLIC DEBT, ETC. sion from the 23d day of November, 1881 to the present date. Fifth. And also a. copy of the reports or other communications pertaining to Mr. BUCKNER (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. 7720) to pro the French and American Claims Commission. or any matter pending therein vide ·for refunding the public debt, and to secure stability of the made by Hon. GeorgeS. Boutwell, the agent and counsel for the United States, to the Secretary of State from the 23d day of November, 1881, to the present date. national-bank circulation, and for other purposes; which was read a Also, a copy of the correspondence between the two governments relating to first and second time, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the recall of said Mr. L. de Geofroy, and the appointment and substitution by ordered to be printed. the Government of France of Mr. Alexis Albert Lafarve as commissioner on or about May 22, 1883. RODNEY D. WELLS. SPEECErnS NOT- DELIVERED. Mr. BROADHEAD introduced a bill (H. R. 7721) for the relief of i Mr. HOLMAN also submitted the following resolution; which was Rodney D. Wells; which was read a first and second time, referred to \ referred to the Committee on the Rules: the Committee on Claims, and ordered to be printed. Resolved, That there be added to the rules of the House the following, namely: ALMIRA K. PARKER. RULE XLVII. Mr. RAY, of New Hampshire, introduced a bill (H. R. 7722) grant All speeches not delivered in the House but authorized to be printed in the· llig a pension to Almira K. Parker; which wa8 read a first and second RECORD shaU be subject to and regulated by the rules governing debate; and the Speaker is charged with enforcement of this rule. time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. _ HOLDE~ COOK. GEORGE W. CLARK. Mr. FUNSTON introduced a bill (H. R. 7707) to pension Holden Mr. RAY, of New Hampshire, also introduced a bill (H. R. 7723) Cook; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee granting increase of pension to George W. Clark; which was read a on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. first and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, WILLIAM THOMPSON. and ordered to be printed. Mr. MORRILL introduced a bill (H. R. 7708) granting a pension to LYDIA WETHERBEE. William Thompson for services in the Black Hawk war; which was Mr. RAY, of New Hampshire, also introduced a bill (H. R. 7724) read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Pensions, granting a pension to Lydia Wetherbee, dependent mother of George and ordered to be printed. L. Wetherbee; which was read a first and second time, referred to·the LOUISA A. ESTES. Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Mr. MORRILL also introduced a bill (H. R. 7709) granting a pen PATRICK M'KEA.N. sion to Louisa A. Estes; which was readafirstandsecond time, referred Mr. HAYNES introduced a bill (H. R. 7725) granting a pension to • ·to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Patrick McKean; which was read a first and second time, referred to SAMUEL V. HALLAND. the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to bf' printed. Mr. HALSELL introduced a bill (H. R. 7710) granting a pension to NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH. Samuel V. Halland; which was read a first and second time, referred . Mr. BEACH introduced a bill (H. R. 7726) to amend an act en to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. titled "An act to prevent the introduction of contagious and infec EXPOSITION, LOUISVILLE, KY. tious diseases into the United States, and to establish a national board ,_ Mr. WILLIS introduced a bill (H. R. 7711) to encourage the holding of health; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com of a national agricultural, horticultural, mineral, timber, and live-stook mittee on the Public Health, and ordered to be printed. exhibition at Louisville under the auspices of the Southern Exposition SALLY C. MULLIGAN. Company and the Department of Agriculture of the United States Gov Mr. ROGERS, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. 7727) for the ernment; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com relief of Sally C. Mulligan; which was read a first and second time, mittee on Agriculyure, and ordered to be printed. referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be ELLEN RAY. printed. Mr. TURNER, of Kentucky (by request), introduced a bill (H. R. PARTEN H. MOREY. 7712) for the benefit of Ellen Ray; which was read a first and second Mr. BREWER, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. 7728) for the time, referred to the Committee on Pensions, and ordered to be printed. relief of Parten H. Morey; which was read a first and second time, COMPENSATION FOR EXTRA WORK. referred to the Committee on P!valid Pensions, and ordered to' be printed. . ... Mr. ELLIS (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. 7713) authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to compensate clerks and employes for APPROPRIATION FOR PUBLIC BUILDING, ROCHESTER, N. Y. extra work performed in the exchange of bonds in the Departments; Mr. GREENLEAF introduced a bill (H. R. 7729) to change the which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on limit of appropriation for the public building at Rochester, N. Y.; Appropriations, and ordered to be printed. which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on RED RIVER COMMISSION. Public Buil~ngJ:~ and Grounds, and ordered to be printed. - Mr. BLANCHARD introduced a bill (H. R. 7714) to provide for the THOMAS ALLCOCK. creation of the Red River commission, and for other purposes; which Mr. GREENLEAF also introduced a bill (H. R. 773o) granting an was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Rivers increase of pension to Thomas Allcock; which was read a first and and Harbors, and ordered to be printed. second time, referred to the Committee on Pensions, and. ordered to be CHARLES E. BOLLES. printed. Mr. DAVIS, of Massachusetts, introduced a bill (H. R. 7715) grant LOIS B. SMITH. ' ing a pension to Charles E. Bolles, Vineyard Haven, Mass.; which was Mr. GREENLEAF also .introduced a bill (H. R. 773t) granting a read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pen pension to Lois B. Smith; which was read a first and se&)nd time, re sions,_ and ordered to be printed. ferred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. ANACOSTIA AND POTOMAC RIVER RAILROAD. EDWARD P. QUINN. Mr. ELDREDGE introduced a bill (H. R. 7716) to amerid the act Mr. VAN ALSTYNE introduced a bill (H. R. 7732) granting an in -giving approval and sanction of Congress to the route and termini of crease of pension to Edward P. Quinn; which was read a first and the Anacostia and Potomac River Railroad in the District of Columbia; second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and which was read a first and second time,_referred to the Committee on ordered to be printed. the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. ROBERT NELSON. \ SETH COLVIN. Mr. PARKER introdnced·a bill (H. R. 7733) for the reliefofRebert Nelson; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com Mr. HOUSEMAN introduced a bill (H. R. 7717) granting a pension mittee on Invalid Pensions, and o~ered to be printed. to Seth Colvin; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. JAMES H. HORTON. JOHN SNYDER. Mr. PARKER also introduced a bill (H. R. 7734) for the relief of James H. Horton; which was read a first and second time, referred to Mr. HOUSEMAN also introduced a bill (H. R. 7718) for tb.e relief the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. of John Snyder, Company I, One hundred and twenty-ninth Indiana Infantry; which was read a first and second time, referred _to the Com HENRY N. HUGGINS. mittee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Mr. PARKER also introduced a bill (H. R. 7735) for the relief of HENRY 1\l. ROBERTS. Henry N. Huggins; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Mr. MULDROW introduced a bill (H. R. 7719) for the relief of Henry M. Roberts; which was read a first and second time, referred to MERCHANTS' NATIONAL BANK, POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y. the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Mr. KETCHAM introduced a bill (H. R. 7736) for the relief of the . 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-· HOUSE. 253
Merchants' Nationall}ank of Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; which waB read a PAY OF GRADUATES OF NAVAL ACADEMY. :first and second time, referred to the Commit~ on Banking and Cur Mr. THOMAS introduced a bill (H. R. 7752) to equalize the pay of rency, and ordered w be printed. graduates of the Naval Academy; which was read a first and second RELIEF OF AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE. time, referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be Mr. KETCHAM also introduced a bill (H. R. 7737) to amend aD. act printed. - ' entitled "An act to remove certain burdens on the American merchant CONRAD SCHLEICHER. marine, and encourage the American foreign carrying trade, and for Mr. KEIFER introduced a bill (H. R. 7753) granting a pension to other purposes," approved June 26, 1884; which wa.'3 read a :first and Conrad Schleicher; which was read a :first and second time, referred to second time, referred to the Select Committee on American Ship-build the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. ing and Ship-owning Interests, and ordered to ~ be printed. J. M. BENNET!'. ESTATE OF ISAAC S. HILL, DECEASED. Mr. PERKINS introduced a bill (H. R. 77!)4) granting a pension to Mr.'SKINNER, of North Carolina, introduced a .bill (H. R. 7738) J. M. Bennett; which was read a first and second time, referred to the for the relief of the estate of Isaac S. Hill, deceased; which was read Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. · a :first and second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and CHALSEY BBOTHEBS. ordered to be printed. Mr. PERKINS also introduced a bill (H. R. 7755) for the relief of CAPT. JAMES H. HAFFORD. Chalsey Brothers; which was read a first and second time, referred to \ \ Mr. CONVERSE introduced a bill (H. R. 7739) granting an addi the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed. \ tional pension to Capt. James H. Hafford; which was read a :first and CAROLINE TBECKELL. second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and or Mr. PERKINS also introduced a bill (H. R. 7756) granting a pension f dered to be printed. to Caroline Treckell; which was read a first and second time, referred PATRICK NICHOLAS. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be ~rinted. I) Mr. MURRAY introduced a bill (H. R. 7740) granting a pensi6n to ELIZABETH CRAWFORD. Patrick Nicholas; which was read a :first and second time, referred to Mr. HENDERSON, of Iowa, introduced a bill (H. R. 7757) granting the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. a pension to Elizabeth Crawford; which waB read a first and second JOHN CONNELL. time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be Mr. O'NEILL, of Pennsylvania., introduced a bill (H. R. 7741) to printed. authorize the Secretary of War to grant an honorable discharge from DANIEL MORRIS. the Army to John Connell; which was read a first and second time, Mr. COX, ofNew York, introduced a bill (H. R. 7758) to remove the referred to the Committee on . Military Affairs, and ordered to be charge of desertion &o 254 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEl\IBER 15, The SPEAKER. Under the rules of the House thirty minutes are The SPEAKER. Seven minutes. allowed for debate; fifteen minutes in support of the motion and fifteen Mr. WILKINS. I reserve the residue of my time. minutes against it. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr. WILKINS] is rec Mr. YAPLE. :Mr. Speaker, this resolution fixes a day for the con ognized to control the time in support of the resolution, and the gen sideration of the bill known as the "McP erson currency bill," to tleman from Michigan [Mr. YAPLE] to control the time in opposition provide for the issue _of circulating notes to national banking assocf.a, to it. . 'tions to the par value of the bonds deposited to secure ~ncb notes. Mr. WILKINS. I do not propose to take up the time of the House One reason why this bill should not receive consideration is that it in discussing either of these propositions this morning. The question comes discredited and dishonored by ita own author and friends. They that we are called upon to consider is whether the House will permit a~mit that it is only a ~mporary remedy-a mere makeshift, and a poor I the Committee on Banking and Cunency to name a day for the con one at that. Its warmest supporters have confessed that it d~ not .... sideration of two bills. The' first bill is the one that has been sent to furnish a remedy for the disease; that it is wholly inadequate; that us from the Senate, and which is known as the McPherson currency the ultimate effect of it will be to accelerate and intensify the evil re bill. This measure permits national banks to receive from the Comp sults which it is intended to obviate; thatsomethingmore is necessary troller of the Treasury a circulation equal to the par value of the bonds to make it efficient. What then can be the reason for urging its con deposited. It is a plain, simpie, comprehensive propoRi tion, and needs no sideration and passage unless it be .thought that it will make necessary explanation from meorfrom anyother memberupon thisfloor. !shall still further legislation in the interest of the national banks? not take the time of the House any further in stating this_ proposition. This bill simply gives the banks an opportunity to increase their cir I yield five minutes of my time to the gentleman from Maine [.M:r. DING- culation, or, as it has been expressed, it creates the capability of more LEY]. .. national-bank currency. Suppose the banks do not exercise this capa Mr. KELLEY. Before the gentleman from Ohio yields to his col bility, ·what then? Why, something more must be done for them to league I wish to ask him' this question: Does not the ~ill also provide induce .them to do so. They have the capability of increasing their for the retirement of bank notes of certain denominations? circulation under existing law, but they do not exercise it; and why? Mr. WILKINS. No, sir. This does not contemplate any part of that Simply because they are waiting to ·be hired, and we must hire them measure. I yield to the gentleman from Maine [Mr. DINGLEY] five at their own terms or tell them to go, and restore the issue and control minutes to explain. the second proposition contained in the resolution. of the currency to the Government where it belongs. Mr. DINGLEY. This resolution proposes simply to set apart a single If the effect ofthe passage of this bill should be to induce the banks day for the consideration of the only two bills of a public nature that to increase their circulation $32,000,000, as some profess to think it have been reported by the Committee on Banking and Cu~ency during would, it would practically be the gift of that amolint to the 'banks the present Congress. The first bill, known as the McPherson bill.; without any additional security or further consideration from them. which has passed the Senate, has been explained by my colleague on the They would get the use and benefit of $32,000,000 without incurring committee who offers the resolution. The second bill for the consid any new or further obligation to the Government. What is the demand eration of which it is sought to set apart a day proposes to authorize fo!' this kind of legislation? None. at all but the vomcious greed of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest certain lawful money deposited the banks. It is not necessary in order to provide against the evils of in the Treasury by national banks which is being aecumulated un,der a contraction of the currency. Let the banks carry out their threat of the following circumstances: Under the law as it exists to-day, when surrendering their circulation, and let the Government thereupon issue national banks fail, when they go into liquidation, or when they pro legal-tender notes~ a substitute. Substitute money for bank notes, pose to retire any part of their circulation, and to withdraw the bonds which are not money. . which have been deposited as security, they are required to deposit I think that since therecent decisionoftheSupreme Court declaring in the Treasury lawful money to the amount of their circulating notes the issue of legal-tender notes at any time constitutional, no one will outstanding. It should be borne in mind that this lawful money con question the power or the right of the Government to do this. It is no stitutes under the law a fund for the purpose of redeeming the out longer a matter or argument, but settled law . . That decision is a fit standing circulating notes of the bank which deposits the lawful money; ting supplement to.the proclamation of emancipation. It is one of the and when a bank has deposited the lawful money its responsibility for greatest triumphs for the people in all the ages, and it will never be its circulating notes thereby ceases. The Government holds this fund nullified by any constitutional amendment. It is not only the right, for the purpose of redeeming these circulating notes, and whatever por but it is the duty of every national government to. institute and regu tion of the fund may remain after the circulating notes shall have been late the medium of exchange. The power that controls the currency presented for redemption goes to the Government and not to the banks. of a nation, the first great instrument of commerce, the medium of all · For many years this fund of lawful money in the Treasury was in exchanges, controls the nation itself. If a ''government of the people, considerable; but when in the progress of events it became unprofitable, for the people, and by the people'' is not to perish from the earth, t:P,at to a certain extent, for banks to issue circulating notes they began to power must be sacredly kept in the hands of the people. The party retire their circulation and to deposit lawful money for their redemption. that wages a war upon the provision of the Constitution that secures . September 30, 1880, the amount of this lawful money deposited in the this power to the people will go down in defeat and death, and be Treasury was $19,746,955; in 1881 it had increased to $31,152,713; in buried in the grave of eterna.l infamy. No genuine Democrat will be 1883 it had increased to $36,415,358; and on the first day of the cur gin such a war. It will be the work of an enep:1y of the people, of a rent month it ~ad increased to $42,837,408, an increase of $6,000,000 traitor to the "Republic. . . and over in the last year. · What the country demands to-day is no makeshift legislation, no But next August this amount will begin to increase more rapidly toggling up of a tottering system, but a permanent solution of the cur than ever before, because under the act of July 12, 1882, extending rency question. The national banks are. based on the national <;lebt, the corporate existence of certain banks those banks are required at and a perpetual debt is necessary to their permanence. The public l I the end of three y~ from the time of such extension to deposit in debt is the bread of life to them, and they are making a fierce struggle the Treasury lawful money to the amount of their old circulating notes to prevent its payment, to perpetuate it. This bill is a step in that di \' which may be then outstanding. This will :within two years increase rection. Unless it is supplemented by legislation refunding the debt this fund to nearly if not quite $75,000,000. · for a long time, it is worse than useless. ·It will work positive injury. The SPEAKER. The gentleman's time has expired. To perpetuate the debt! This is the object to be accomplished. This Mr. DINGLEY. I hope the gentleman from Ohio will yield me a is the patriotic (?) purpose of its supporters. minute more. There are advocates, even on the floor of this Home, of the blessings Mr. WILKINS. One minute mm·e. of a national debt. The gentleman from New York [Mr. POTTERJ, Mr. DINGLEY. It must be evident to the Honse that the accumu who is the especial champion of the national banking system, desired lation of such a fund in the Treasury will seriousiy contract the cur an extension ·of the time for the payment of the tax on distilled spirits, rency and lose to the country the interest on a large volume of idle for the reason that the tax when collected would have to be applied in money. · payment of the national debt, and such a use of it would undermine The bill reported by the committee proposes to remedy these diffi and destroy the basis on which the national banking system rests. He culties by authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to invest so much saw a national bank in the bottom of that whisky bill. During the \ of this fund as he may think proper in United States bonds, these debate upon that bill this Honse was flooded with letters and telegrams bonds and the accruing interest to be held for the same purpose as the from national bankers, urging members to vote to extend the time for lawful money deposited. This will release the large amount of money the payment of that.. tax. Why? Because they understood that the so deposited and restore it to the channels of circulation; and as the money, when collected, would have to be applied in payment of the Government is to leave whatever balance of the fund mav remain after debt, and they can imagine no greater disaster to the country than the redeeming the notes, practically it will save to the peopie the inteTest payment of ita debt. It iS one of the curses of this national banking on the fund. system that it continuance makes a public debt necessary. It stands It is evident, I think, to gentlemen that there should be some legis in the way of the discharge of the mortgage which the bondholders lation on this subject, whether of the character proposed by the com have on all the property of the nation. It stands in the way of a proper mittee or as it may be amended when it shall come before the Honse. reduction of taxation. It stands in the way of industry securing its just I hope, therefore, that the resolution presented by my colleague on the rewards. . It casts a deadiynight.shade over every :field and home ofla Committee on Banking and Currency may receive a passage. bor. Sir, think of our situation. We can not even pay our debt with.:. Mr. WILKINS. Mr. Speaker, how much time have I remaining? out unsettling the financial system of the country, and yet our Treasury 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 255 is full to overflowing. The national banking system is a solution of TP.e introduction of this bill is a confession of the vice of the system, the problem how to maintain war taxes in times of peace, keep up a a confession that the banks have no concern or regard for the welfare large surplus of revenue, and not pay the debt. It makes this condi of the people; that they are governed entirely by self-interest. If the tion of things possible. national banks do furnish what currency is needed in reponse to the · Suppose this bill becomes a law and the banks increase their circula demands of business, what need is there for this kind of legislation? tion 10 per cent.? Then, as the bonds are paid off, every time a banK: If they can and refuse to, then, instead of hiring them and thus dishonor goes out of business the retirement of the currency will be 10 per cent. ing the Government, I say repeal their charters and take from them the greater than under existing law. It postpones only to aggravate the power of contracting and expanding the currency at their own will. evils of ~ntraction. It adds to the power of contraction, which the The best thing that can be done for the oo'Un.try is to provide for the banks already possess. It is "jumping from the frying-pan into the retirement of the national banking system with the payment oi the j :fire." It is not reasonable, however, to suppose that the banks will public debt. Now is the time to settle the question what shall be the takeoutmorecirculation, exceptuponbondsdrawinginterestattherates paper currency of the future. We must have a paper currency of some ) of 4 and 4! per cent. This would have the effect to greatly enhance kind, and the question is, _What shall it be? Shall it be a currency that the market value of those bonds, and thus compel the Government to enables a few to draw a double income from their capital, to borrow the. pay a higher price for its debt, an unwarrantable and unjustifiable sacri creditofthepeoplefor nothing and loan it b~k to them at 10percent.; to fice of the interests of the tax-payers. The Government ought to be in liveon theinterestofwhatthey owe? Orshallitbeacurrencybearing better business than surrendering the control of its :finances to capital no intereAt; that discharges instead of perpetuating the mortgage which ists and building a corner on itself. now covers every cotta.ge of toil; that saves to the people the benefits of The national banks promised the people a currency which would the nation's credit? Why should not the people enjoy all the gains always adjust itSelf to the demands of business; which would increase and emolumentsto be derivedfromtheuseoftheircredit? Whatgreat or diminish in accordance with the natural laws which control trade service have the beneficiaries of this bill ever rendered to the Govern an elastic, expansive, self-adjusting currency. They have not kept ment that they should receive this bounty of $32,000,000? There is their promise. Notwithstanding the constant increase of the number not a page of their history but what is blotted with some act of trea-chery of banks, there has been an actual contraction of their circulation. The to the people. They have rendered the service of the burglar. reports of the Comptroller of the Currency show that they take out the Sir, we have done enough for the banks. We have yielded to their minimum amount allowed by law. The only reason they give is that demands until for very shame we ought to blush. The most humiliat there is not sufficient profit on their circulation. Increase their profit ing spectacle ever presented to the world is that of an independent, and they will increase their circulation. This bill is simply a propo sovereign nation truckling to corporations of its own creation. Banks sition to hire the banks to increase their circulation. The proposition of issue are relics of feudalism. We do not need them. Let themgo. is an insult to the people, and its adoption by Congress would be a dis The only bank of issue we want is the people's bank, the Government. gra-ce to the nation. The Comptroller of the Currency in his elaborate There can be no true democr~y until every attribute of national sov argument for the national banks, usually called his annual report, says ereignty is exercised by the Government for the benefit of the governed. that if this bill should become a law it would increase the profit to the Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainderofmytimetot.he gentleman from banks on circulation from two-fifths to three-fifths of 1 per cent. per New York [Mr. POTTER]. annum. He further submits "that the profit on circulation may be Mr. POTTER. How much time have I? increased to a point which will induce the banks to keep their circula The SPEAKER. Six minutes. tion to a maximum and stop the contraction of their circulation, which Mr. POTTER. Mr. Speaker, the bill before the House might well is now occurring, by repealing the law taxing their circulation one-half be entitled a bill to increase the premium on the high interest bonds of l of 1 per cent. semi-annually." theGovernment. The 4 per cent. bonds of the Government have been The privilege of issuing notes equal in amount to the par value of the bearing for the last two or three years with some exception from 20 to 25 bonds deposited, and exemption from any tax on circulation, would, he percent. premium. Four and a half per cent. bonds have been bearing ; thinks, be sufficient to induce the banks to keep their circulation to a fi·om 12 to 14 or 15 Mr cent. premium. The obstacle to the maintenance maximum and stop contraction. The profit to the banks, then, is the of a circulation up to the wants of the country has been again and again factor that determines the amount of this elastic, self-adjusting cur stated before the Committee on Banking and Currency that the pre rency. What profit? The banks determine that. The caprice and mium is so high on these bonds that the banks are unwilling to carry greed of the banks, not the demands of business, :fix the amount of the premium on their books with a certainty at the maturity of the debt currency for the people. The country is at the mercy of the banks. they are to get back only the principal. They are Carrying thus a. fac The only thing for Congress tQ do is to obey the commands of the banks. titious capital. They saythat they-are taxed, and in the face of that We deceive ourselves if we think that the passage of this bill will sat they are unwilling to do the banking of the country. isfy them. '.rhey will not be satisfied until the tax on their circulation It has been admitted on all sides, and never contradicted, that the is repealed, the greenback retired, silver demonetized, and the debt passage of this bill will increase the premium on these bonds from 5 to perpetuated. They will not be satisfied until the dollar is crowned 10 per cent. Exactly what it may be will remain to be shown by ex king and labor wears the collar of slavery. Capital is selfish and tyran perience. If it increases the premium 5 per cent. it will increase the nical. If the amount of circulating medium is to be determined by the temptation to sell those bonds and go out of banking. It will contract profit it yields to the banks, the rights of labor are gone. the currency by exactly the extent that 5 per cent. increas~ of value of The national-bank currency circulates not on the credit of banks, the bonds increases and makes effective the temptation to sen them. It but on the credit of the people. All the property of the people-every will make what is now a temporary temptation a standing and an in bushel of wheat and every blade of grass-is pledged for its :redemption." creao"ing temptation and coercion of interest on the banks to sell andre The guarantee of the Government gives it all its value. To make it tire circulation. It will be an appeal to their own interest to go out good is the part the people play. To absorb its profits. is the part the of banking and sell the bonds. banks play. There can be no such thing as a safe currency, a currency I have been told by one person at least who holds $800,000 of these which adjusts itself to the wants of trade, when the existence and bonds that he waits only to have the 25 per cent. premium touched again amount of circulation depend on the profit it yields to banks of issue. to sell his bonds and retire from circulation. It is not a single case; Money is the mightiest instrument in the distribution of wealth. there are many such. If .this bill passes it will have th~ effect not of Without it commerce is impossible. It is the life-blood of the nation. enlarging the currency, not of keeping it up to the wants of the nation, It is not the fruit of individual effort, of private enterprise, but is ex but will have the inevitable effect of contracting the currency, and clusivelythe creation oflaw. More important as an aid to production perhaps suddenly and fatally to the interests of the country. and means of exchange than railroads, and yet it is insisted that the This bill takes away from, the business of the country whatever safe right to issue and the power to regulate the volume of currency shall guard there is for conservatism in the 10 per cent. margin now deposited be placed and kept in the hands of associations of private persons. It with the Government. If the banks use the credit of the Government is the surrender of one of the essential attributes of sovereignty. The they are at least called upon to leave 10 per cent. between themselves issue of currency, metallic or paper, belongs of right exclusively to the and the Government to protect the latter against fluctuations and the nation. It is a sovereign function which ought to be exercised only risks from the manner in which the banks may do their business. This for the benefit and profit of the whole people. The profit to the people, wipes it away forever-. From the time this bill is passed the Govern not to the banks, should be the determining factor. The people con ment takes the )Vhole risk and responsibility without any margin and stitute this Government, and to promote their welfare every law should without any deposit of 10 per cent. by the banks to redeem their cir be made. culation under any circumstances o~ disaster which the mismanagement The gre.:'lt evil of our national banking system is the union of bank of the banks may bring upon the country. I say it takes away this ing functions with those of issue. The power of issue always exercised safeguard at once and forever. by the banks in the :field of private interest renders them dangerous to There is no more important provision in our banking system than the public interest. Banks are organized and conducted for private that this 10 pet cent. margin should at all times be continued in order gain. They are not patriots more than mills, factories, and railroads. to make the banks conservative, to keep them prudent, to let them Clothed with public functions they exercise them exclusively for self know that any mismanagement on their part will fall first on the mar aggrandizement. The only way to remedy the evils born of this ille gin in the hands of the Government belonging to them. gitimate union is to suppress the bastard bank currency and restore the Sir, I am not inimical to the national banks. I claim to have been circulation to the nation. the first to suggest the plan of national banks, but a part of the national 256 CONGRESS! ON AL RECORD-HOUSE. DEOEMBER 15, banking system, and in my judgment a very important part of it, iB this it. But it iB due to the Senate as an act of courtesy, it iB due to the 10 per cent. margin. And I say we sh~uld hesitate before passing this country at large, it iB due to the lil.l\iorityoftheCommitteeonBanking bill. There are other and certain measures which will reach the end and Currency, that these two bills should be brought before the House. sought here without any of these risks. I hope, Mr. Speaker, the bill They are the only billa here of a general character which have been re will not pass. In extension of my remarks I desire to add the follow ported by this committee to this House during the present Congress. ing from the New York Times of December 14: It iB not required that any one shall vote for them. They will be open THE "X'PHEB80N BANK BILL. to amendment and to discussion. For myself, I propose to offer an amendment if the opportunity is afforded to me which will settle this The bill p888ed by the Senate last session to permit national banks to issue ! notes up to the par value of the bonds deposited as security, provided the total difficulty for all time to come. ' amount of notes does not exceed the capital actually pa.id in, will probably be And the other bill iB quite as important as this one, that is the bill brought up in the Senate to-morrow. It is usually known as the McPherson known as the Dingley bill. This redemption iB growing and growing ~ bill from the fact th&t it fell to that gentleman to devise a. scheme which should sumciently appear to amount to something to make a. good basis of opposition continually, amounting to $42,000,000. It iB provided where it can \ to other schemes, but which in reality amounts to nothing or next to nothing. not be used that it shall be putout and invested in bonds of the United The situation with which the Senate undertook to deal was a. not very complex States. That is the proposition of the bill The evil iB going on in one. -The use of the surplus revenue in the payment of the interest-bearing debt wa.s steadily reducing the amount of bonds available for securicy for bank creasing, and it must increase in the nature of things. It iB that much issues. The banks wel'o being crowded to make theirelection between surren taken out ofthe currency of the country of silver or gold or both, and dering their circulating notes or buying high-premium bonds to secure them. locked up by the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem the notes of the The problem which the Senate undertook to solve was to make it profitable to the banks to keep up the circulation without stopping the payment of the bonds national banks. For the difficulty of the circulation of the national or reducing taxation. banks does not proceed as I supposed from the fact that we are calling It was a queer measure that they finally concocted for this purpose. They in 3 per cent. bonds annually. That iB not the disease which affects i seem to have reasoned that if the banks could only issue 10 per cent. more notes the people. It was suggested by the gentleman from New York [Mr. than now there would be no further difficulty. But there Is every probability \ that the difficulty would by this means be really increased. In the first place, POTTER] that it is a temptation to the holders of those high-priced supposing banks genera.lly to avail themselves of the 10 per cent. increase, the bonds; it iB a temptation to any bank holding the 4 and 4! bonds to amount which would have to be changed when the 3percent. bonds were called would be 10 per cent. greater, and the embarra.ssment in making the change reduce their circulation and bring those within the minimum required \ would also be by so much greater. In the second place the increased demand by the law, which iB $50,000 for the largest bank of the United States, for Government bonds which would doubtless follow from this new privilege of by withdrawing and selling these bonds. They may call in the high issuing notes on them to their par value would advance the price, and this in its turn would tempt to the surrender of the bonds by banks now holding them. priced bonds, that is the 4 and 4! bonds, and when the premium is The radical source of the interference with the circulation would not be re increaaed it iB the strongest possible temptation for the banks to sell moved. The surplus revenue would continue to flow in. The necessity for them for the benefit of their stockholders. That iB one of the great spending it as it gathered would continue to be felt as sharply and steadily as before. Contraction, and, what is the worst feature of it, sudden and arbitrary troubles we have to guard against, and that, in my opinion, will be contraction, would be just as inevitable as ever. increased. It is our judgment that the so-called l'ticPherson bill, so far from being a rem These bonds may go higher, certainly; and in my judgment they will edy for the ills inherent in the present situation, is calculated to aggravate and perpetuate them. The one defect in our system of bank currency-a-nd it is under the operation of the McPherson bill; but, whether they do or a. very grave one-is that, while it is elastic, its movements depend not solely not, the time·is near at baud when no bank in the United States will or principally on the demands of trade, but upon the fluctuations of the bond hold more than $50,000 of them on deposit, which of itself will be a market. Under the infiuence of these there may be contraction when expan sion is needed, or vice versa. The McPherson bill leaves this source of con reduction in the national-bank circulation to the neighborhood of fusion and danger untouched, or may even add to it. What the banks ought to about $100,000,000, instead of$287,000,000 as now. have is a class of bonds to be used as security for their circulation, not liable to That is the whole question that iB presented. It iB not to be de \ great or sudden fluctuations of market value, bearing a fair market rate of in terest, and not subject to disturbance from the Treasury management of the cided now, but you are simply asked whether or not yoo. will fix a. day surplus revenue. That such provision is feasible we have very little question. in the future when these bills may be discussed and some action taken But if the McPherson bill is to be pa.ssed by the House, it is clear that nothing upon them by the House, such as it may deem proper in view of the else will be done this session. \ circumstances. I hope that the House, therefore, will at least give Mr. WILKINS. I now yield two minutes t~ the gentleman from us a day when we may consider either or both of t,hem, or the Ding Iowa [Mr. HENDE.RSON]. ley bill, which I consider of vast importa:nce. Mr. HENDERSON, of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, this resolution does not [Here the hammer fell.] . involve any discussion of the merits of the proposition. The only The SPEAKER. The question is on agreeing to thEt motion of the point for the consideration of the House now is, have we the courage to gentleman from Ohio. take 'Up and discuss a question on which this nation is vitally inter- Mr. CASSIDY. Let us have the yeas and nays. - ested? We have 2, 672 national banks with an aggregate capital of The yeas and nays were ordered, 45 members voting in favor thereof. $189,071,475, and in 1885 721 of these banks will have to surrender The question was taken; and there were--yeas 175, nays 87, not vot- their charters. It appears during the year 1883 the currency was con ing 61; as follows: tracted $9,613,350. During the year 1884 the contraction amounted YEAS-175. to $25,442,aQO, making a total reduction in two years of $35,055,650. Adams, G. E. Dibrell, Keifer, Rockwell, Atkinson, Dingley, Kelley, Rogers, W. F. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Comptroller of the Currency Bagley, Dowd, Ketcham, Rowell, unite in saying there will be an increased contraction of the currency Barbour, Dunham, Lacey, Russell, unless some remedy is speedily adopted, and the question now before Bayne, Elliott, Laird, Ryan, Belmont, Ellis, Lawrence, Scales, the House is, will we set a day when we will bring to bear our wisdom Bennett, Ermentrout, Lewis, Seney, and our courage to meet the pressingnecessitywhich is upon us? My Bisbee, Evans, Long, Seymour. friend from New York [Mr. POTTER], who ha.sjust taken his seat, has Boutelle, Everhart, Lore, Shelley, Boyle, Ferrell, Lyman, Skinner, C. R. his peculiar views; my friend from Michigan [l\Ir. YAPLE] has his pe Brainerd, Findlay, McComas, Smith, A. H. culiar views. This is only to set apart a time when we can meet and Bratton, Finerty, McCormick, Smith,H. Y. discuss all these questions. ' Breitung ,. Follett, Millard, Snyder, Brewer, F. B. Foran, Mitchell, Spriggs, It will not do to put this matter aside orr th:e theory that this legis Brewer, J. H. Funston, Money, Stephenson, lation is in the interest of national banks. That is not true. The cur Broadhead, George, Morrill, Stevens, rency that is in every man's pocket, whether he be rich or poor, demands Brown, W. W. Goff, Morse, Stewart, J. W. Browne, T. 1\I. , Hammond, Murphy, Stone, legislation, and demands it now. Be it temporary or permanent, we Buckner, Hanba.ck, Murray, Strait ought to have the courage and the wisdom to set down a day to dispose Burleigh, Hancock, Mutchler, Struble, of these matters, which involve not only the commercial interests gen Cabell, Hardeman, Neece, Talbott, Caldwell, Hardy, Nel~on, Taylor, E. B. erally, but the interest of every man in this nation. I say let us fix Campbell, J. E. Harmer, Ochiltree, Taylor, J. D. ' upon a day when we shall be able to meet the question squarely and Campbell, J. l\1. Hatch, H. H. O'Ferrall, Thomas fairly and like men. Candler, Henderson, D. B. O'Hara, Turner, H. G. Cannon, Henderson, T. J. O'Neill, Charles Van Alstyne, The SPEAKER. The gentleman's time has expired. Chace, Hepburn,. Parker, Wadsworth, Mr. WILKINS. I now yield five minute:s to the gentleman from Clay, Hewitt, A. S. Payne, Wait, Missouri [Mr. BUCKNER]. Clements, Hill Perkins, Wakefield, Collins, His~k Peters, Warner, A.J. Mr. BUCKNER. The gentleman from Iowa [Mr. HENDERSON] ha.c; Converse, Bitt, • Phelps, Washburn, stated the true position, or rather the true question before the House. Covington, Hoblitzell, Poland, Weaver, It is not whether we are sure of the wisdom of the proposition known Cox, S. S. Holmes, Post, Wemple, Cox, '\V. R. Hooper, Price, Whiting, as the McPherson bill or of the bill presented by the gentleman from Crisp, Hopkins, Randall, Wilkins, Maine [Mr. DINGLEY] and amended by the· Committee on Banking Culbertson, W. W. Horr, Rankin, Willis, and Currency. That is not the question, but the simple question is Cullen, Howey, Ranney, Wilson. James will Curtin, Hunt, Ray, G. W. Wilson, W. L. whether this Honse set apart a day at the request of the Commit Cutcheon, Hurd, Winans, John tee on Banking and Cunency for the purpose of considering the propo Dargan, James, ~~.Ossian Wise, G. D. sition generally and taking such action as may be necessary in the Davidson, Jeffords, Reese, Wolford, · Davis, G. R. Johnson, Rice, Woodward, premises. For Jllyself I am free to say that the McPherson bill is not Da.vis, R. T. Jordan, Robinson, J. 8. York. acceptable to me at all, and I shall not with my present views vote for Dibble, _ Kean, Robinson, W. E. 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 257 NAY8-87. The SPEAKER pro telnpore. The -Clerk will report the bill. Aiken, Forney, Matson Skinner, T. G. The bill was read, as follows: Alexander, Geddes, ?tliller, J. F. Springer, Anderson, Glascock, Mills1 Stewart, Charles Be it enacted, c!:c., That on and after the passage of this act it shall be unlawful BalJentine, Graves, MorriSOn, Stockslager, for the Secretary of the Treasury to print and issue Treasury not~ of a smaller Barksdale, Green, Moulton, Taylor, J. M. denomination than $5. BJount, Halsell, Muldrow, Thompson, SE:c. 2. That any holder of standard silver dollars or silver certificates may Brecki nridge, Hatch, W. H. Nicholls, Throckmorton, deposit the same with the Treasurer or any assistant treasurer of the United Buchanan, Henley, Oates, Tillman, States, in sums of not less than $10, and receive therefor silver certificat~ ·of the Budd, Herbert, O'Neill, J. J. Townshend, denomination, at the option of the holder, of$1, S2. or S5: Pro17ided, That noth Burnes, Hewitt, G. W. Patton, Tully, ing in this act shall be construed to interfere with the issuing of silver certifi Carleton, Holman, Payson, Turner, Oscar cates in Qther denominations, as now authorized by law. Cassidy, Houseman, Peel, Van Eaton, Ch~rlmers, Jones, B. W. Pierce, Wallace, Mr. COOK. :Mr. Speaker, I think there should be some explanation Clardy, Jones, J. H. Potter, Ward, J Cobb, Jones, J. K. Pryor, Warner, Richard of this bill, and for that purpose I demand a second. Cook Jones, J. T. Pusey, Wellborn, Mr. LACEY. I ask unanimous consent that a second may be taken ( Cosg;ove, Kleiner, Reagan, Williams, as ordered. Culberson, D. B. Lamb, Riggs, Winans, E. B. Davis, L. H. Lanham, Rogers, J. H. Wood, There was no objection, and a second was considered as ordered. Dockery, Le Fevre, Rosecrans, Worthington, The SPEAKER pro telnpore. The Chair will recognize the gentle Dunn, Lowry, Shively, Yaple. man from Michigan for fifteen minutes, and the gentleman from Iowa Eldredge, McMillin, Singleton, for the same length of time in opposition. NOT VOTIN~l. .Mr. LACEY. Mr. Speaker, the effect ofthis bill ifit becomes a law Adams, J. J. Ellwood, Libbey, Spooner, may be briefly stated as follows: It will gradually retire all Treasury J Arnot, English, Lovering, Steele, Barr, Fiedler, McAdoo, Storm, notes below the denomination of $5, and the amount so retired will be I Beach, Fyan, McCoid, Sumner, C. A. reissued in notes of larger denominations under the provisions of ex Belford, Garrison, Maybury, Sumner,D.H isting law. Bingham, Gibson, Miller, S. H. · Tucker, Blackburn, Greenleaf, ?tlilliken, Valentine, Its further effect will be to exchange the present large silver cer Blanchard, Guenther, Morgan, Vance, tificates for others of a smaller denomination, to wit, for one, two, and Bland, Hart, Muller, Weller, five dollar notes. It will not change the present volume of either Bowen, Haynes Nutting, White,J. D. Brumm, Hemphill, Paige, White. Milo Treasury notes; silver dollars, m· silver certificates. It will eventually Campbell, Felix Holton, Pettibone, Wise, J. S. utilize silver coins or their representative certificates for the entire cir Connolly, Houk, Robertson, Young. culation below the denomination of $5. Deuster, Hutchins, Shaw, Dorsheimer, Kellogg, Slocum, The present silver certificates are of large denominations, the lowest Eaton, King, .Smalls, being $10 and the highest $1,000. They are too large for the use of the So (two-thirds voting in favor thereof) the motion was agreed to. great mass of people in the current daily transactions of life. For this During the roll-call the tbllowil;lg proceedings took place: reason they flow int.o the banks, from the banks into the. custom Mr. THOMAS. .Mr. Speaker, I desire to record my vote in the houses, and thence back into the Treasury·ofthe United States. affirmative. I did not respond to my name on the first roll-call- About one hundred millions of notes and coins of the denominations Mr. HISCOCK. Was the gentleman's name called on the second of one and two dollars are now necessary for the convenience of our roll-call? people; and by employing silver or its representative certificates ex Mr. THOMAS. I desire to say that my name was not called on the clusively within this field th'lt large sum can be diverted from the second roll-call and I did not vote on the first. I was standing here great channels of trade. These smaller denominn.tions, Mr. Speaker, ready to respond to my name, but it was not called. of one and two dollar notes are seldom if ever deposited in banks, but The SPEAKER pro telnpore (Mr. SPRINGER in the chair). The Chair unfortunately the silver certificates are issued in large denominations, is informed that some one on the first roll-call responded to the name nothing less than $10. The result is that for domestic use, for thecur of the gentleman from illinois [Mr. THOMAS]. He was, therefore, re rent transactions of daily life, the silver certificates are too large. For corded as having voted in the negative, and his name was not called instance, if a farmer takes a load of grain to market he may be paid in on the second roll-call. He states that he was listening in order tore silver certificates, but there being none of these notes smaller than $10 spond to his name on that call. It seems to the Chair, therefore, that he is unable to take them home to prosecute the business which it is under these circumstances the gentleman is entitled to the right of there necessary to transact-to pay his laborers, to settle small trans having his name recorded. actions with his neighbors, or to be used as pocket-money. The con The Clerk will call the name of the gentleman from illinois. sequence is he goes to the bank and exchanges these silver certificates The roll-call was resumed and concluded as above. for smaller notes. Mr. HENDERSON, of Iowa. I ask unanimous consent that the read- The bank on the morrow, desiring to make its aecount good in New ing of the names be dispensed with. York or Chicago, immediately selects these silver certificates (as they Mr. WILKINS. I object. do not count upon its reserve) to forward to those commercial centers. The Clerk recapitulated the names of those voting. They are forwarded to Chicago, New York, Boston, or New Orleans, The SPEAKER pro telnpore. The Clerk will now read the pairs. where custom-houses are situated; they go _into the banks there; they The following members were announced as being paired on all polit- can not be counted as part of the reserve of these banks, consequently ical questions until further notice: they are the very first thing selected with which to pay United States Mr. Cllfi>BELL, of New York, with Mr. HOOPER. customs duties. The result is shown in the report of the Treasurer of the Mr. ARNOT with Mr. BELFORD. United States. It is there shown that during the last two years and Mr. KING with Mr. MILLER, of Pennsylvania. four months 25.6 per cent. of the customs duties paid in the city of New Mr. STORM with Mr. BRUMM. York (and nearly all our customs duties are there paid) were paid in silver Mr. BLAND with Mr. VALENTINE. certificates~ It is further shown that during the last twelve months Mr. YOUNG with Mr. liABMEB. 28.8per cent. of the customs duties in New York city were paid in silver Mr. FIEDLER with Mr. STEELE. certificates. It is shown tha_t during the month of October last 32.1 Mr. MAYBURY with Mr. JOHNS. WISE. per cent. of these customs duties were paid in these silver certificates. Mr. PAIGE with Mr. SPOONER, until December 17. Notwithstanding the fact that we have about one thousand eight The following were announced as being paired on all political ques- hundred and six millions of circulation altogether in this country, and tions for this day: that the circulation of silver certificates on the 1st. day of October waa Mr. McADoo with Mr. RUSSELL. but $96,491,251, being only 5.3 per cent. of our total circulation, yet Mr. MULLER with Mr. LIBBEY. 32.1 per cent. of the customs dutiesofthe United States received at the :Mr. VANCE with Mr. BINGHAM. New Yorkcustom-housewerepaid in these silver certificates; and that, :Mr. ENGLISH with Mr. HouK. toO, chiefly on account of the fact that these certificates are of such Mr. ADAMS, of New York, with Mr. BOWEN. large denominations. Mr. WELLER with Mr. HOLTON. lflr. HISCOCK. Will the gentleman allow me to ask him a question? The result of the vote was then announced as above recorded. Mr. LACEY. Certainly. Mr. HISCOCK. Is what the gentleman is now stating not due to ISSUE OF TREASURY NOTES AND SILVER CERTIFICATES. the fact that silver is relatively cheaper than gold? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The call rests with the Committee on Mr. LACEY. It is not, and for this reason: The holder of a silver Coinage, Weights, and Measures. certificate knows that to-day a silver dollar or its representative is equal Mr. LACEY. Mr. Speaker, I am instructed by the Committee on in purchasing and debt-paying power to a gold dollar, not on aecount Coinage, Weights, -and Measures to move to suspend the rules to take ofthe intrinsic value of the silver dollar, but because the Treasury of the from the Honse Calendar the bill (H. R. 7232) to prohibit the issue of United States, which is the great national clearing-house, conducts its Treasury notes of less denomination than five dollars, and to provide for affairs upon the theory that gold is the real sliandard of value in this the issue of one, two, and five dollar silver cetificates, and put the same country. The effect is precisely the same as though silver was ~change upon ita passage. able at the United States Treasury fo~ gold, at par of its coinage value. XVI-17 - 258 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 15, \ Just so long as the Treasury of the United States treats gold as the correctly and permanently settle this great problem? I sincerely be real standard, ::m.d the money of account; so long as it uses gold in set lieve this to be the wisest policy, but I am morally certain that no such tling its daily balances in New York; so long as the Government uses measure can become a law during the life of the present Congress. I gold in paying the principal of its called bonds; so long as it uses gQld accept the inevitable, and propose the present bill as likely to put off in paying the interest on the public debt; so long as it uses gold tore the evil day and protect us from overwhelming disaster until another deem its greenbacks; just so long as the Treasury is able to do these Congress can assemble and deliver us. things, -so long will the silver certificate be worth to th~ holder 10(} Table showing increase of silver in the United States Treasury. cents Em the dollar. Therefore, knowing this, the holder of the e cer tificates does not precipitate them into the Treasury because of their lesser value, but because they a:re of too large denominations for the Date. Gold. Silver. ordinary domestic transactions of life, too large to be used as the pocket money of the people. Per cent. Per cent. When I introduced this bill I had in it a section which -called for the 9.8 6.5 suspension ofthe coinage of the Bland dollar. But the Committee on !:~t:~~~~ ~: }~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::· :::::::::::::::::::: :: g 17.0 Coinage, Weights, and Measures struck out that section, and the bill as September 30, 1879...... ••.....•...... 76.2 23.8 it stands to-day is the unanimous report of every member of the com 36.7 35.3 mittee; and on that committee we have men of every shade of opinion i:~~~~~ ~: i!it:::::::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~:! 44.6 those who believe -in a standard of gold alone, those who believe in a 41.5 I standard of silver alone, and those who believe in bimetallism-and ~g~::~~ ~ : 1: !:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ~ ~ 44.6 ( every man on that committee, from the chairman down, is in favor of ~ this bill as reported. · And why? Simply becau e every man, no mat Table shQtoing proportions of world's production of gold and silver. ter what his opinion may be as to the coinage of the Bland dollar, be •\ lieves that silver should and must be utilized for the purposes of subsid Average yearly productiQP. All Average · iarycoinage and for the current daily transactions of life. the world Semi-decades . !------,,------!Proportion. price of over it must be so. And this bill, Ur. Speaker, provides for precisely silver. • that and nothing more. It utilizes the silver dollar, or its representa Gold. Silver. tive silver certificate, for the pocket-money of the people, for the current daily transactions of1ife in this country. 1852-1856 ...... , .•...... $145,000,000 $40, 500, 000 100to 28 Now, whether we suspend the coinage of legal-teniler silver or not, 1857-1861...... 127,184,000. 41,220, 000 100 to 32 1862-1866...... • 123, 843, 000 49, 755,000 100 to 39 this bill ought fu ·pass. I am one of those who believe that the further 1867-18iL...... 123, 251, 000 53,115,000 100 to 43 coinage at this time of the Bland dollar will bring us into great danger. 1872-1876...... 111, 383, 750 69, 490, 682 100 to 62 If, with the present coinage, 32' per cent. of the customs duties are now 1877-1878...... 113, 892, 085 78, 338,158 100 to 69 1879 ...... •...... 105, 365, 697 81 ' 0.'37' 220 100 to 77 paid in silver, before another Congress shall assemble and enact and 1880 .•...•...... ••....•...... •...... 106, 346, 786 96,704,978 100 to 90 put in operation a law to suspend the coinage of silver, more than 50 1881 ...... •.••...... 107' 202, 733 102, 309, 675 100to 95 per cent., ay, I believe a much larger percentage of our customs duties 1882 ...... 103, 161, 532 109, 446, 595 100 to 106 than that will be paid in silver certificates. L883 ...•..•..•.••••.•...•.••••••••.•••••••• 94,000,000 114, 000,000 100 to 120 When we remember that the Treasury has been gaining silver and *Pence per ounce in London. losing gold steadily ever since we commenced the coinage of the standard GOLD VALUE OF STANDARD SILVER DOLLAR. dollar in 1878; when weremember·thatonthe 30thofSeptember, 1877, Cents. only 6.5 per cent. of the coin in the Treasury was silver, and that on February 28,1878 (date of passage of Bland bill) ...... 93. 46 the 30th of last September the percentage of silver ha~ increased to March 12,1884 ...... ••.•.. , •••....••..•...... ••....•...•...... •....•..•....•.•..•.•..•.••..••.•.••...... 87.5 -44.6 per cent., we cannot but be apprehensive that we areapproa~hing December 12, 18&!······ ...... •...... 83. 81 \ with accelerating pa~e a time when the Treasuty of the United States How much time have I remaining? must ofnecessity be forced to abandon its attempt to maintain gold as The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan [Mr. the aetual standard, and must begin using silver as the money of ac LACEY] has seven minutes of his time remaining. count. This will bring about the settlement of the daily balances at Mr. LACEY. I reserve the remainder of my time. the New York Clearing-House in silver; it will bring about the pay Mr. COOK. I yield :five minutes to the gentleman from Indiana ment of the principal of the public debt in silver, the payment of the [Mr. BROWNE]. interest on the Government bonds in silver, the redemption of the green Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. This is a proposition to withdraw from back in silver; and thus the whole superstructure of currency in this circulation all Treasury notes of denominations less than $5 and sub countrywilldescend to a silver standard based upon the Bland dollar, stitute for them silver certificates of equal or like denominations. I worth but 83.8 cents. This would retire $557,000,000 of gold coin from believe the time is at hand when unless we suspend the coinage of the "Circulation and cause such a contraction of the currency as would pros .silver dollar it will constitute the only metal currency of ~ur people. trnte all the commercial affairs of this country. We have been able to maintain it at par with gold simply because, 8(} Mr. Speaker, I regret that the temper of this Honse, as shown at its far as it has circulated at all, we have absorbed it at home. When last session during the consideration of the bill to retire trade-dollars, ever it goes abroad, whenever it becomes necessary that it be sent out precludes the expectation of the passage of any measure suspending the of the country, it must be subjected to a discount. That discount, by enforced coinage of the Bland dollar. I greatly fear that we are drift. its reflex action, will operate upon us, and we shall :find that we have ing into a monetary condition from which our successors will :find it a what is now not ascertained by our experience, a cheaper currency than difficult matter to deliver us. We have undertaken single-handed to either gold or paper; and I think all experience has shown that where atem a tide which is submerging the whole commercial world. We there are· currencies of unequal value, all bnsiness is done by th• aeem to be so intent on making a market for the silver bullion of our· cheaper. bonanza princes that we fail to notice the dangers which beset our path Unless ·we now, at least temporarily, suspend the coinage of the sil yray. The relative production of silver is steadily increasing, while its ver dollar, gold will disappear from circulation; it will becomewhatit use as coin is as steadily decreasing. once was-simply an article of merchandise, upon which the gold gam Iri 1878, when we began the coinage of the Bland dollar, the world's blers will again begin their business in the money centers. So I think .product ofgold bullion was $114,000,000, while in 1883 it was but 94,- the very first thing we ought to do is to provide for a suspension of the 000,000. In 1878 the world's production of silver bullion was only $78,- coinage of the silver dollar, or provide at least that it shall not longer be 000,000, while in 1883 it advanced to $114,000,000. In addition to this obligatory on the part of the Secretary of the Treasury to ooi!l so much we see all the great commercial nations slowly turning their backs upon per month. I am a bimetallist, but would have all dollars of equal iilver and preparing to adopt a gold standard. To-day bnt three coun value, so they will float together in our commerce. All dollars should tries are coining legal-tender silver in any quantity worthy of mention, be legal-tenders and worth the full sum of 100 cents. to wit, India., Mexico, and the United States, and both India and Mex But why should we withdraw from circulati9n the Treasury note? ico long since adopted the silver standard. All this tends to show that Is it to compel silver to circulate? If we desire to put silver in circu the continued coinage of legal-tender silver in this country must at lation why not suspend the use of bills of any description of a lower laBt result in our adopting the silver standard and taking our place denomination than $5, and compel the country to do its business on among the third and fourth' rate p{)wers of the earth, so far, at least, this depreciated money? If we force it into circulation its use will a. as relates to our monetary affairs. ~• matter of course tend to keep up its price. Why, sir, when we commenced coining the Bland dollar its bullion But if a change is to be made at all I would prefer that we should value was 93.46 cents; -to-day it is wort.h hut 83.81 cents. How long, ·continue the circulation of Treasury notes of these lower denomina I ask, must we continue on this road to bring it to a parity with gold? tions and put by their side silver certificates of the denominations of Have we not tried this method long enough? Would it not be wiser one, two, and :five dollars. The country needs these smaller denomi to try a suspension of its coinage, for a time at least, and see whether nations of money. There is a demand for them. There is scarcely a such a course will not lead to an agreement among the great powers of Representative on this floor who has not been importuned by his con Europe and America which shall lead to the free coinage of both gold stituency to see that more of this character of. currency is put afloal. and silver upon a common ratio between the two metals, and thus Not long ago I introduced into this Honse a bill providing for there- 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 259 issue of $10,000,000 of fi:actional currency; and I believe that ought cates in denominations of $1 and $2, if those opposed to silver would to be done. At least it is important that we shall continue in the frankly admit that there is tO-day ninety-six million of silver dollars hands of tlie people (for the wants of business require it) the one and in the Treasury of the United States in circula~ion among the people two dollar bills already in circulation; and I would be willing to add of the country through the medium of these silver certificates, then I to them an equal volume of currency of like denominations in the form . would have no objection to' the bill. But the effect of the bill when it of silver certificates based upon silver deposits. I protest that there becomes a law will be to place an additional amount of silver certifi is no occasion for retiring these smaller bills, this favorite and neces cates in circulation, leaving the metal itself to· accumulate in the sary currency of the people. Treasury, thus furnishing an argument at the same time to gentlemen [Here the hammer fell.] who will not treat the question fairly that silver will not circulate Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, tam not opposed to the coinage of silver, among the people. I fear that its passage· will mean the practical de but, on the contrary, am in favor of its unlimited coinage. I am op monetization of the standard dollar, that it will drive all of the silver posed to this bill simply because it proposes to retire from circulation out of circulation. ( greenbacks and substitute something of a different character-some I undertake to say, Mr. Speaker, that there is no form of paper thing not a legal tender. I would not be opposed to the. bill if it sim money issued by the Government of the United States which is of ply provided for the issue of these silver certificates without interfer higher character than that of these silver certificates. They are far ing -..vith the greenbacks. The provision of this bill inhibiting the preferable to any mere promise to pay, because every dollar of silver future printing of Treasury notes of a less denomination than $5 would certificates has intrinsic value behind it. On the lowest estimate be eventually retire from circulation the legal-tender currency of this hind every dollar of the silver certificate there is to-day 92 per cent. of country below that denomination. · intrinsic value. In case of panic, in case of war, there never could be Mr. LACEY. I would like to ask the gentleman a question. Under any depreciation of silver certilicates below that sum, because in the this bill, will not a person have the choice between a legal-tender silver bullion markets of the world this silver pledged for the redemption of dollar and its representative certificate; and is not a legal-tender silver the silver. certificates would command 90 per cent. Everybody knows, dollar just as good as a legal-tender greenback? in the case of a crisis, in the case of a foreign war, it is the universal Mr. COOK. That is true so far as concerns the silver dollar; but it rule for the metals to appreciate in value, whereas your mere promises does not apply to your silver certificate. If a man has a debt of less to pay, your greenback circulation, as we have seen during the late war than $5 to meet, his creditor may refuse to accept the silver certificates, depreciated as low as 35 cents on the dollar. Yet gentlemen will under and then he must go and obtain the silver dollars. In addition to this, take to say a silver certificate or the silver dollar itself is not a better to the value of the bullion in it, the silver dollar or certificate is more form of money than these greenback promises to pay. Why, sir, it is costly than the greenback dollar. the money of the Consti tntion, it is the money of the fathers, and I say I believe, 111r. Speaker, that the only remedy for the present diffi that any legislation which seeks to displace it in this country should culties in the currency lies in our adopting a currency that shall be in not be enacted by this House. The true theory is to discontinue the all denominations a legal tender. I am in favor primarily of a legal issue of all paper money below bills of $5, leaving the small transac tender currency as against silver certificates and against bank issues of tions of the people to be conducted in silver-the hard metal itself. all characters. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired. One of the principal elements of strength in money, as i~is one of its Mr. LACEY. I ask whether the time assigned to the opposition has highest functions, is its debt-paying power. A knowledge that the been exhausted. I money I have will at all times canc~l my obligations gives me confi The SPEAKER pro templYre. It has. ! dence in it and goes far toward making its purchasing power stable. Mr. LACEY. Then I will yield two minutes to the gentleman from / The Supreme Court having settled the doctrine of our right to. issue Ohio (1\Ir. WARNER). I legal-tender currency, it is only a question of time when Congress will Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I consider the most impor accept the doctrine that all the currency of the country must be issued tant question before this House, or before Congressatthis session, to be and its volume controlled by the Government, and that it must be a some measure to prevent a contraction of the volume of money. There full legal tender for all debts, public and private. The sooner we come is one feature of this bill which should be well understood, and if my io this the sooner \vill .we have a stable and permanent money. understanding ofit be correct I have no objection to the bill. And that I know that nine-tenths of you deride us Greenbackers, but the Su feature is this: that as the one and two dollar notes are canceled there preme Court-the most conservative body in the land-has been con sh~ be a reissue of a like amount in five, ten, or other denominations nrted, and necessity with the logic of events and time will bring you· of United States notes, so that ther~ shall be no possibility of a con all to it. traction of the total volume of tne circulation. With the understand Mr. LACEY. The gentleman understands, I presume, that the -one ing that this is the meaning of the bill, then the substitution of the dollar and two-dollar notes which may be retired under this bill are to silver=certificates of one and two dollars in place of one and two dol be reissued in other denominations, so that there will be no contraction lar greenbacks is not to me objectionable. I see no reason why tha\ ef the greenback currency. should not be done, provided the total volume of money is not reduced. }fr. COOK. It is probable that under existing laws higher denomi Its effect would be simply to mobilize the use of silver, by authorizing nations would be issued to take the place of those retired, but the hasty these silver oortificates to circulate in place of the metal itself, in de examination I have been able to give this bill (I had no knowledge nominations of one and two dollars, as well as in tens and twenties, as ef ita coming up) leaves me in doubt on this. Certainly, however, it now. Silver coin will probably not circulate any more than now, and :Jetires all our legal-tender currency of small denominations, and to that perhaps no less than now. I can not see that this bill will make any I am opposed. change in tbatregard. Itis.amatterofconvenienceto havesmallnotea It seems so inexplicable to me that while everybody is satisfied with of some .kind, but whether greenbacks or silver certificates is not very Mtr greenback currency, and it circulates in preference to even gold ~terial. But I have an amendment which! desiretooffertothebill. itself, and costs the Government much less than any other money, yet The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.· here among those who ought to be its friends it is subject to constant Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. Let me present my amendment. It is as menace and attack. It will take care of itself if only yon will let it follows: Add tothe end of the bill the following: "Nor the reduction alone. If you want silver certificates, all right; let them stand by the of the total volume of United States notes;" so that if adopted the pro tide ofthegreenback dollar; it has demonstrated its superiority in the viso in the bill will then read: past. We Greenbackers have confidence in its future; if you will per ProtJided, Nothing in this act shall be construed to interfere with the issutn~r ais\ in doubting, stand by and be convinced. I yield to the gentleman of silver certificates in other denominations as now authorized by law, nor the *om Nevada [Mr. CASSIDY). reduction or the total volume or United States notes. Hr. CASSIDY. Mr. Speaker, I had not intended to discuss this Mr. LACEY. I am perfectly willing to accept that modification of ~uestion; and I take the floor chiefly for the purpose of replying to some the bill. elthe assertions made bythegentleman fromlndiana [Mr. BROWNE]. Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. I think that makes it perfectly safe. In consideringthis subject at this time we aremetwith the same old The SPEAKER pro tempore. It can only be done by unanimous con arguments that have always been presented against silver. It was pre sent. iicted in the beginning that.ifsilver should be remonetized and given Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. Then I ask unanimous consent that the a place among the money metals of the land we would att~ct here all amendment be agreed to. lhe depreciated silver of the Old World and drive out from this country The amendment was again read. all of our gold. Mr. LACEY. I ask unanimous consent that that be inserted as aD The fact is, Mr. Speaker, ever since the remonetization in 1879 we amendment. have attracted to this country from the Old World more than three Mr. HEWITT, of New York, Mr. BAYNE, and others objected. hundred millions of gold, and during the same period we have ex Mr. CANNON. I submit, Mr. Speaker, that the objection bas no ported more than seventy-five millions of silver, contradicting every force, because without the amendment of the gentleman from Ohio the ~rtion and prediction made at the time, and since, by the enemies of law would be precisely as be desires it to be with tbe amendment. llilver; showing also that this metal among the people of this country Mr. HENDERSON, of Iowa. I would ask the gentleman from Ohio ill of equal dignity and of equal value with gold by the people every if he deems that to be trne? where. Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. I do not want to leave a possibility of doubt So far as this 8ill is concerned, authorizing the issue of silver certifi- about it, and hence have proposed this amendment. 260 · CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEl\1BER 15, Mr. HENDERSON, of. Iowa.· Is there reasonable doubt, or is there It meets their approval. I will only add that there is no repealing any question of doubt? clause in the bill, and nothing incre:l8ing or diminishing in any manner Mr. WARNER, of Ohio. The question has been raised already. the volume oflegal-tender notes as now fixed by law. For myself I do not thi.llk the law is susceptible of any other interpre- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The. time for debate on this bill hn.s tation than that put upon it by the gentleman from Iowa himself, that Iexpired. The question is on the motion to suspend the rules and pass · the total volume of greenback circulation can not be reduced. the bill. . Mr. HILL. I would like to ask my colleague a question. Mr. NEECE. I call for the yeas and nays. · The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from .r.fi~iga.n has the The yeas and nays were ordered, 56 members voting therefor-more floor. than one-fifth of the last vote. Mr. HILL. I hope he will yield to me for a question.' The question was taken; and there were-yeas 50, nays 219, no\ I wish to ask my colleague if the passage of this bill will not result voting 54; as follows: in a reduction of the volume of Treasury notes? YEAs---50 . . Mr. TURNER, of Kentucky. Undoubtedly it will. Adams, G. E. Davis,G.R. Horr, Reagan, - Mr. W AR~ER, of Ohio. As the bill stands I do not think it would Alexander, Dowd, Houseman, Rosecrans, Smalls, · myself; but, as I havealreadystated, I would rather place it beyond all t~;sdal~, ~~~~!~· ~ei~:~;·H· Stew~trt, Charles }leradventure, and hence have offered the amendment. Blackburn, Fyan, Kleiner, Stone. - Mr. LACEY. Mr. Speaker, how much time have I remaining? BreitungF Glascock, Lacey, Tillman, Van Eaton, I The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ge~tleman has three minutes. ~~:d';;:-~, ·B. ~~~k, ~~:~~g. Wadsworth, ' Mr. LACEY. I only yielded two minutes of my time to the gentle- Cannon, Hart, Miller,J.F. Washburn, man from Ohio. Chace, Hatch,H.H. Money, White, J.D. i · The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio returned the 8~f~~~. w. w. ~:~'ft~~- w. ~'f~:ow, Wilson, W. L. floor to the gentleman, and the Chair must consider these interruptions Cutcheon, Holman, PerJOns, as coming out of the time belonging to the gentleman from Michigan. NA ys-219• -· Mr. LACEY. I did not consent that such interruptions should be Aiken, Dunn, Lowry, Seymour, taken out of my time. Anderson, Eldredge, Lyman, Shelley, The SPEAKER P'I'O. tempore. If there be no objection, the gentleman Atkinson, Elliott,· McComas, Shively, from Michigan will be recognized for five minutes. Bagley, Ermentrout, McCormick, Singleton, Ballentine, Evans, McMiUin, Skinner, C. R. There was no objection. Bayne, Everhart, :Matson, Skinner, T. G. · Mr. LACEY. I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Beach, Ferrell, Millard, Smith, A. H. Belmont, Findlay, l't:Iilliken, Smith, H. Y. Island (.Mr. CHACE]. . Bennett, Finerty, · Mills, Snyder, Mr. CHACE. One can hardly discuss with any satisfa~tion such a Bisbee, Forney, Mitchell, Spriggs, question within the limits of three minutes, but there are two or three Blount, Funston, Morrison, Springer, propQSitions that I desire to state to the House before action is taken Boutelle, Geddes, Morse, Stephenson, Boyle, Goff, Moulton, Stevens, upon this bill. It embraces no great seminal principle. I wish it did. Brainerd, Green, Murphy, Stewart,J. W. I wish it might have in some degree provided for a. suspension of the Bratton, . Greenleaf', Murray, Stockslager, coinage of silver or for a suspension of the circulation of it for a. time. Brecki nridge, Guenther, l\lutchler, Stroit, Brewer,J.H. Halsell, Neece, Struble, I have grave doubts in my own mimi in regard to it, but have con Broadhead, Hammond, Nelson, Sumner, C. A. cluded to support the bill, and for these reasons, as the law stands at Browne, T. M. Hancock, Nicllolls, Talbott, present, the result is to force the circulation of silver upon the people Brown,W.W. Hardeman, Nutting, Taylor, E. B. Buchanan, Harmer, Ochiltree, Taylor,J. D. of this country. It is inconvenient and bulky and the people reject it. Buckner, Hatch,W.H. O'Ferrall, Taylor, J. M. Now, in so far as that objection exists to silver, this bill affords some Budd, Hemphill, O'llara, Thomas, :amelioration. It is simply a matter of convenience for the people. It Burleigh, Henderson, D. B. O'Neill, Charles Thompson, Burnes, Henderson, T. J. O'Neill,J.J. Throckmorton, ·gives them the paper repr.esentative of the dollar; the paper dollar Cabell, Henley, Parker, Townshend, 'itself instead of the heavy, bulky silver dollar. This paper will be Caldwell, Hepburn, Patton, Tully, '-worth, just as the dollar itself is worth, only 83 cents on the dollar. Campbell, J. E. Hewitt, A. S. Payne, Turner,II. G. Campbell,J.M. Hill, Payson, Turner, Oscar ·Therefore, in that respect, the situation is not changed. Carleton, Hiscock, Peel, Van Alstyne, · So far as regards the question as between bimetallism and monomet Cassidy, Bitt, Pierce, Wait, ·allism there is no change. My own judgment, however, is that the Clardy, Hoblltzell, Peters, Wakefield, Clements, Holmes, Phelps, Wallace, gentlemen who have spoken upon the other side are mistaken in re Cobb, Hooper, Poland, Ward, ·gard to the effect of this law. I believe it will reduce the greenback Collins, Hopkins, Post, Warner, A. J. ·circulation by just a,s·much as it issues silver certificates. Converse, Howey, "Potter, Warner, Richard Cook, Hunt, Price, Weaver, Now, I desired not to mislead. I will not take ad vantage of any mis Cosgrove, Hurd, Pryor, Wellborn, . apprehension. ·rr I vote for or support this bill I want to be distinctly Covington, James Randall, Wemple, understood as the grounds upon which I do support it. I would not Cox,S.S. Jefio;ds, Rankin, White, Milo to Cox,W.R. Johnson, Ranney, Whiting, · wish to convey any misapprehension or misimpression to the mind of Crisp, Jones,B.W. Ra.y,G.W. Wilkins, any gentleman. It is my belief, therefore, that it will result in a re Culberson, D. B. Jones,J.K. Ray, Ossian Williams, duction of the greenback circulation in the manner that I have stated. Cullen, Jones,J.'l'. Reed, Willis, Curtin, Jordan, Reese, Wilson, James [Here the hammer fell.] Dargan, · Kean, Rice, · Winans, E. B. Mr. LACEY. Mr. Speaker, I mustconfessthat I am somewhatsur Davidson, Kelley, Riggs, Winans, John prised that my friend from Rhode Island should have taken the view Davis,L.H. Ketcham, Robinson, J. S. Wise, G. D. Davis,R.T. L:J.ird, Rockwell, Wolford, that he now takes in reference to the operation of the first section of Deuster, Lamb, Rogers, J. H. Wood, this act. I certainly would .not have introduced the bill nor would I Dibble, Lawrence, Rogers, W. F. Woodward, have voted for it if its effect would be to diminish the volume of the Dibrell, IkFevre, Rowell, Worthington, Dingley, Lewis, Ryan, Yaple, greenback circulation one dollar. I never was clearer on any subject Dockery, Long, Scales, York. in my life than I am on this point, that it will not decrease the vol- Dunham, Lore, Seney, . ume of the greenback circulation in any degree. I am perfectly will NOT VOTING--54. ing, however, to accept the amendment of the gentleman from Ohio, Adams, J. J. Ellis, Libbey, Shaw, which will settle the matter beyond controversy, if I am permitted to Arnot, Ellwood, , , 1\IcAdoo, Slocum, do so, and only regret that it is not in the origina.l bill. Barbour, English, McCoid, Spooner, Belford, Fiedler, Maybury, Steele, When we come to consider that the volume of greenbacks is now Bingham, Garrison, Miller, S. H. Storm, fixed by law at $34'6,000,000; that the Secretary of the Treasury is Blanchard, George, :Morgan, Sumner, D. H. daily retiring the ones and twos, and issuing fives in their place; re Bland, Gibson, Morrill, Tucker, Bowen, Graves, Muller, Valentine, tiring tens and issuing twenties, and vice versa, under the present law, Brumm, Haynes, Paige, Vance, -and thus changing the amount-in circulation of each denomination every Campbell, Felix Holton, Pettibone, Weller, day in the year, I would like to know how a simple provision of law Clay, Honk, Pusey, Wise,J.S. Connolly, Hutchins, Robertson, Young. that he is not to issue any more one or two dollar notes is going to re Dorsheimer, Kellogg, Robinson, W. E. - . duce the volume of the currency or prevent the issuance of fives or tens Eaton, King, Russell, or other denominations in place of the ones and twos thus retired. So (two-thirds not having voted in the affirmative) the rules were Mr. CHACE.. Because this bill provides for the substitution of silver not suspended. certificates for greenbacks of small denominations. On motion of Mr. LORE, by unanimous consent, the reading of the 1\l.r. LACEY. It does not provide in terms for the substitution of names of members voting was dispensed with. silver certificates for greenbacks. The first section says it shall not be The result of the vote was then announced as above stated. lawful after the passage of the act to ~ue Treasury notes of a smaller 4enomination than $5; and a subsequent section says that the Treasury LEAVE TO PRINT. may issue silver certificates of the denomination of one, two, or five dol By unanimous consent, leave was given to Mr. CHACE, to Mr. CooK, lars. .I have consulted with the Treasurer of the United States and and to Mr. LACEY to extend in the RECORD their remarks ori the bill with the Director of the Mint, and they make no objection to this bill. just voted upon . .. , • 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 261 MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. To ~:Ir. KING, for this week, on account of important business. A message from the Senate, by Mr. McCooK, its Secretary, informed To Mr. VANCE, indefinitely, on account of illness in his family. the House that the Senate agreed to the concurrent resolution of the To Mr. BAYNE, indefinitely. House of Representatives, that the President of the Senate, together To Ur. BEACH, tor the remainder of the day, on account of sickness with a committee of thirteen Senators to be appointed by him, and the in his fa.mily. Speaker of the House, together with one Representative or Delegate ORDER OF BUSINESS .. from each State and Territory in the Union, to be selected by him, be The SPEAKER p ro tempore. The next committee entitled to sub I requested to attend at the Executive Mansion on Tuesday, the 16th mit a motion to suspend the rules is the Committee on Rivers and instant, at 12.30 p. m., to witness on behalf of the Congress of the Harbors. / United States the opening of the World's Industrial and Cotton Cen 1\lr. NICHOLLS. I move that the House do now adjourn. tennial Exposition at New Orleans by the President, and to adopt and The question being taken on the motion of Mr. NICHOLLS, there forward thereto such address of congratulation as may seem appro were-ayes 103, noes 86. priate to the occasion. Mr. WILLIS. I call for tellers. The message further announced that the Senate had passed bills of Mr. WHITE, of Kentucky. I call for the yeas and nays. It is only the following titles; in which the-concurrence of the House was re half past 3 o'clock. quested: The yeas and nays were ordered, 61 voting in favor thereof. A bill (S. 1838) for the erection of a public building at Akron, Ohio; The question was taken; and there were-yeas85, nays 172, not voting A bill (S. 2391) to amend an act entitled ''An act to amend the stat 66; as follows: utes in relation to immediate transportation of dutiable goods, and for YEAS-85. other purposes," approved June 10 ,1880; and Alexander, Davis,L.H. Lore, Smith, A. H. A bill (S. 2393) to change the name of the Slater National Bank of Ballentine, Denster, McMillin, Snyder, North Providence, R. I. Bennett, Dowd, !\!iller, J. F. Spriggs, Blackburn, Eldredge, Mills Stewart, Charles OPENING OF NEW ORLEANS EXPOSITION. Blount, Elliott, Mitchell, Stockslager, The SPEAKER pro tempore. In accordance with the concurrent Brainerd, Findlay, Morrison, Thomas, Breitung, Foran, Mutchler, Throckmorton l resolution which has been adopted by the two Houses the Chair an Broadhead, Goff, Nicholls, Tillman, nounces the following committee on the part of the House to attend at Buchanan, Graves, O'Ferrall, Tully, Buckner, Green, Potter, Turner, H. G .. the Executive Mansion to witness the opening of the World's Indus Carleton, Hancock, Pryor, Turner, Oscar trial and Cotton Exposition by the PreSldent: .Mr. OATES of Alabama, Chace, Hemphill, Randall, Van Alstyne, Mr. ROGERS of Arkansas, Mr. HENLEY of California, Mr. BELFORD of Clardy, Hepburn, Rankin, Van Eaton, Colorado, Mr. SEYMOUR of Connecticut, .Mr. LORE of Delaware, .Mr. Cobb, Hoblitzell, Reagan, Wadsworth, Converse, Holman, R~ese, Wait, DAVIDSON of Florida, Mr. HARDEMAN of Georgia, Mr. HITT of illi Cosgrove, Hurd, Robinson, J. S. Warner, A. J. nois, Mr. MATSON of Indiana, Mr. HENDERSON of Iowa, Mr. PERKINS Covington, Jones,J.H. Rogers, W. F. Wellborn, of Kansas, HALSELL of Kentucky, Mr. ELLIS of Louisiana, Mr. Cox,W.R. Jones,J. T. Scales, Wilkins, Mr. Crisp, Jordan, Seymour, Yaple. DINGLEY of Maine, Mr. COVINGTON of Maryland, Mr. LYMAN of Mas Culberson, D. B. Lamb, Shively, sachusetts, Mr. WINANS of 1\lichigan, Mr. STRAIT of Minnesota, Mr. Culbertson, W. W. Lanham, Skinner, T. G. V .AN EATON of Mississippi, Mr. O'NEILL of Missouri, Mr. GREEN of Dargan, LeFevre, Smalls, North Carolina, Mr. LAIRD of Nebraska, Mr. CASSIDY of Nevada, Mr. NAYs-172. RAY of New Hampshire, Mr. KEAN of New Jersey, Mr. ADAMS of New Adams, G. E. Evans, Ketcham, Robinson, W. E. .York, Mr. PAIGE of Ohio, Mr. GEORGE of Oregon, Mr. BINGHAM of Aiken, Everhart, Laird, Rockwell, Anderson, Ferrell, Lawrence, Rogers, J. H. Pennsylvania, Mr. CHACE of Rhode Island, Mr. HEMPHILL of South Atkinson, Finerty, Le'Yis, Rosecrans, Carolina, Mr. CALDWELL of Tennessee, Mr. THROCKMORTON of Texas, Bagley, Follett, Long, Rowell, Mr. POLAND of Vermont, :Mr. O'FERRALL of Virginia, Mr. GIBSON of Barksdale, Forney, Lovering, Ryan, Bayne, Funston, Lowry, Seney, West Virginia, Mr. RANKIN of Wisconsin, Mr. 0URY of Arizona, Mr. Bisbee, Fyan, JJyman, Shelley, '"RAYMOND of Da~ota, Mr. SINGISE& of Idaho, Mr. MAGIN~IS of Man Blanchard, Geddes, McCoid, Singleton, Boutelle, ana., M1·. MANZL'lARES of New Mexico, ~fr. CAINE of Utah, Mr. George, McComas, Skinner, C. R. Boyle, Glascock, McCormick, Smith, H. Y. BRENTS of Washington, Mr. POST of Wyoming. Bratton, Greenleaf, Matson, Springer, REVENUE-MARINE SERVICE. Breckinridge, Guenther, Milliken, Stephenson, Brewer, F. B. Halsell, Morse, Stevens, Mr. PETERS. I am authorized and directed by the CoDJ.mittee on Brewer,J.H. Hammond, Muldrow, Stewart,J.W. Commerce to move to suspend tlte rules and pass the bill (H. R. 6120) Browne, T. M. Hanback, Murphy, Strait, Brown,W.W. Hardeman, Morray, Talbott, to promote the efficiency of the revenue-marine service. Budd, Harmer, Neece, Taylor, J.D. The bill was read, as follows: · Burnes, Hart Nelson, Taylor, J. ni. Cabell, Hatch, H. H. Oates, Thompson, Be it enacted, &c., That section 2749 of the Revised Statutes be, and the same is Caldwell, hereby, amens;led so as to require the Secretary of the Treasury to place on wait Hatch,W.H. O'Hara. Tucker, Campbell, J. E. Haynes, O'N em,'Charles Vance, ing orders, with waiting-orders pay, all officers of the revenue marine who are Campbell, J. M. or shall be totally disabled for regular duty, or who are or shall be 65 years of Henderson, D. B. O'Neill,J.J. Wakefield, Candler, Henley, Parker, Wallace, age, or who shall have served forty years; and yacancies created by placing Cannon, such officers on waiting orders may be filled by promotions under the provis Herbert, Patton, Ward, Cassidy, Hewitt, A. S. Payne, "\Varner, Richard ions of section 2752 of the Revised Statutes: Provided, That if the disability of any Chalmers, Hewitt, G. W. Payson, officer of the rev~nue marlne be found to be not incident to his service, he may Wo.shburn, Clement-s, Hill Peel, Weaver, in the discretion of the President, be placed on waiting orders, on one-half th~ Collins, pay of his grade, or may be dropped from the rolls, with not exceeding one Hisdock, Perkins, White, J.D. Cook, Bitt Peters, White, l\1ilo year's full pay of his grade. Cox,S.S. SEc. 2. That the President may, by and with the ad vice of the Senate, appoint Hol~es, Pettibone, Whiting, Cullen, Hooper, Pierce, Williams, from the li~t of captains in the revenue-marine service three post- The following additional pairs were announced: in that way by simply multiplying offices and providing additional sal Mr. HENDERSON, of illinois, with Mr. TOWNSHEND, on all political aries in a bill with nothing else to recommend it. I listened as the questions, for the remainder of this day. Clerk read the bill, and I found nothing in it except in lieu of a Com Mr. CLAY with Mr. KELLOGG, for the remainder of the day. missioner of Agriculture it creates a new office of secretary of the de Mr. KLEINER with ~fr. MORRILL, for the remainder of the day. partment of agriculture and an additional salary, and an: additional office Mr. JONES, of Arkansas. I am paired with the gentleman from and salary for an assistant secretary. There are no provisions in the Massachusetts, Ur. RussELL, and therefore withdraw my vote. bill for additional duties to be assigned to these new officers. It simply The result of the vote was announced as above stated. provides for the creation of these new offices and the accompanying sal \ DEPARTXENT OF AGRICULTURE. aries. That is all there is in it. [Laughter.] Heretofore there have been bills on the subject; but those bills added \. The SPEAKER pro tempore. If the Committee on Rivers and Har to the duties of the present Agriculture Bureau, but, as I have already bors has nothing to present, the next committee is the Committee on said, in this case or in this bill we have nothing more than an increase Agriculttrie. . of offices and an increase of salaries. It seems to me, therefore, that it Mr. AIK:E:N. I am instructed by the Committee on Agriculture to is perfectly ridiculous. It is a cheat to talk about this bill being in the move that the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union interest of agriculture. Not a single line is suggestive of any newfield be discharged from the further consideration of the bill (H. R. 1457) to of operation. The old business of gathering seed and distributing it establish a department of agriculture, and that it be now put on its will make up the whole of this. matter. passage. • Now, I trust, Mr. Speaker, that we shall not undertake to pass any The bill was read, as follows: bill creating a new Cabinet. officer unless we accompany it with pro it be . vision giving him additional duties. As suggested by gentlemen on Be enacted, &c. 1 That there shall established in the city of Washington a department of agriculture. my left, if we propose to do nothing more than to create two or three SEC. 2. That there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a secretary of agriculture to preside over said de new offices with additional salaries, it would be far better to take the partment of agriculture, who shall equal in rank and pay the Secretaries now money and with it buy seed in the old manner for general distribu constituting the Executive Cabinet. tion. [Laughter.] SEc. 3. That there shall be appointed by the President., by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an assistant secretary of agriculture, who shall re I reserve the balanceofmytime. [Cries of"Vote !" "Vote!"] I will ·ceive a compensation of $t,OOO per annum, to be paid in monthly installments, yield five minutes of my time first to the gentleman from New York .and wbose official dut-ies shall supersede those of the officer known as the Com (Mr. POTTER]. missioner of Agriculture, which said _office of Commissioner of Agriculture is hereby abolished. Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. I wish the gentleman to yield to me SEC. 4.. That the secretary of agriculture shall appoint a chief clerk of the de for a while. · partment of agriculture, with a salary of $2,500 per annum, to be paid in monthly Mr. BLOUNT. What side are you on? installments, whose duties shall supersede those of the chief clerk of the exist ing Bureau of Agriculture, which said office of chief clerk of the Bureau of Agri Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. Why, I am opposed to the bill. culture is hereby abolished. Mr. BLOUNT. I would be glad to yield to you. SEC. 5. Tha~ the existing Bureau of Agriculture, with all its appurtenances, Mr. POTTER addressed the House. [See Appendix.] save its chief clerk and Commissioner, are hereby transferred to the depart ment of agriculture, to be supervised by the chief clerk and assistant secretary Mr. BLOUNT. I yield now two minutes to thegentlemanfromln of said department. diana (Mr. BROWNE]. SEc. 6. That in addition to the divisions now existing in the Bureau of Agri Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, why not organize a de culture there shall be organized, underthe supervision of thesecretary of agri culture, and in a. manner similar to the organization of the existing divisions, partment of manufactures? That is an industry almost equal in impor a. division of veterinary science, and a division of forest.rr.. tance to thatofagrichlture in this country. Our manufactured prod SEc. 7. That all laws and parts of laws inconsistent With thi American producta are hostilely dealt with by foreign powers-an intel- Government already more than would the expenses of the se<>.retary of ligent head, that will have a tongue in the councils of the Cabinet. agriculture during a Presidential term. Bob Ingersoll said in his remarks last night, I have been told, in Again, sir, during ilhe last session we had a discnssion in this House speakingsneeringlyofChristianity, thatheheardourChaplainpraythat of a week's duration upon the constitutionality of the pleuro-pneumo Congress might have wisdom, and seemed to regard it as an utter im- nia bill; and able lawyers on this floor split hairs so finely upon this possibility that such prayers could be answered. [Laughter.] subject that a microscope would scarcely develop what they were aim- ! believe in the effica I of the people about Washington to teach the farmers anything about priation asked for. .And what was the result? I believe we gave i agriculture. Never do they ask for lessons. Perfect machinery through $150,000. ) I which our products that become national commerce may have dne Sir, if we had a secretary of agriculture receiving the modest salary credit abroad, and let it take the place of the dozen expensive bureaus of $8,000, but invested with the power -granted by this bill, there that now deal with what pertains to agriculture. No step should he should never have been the necessity for this discnssion or the intra taken in any foreign treaty until it:s effect on our producers be intelli- duction of a pleuro-pneumonia bill to this House. It would have been gently determined', and that can not be done to-day. Our fanners have his duty, and would have been one of the details of his office, that interests that are competing with the world to-day. We want a Cabinet there should have been no possibility of the introduction of pleuro officer who comprehends the driftandgrowthofthis competition. We pneumonia into this country. But whatisthefact now? We cannot are competing now with the people of India in reference to the ship- import a hide or a hoof, we can not export a head of cattle that the I ments and sale of our grain. We are competing with Australia and Treasury Department does not send on a lot of gentlemen to examine \ South America in our wool products. Treaties are being made with the importation, some of whom, I dare say,z could scarcely tell the dif reference to these very matters that the Honse has nothing to do with, ference between ·a steer and a jackass. LLaugbter.] Why, sir, the treaties made by the President of the United States with the approval · agricultural interests of this country, great as they are, have cost the J and consent of the Senate, and agriculture bas no bearing there. We Government but little. want a finger in the treaty-making. We want a representative head We expend a vast deal of money here bnyingseed, and, as a practical that will comprehend the whole field. farmer, a man who does not know much else than to farm, I say there v [Here the hammer fell.] is not a grander humbug in the American Union to-day than the ex- Mr. AIKEN. Mr. Speaker, I am as anxious for a vote as the majority penditnre of public money for that purpose. I might go, if I had the of the members of this House, who seem to be impatient, and I donot money, to Peter Henderson, or some other seedsman, and buy up all wish to delay action upqn this measure; but I do desire to say a word his stock of seed and scatter them by a gratuitous system more fairly in response to the remarks of gentlemen opposing this bill. than it is now done. But let there be a bill introduced to take from The gentleman from New York [M:r. POTTER] seems to anticipate a this House the scattering of those seeds, and my friend from Georgia great centralization of power at Washington because of the fact_that we [lt!r. BLOUNT], I have no doubt, would object to it. Has not that thing ask for a secretary of agriculture. Does that gentleman see to-day, be- been fought here during the last eight years? Twice or thrice I have cause there have been created one or more Cabinet positions, any undue myself tried to take it out of the hands of members of Congress and to centralization of power here? Does he not know the fact that under put it into t.he hands of the Commissioner of Agriculture, and on two ourConstitntion-tbereis no suchthingasaCabinetposition? Isbenot or three occasions the majority of this House have voted me down. awarethateveryofficer oftheCabinethas been placed there bystatutory Every man on this fl.gor, nearly, wants to be a seed distributer. legislation and not by constitutional privilege or power? If there were a secretary of agriculture, the office would give char- ! say to the gentleman from Indiana [Ur. BROWNE],· too~ that I am acter, importance, and extended jurisdiction to this department of ag surprised to find him so ignorant of the action of his own State. Within riculture, and it would be what it ought to be, a representative depart the past few years more than 10,000 petitions have passed through the ment of the producers of this country, which now the Agricultural Bu petition-box from the farmers of the United States asking the elevation reau iS not. ofthis department, and I hazard nothing in saying more than five bun- But, Mr. Speaker, I need not go further with this subjectthan to say dred of these petitions have come from the State of Indiana; and, sir, this: Except the English nation there is not a nation in the civilized they were signed, each of them, by from ten to one hundred adult men world that does not have a department of agriculture presided over by and women. - Only within the past two months an organization repre- a secretary of agriculture. Ours is a republican form of government senting thirty-two States of this Union bas sent to the Committee on and I do not like to instance what other nations are doing as examples Agriculture the signatures of several thousand petitioners asking the for us to follow. But it is a praetical question, and if this has been an passage of this bill. advantage to them it would necessarily be so to us. This question has I say, sir, that the people demand this legislation, and they aregoing nothing to do with the centralization of power in the hands of the Fed to have it. If they do not get it now it will come at no distant day. eral Government. It is simply organizing here a department presided The gentleman from Georgia [Mr. BLOUNT] ridicules the bill for- over by a man with a jurisdiction equal to that of any other member sooth because it does not go into details to show what are the duties of of the Cabinet of the President, so that he will look exactly after the this officer. I will tell you what would be one of the duties of this wants-the Federal wants, if you please to call itBO-Qf the farmers of officer, the attempted discharge of which has cost this Government more this country, not their individual wants. There is nothing in this bill during the past six months than the secretary of agriculture will cost proposing to teaeh the farmer how to hold a plow or drive a thrashing in a lifetime. machine or anytbing of that sort. It is simply a bill to give jnrisdic- Mr. Speaker, a few months ago we became complicated witli foreign tion to that great agricultural interest of the country, and have a man nations upon the question of the importation of our meat products. to supervise it as a Federal matter entirely. We were charged with sending to European countries meats that were !IESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. / introducing fatal diseases among the people of those countries who con- Sumed them. And what was our remedy? There was no one to in- A message from the Senate, by Mr. SYMPSON, one of its clerks, in- vestigate this matter. It belonged to the agricultural interests of this formed the House that the President pro tempore had appointed Mr. country, but they had not a friend anywhere to investigate the question LOGAN, Mr. DAWES, Mr. CAMERON of Wisconsin, .Mr. CAMERON of so as to ascertain whether we were really liable to the charge brought Pennsylvania, Mr. HARRISON, l\Ir. MILLER of California, Mr. RID~ against us. DLEBERGER, Mr. PENDLETON~ Mr. BUTLER, 1\!r. VEST, Mr. JONAS, The Secretary of the Treasury ordered an investigation to be-made Mr. SLAT.Im, and Mr. WALKER as the committee on the part of the throughthel\farine-HospitalService. Idonotknowwhateverbecameof Se.nate under the concurrent resolution ofthe two Houses of Congress that order. It cost the Government several thousands of dollars. No to witness on behalf of the Congress of the United States the opening report that I know of was ever made. But the question was considered of the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition at New of sufficient importance to induce the Secretary to issue another order, Orleans by the President on Tuesday, December 16, 1884. this time to .Mr. Nimmo, of the Bureau of Statistics, to make investi- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. / ga.tion of the subject. That involved another expenditure of money, Mr. AIKEN. I yield one minute to the gentleman from California and I hold in my hand his report,- comprising about fifty pages, almost [Mr. BUDD]. the entire contents of which are extracted from the reports issued by Mr. BUDD. In one minute I can add nothing to the remarks of the the Department of Agriculture; the only original idea in the report gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. AIKEN]. I can only do as did being embraced in the statement on the first pageJ "that hogs are the Western man who got religion. When the cold weather came be raised in every State of this Union." [Laughter.] tacked the Lord's Prayer to the wall, and at nights, speedily divesting But, sir, this was not enough, for the President of the UrlitedStates himself of his clothes, he would jump into bed, draw the bedding subsequently thought this international complication of sufficient im- around his chin, and, pointing to the prayer, say, "Oh, Lord, them's my portance to have the charges against us investigated through the State sentiments. Amen.'' So 1, pointing to the speech of Colonel AIKEN, Department, which invoi ved an additional expenditure, far greater say, "Tho e are my sentiments. Amen." Answering the gentlemen than the salary asked for in this bill. - A~ the result of this third in- from Indiana and Georgia,. I wish to state that aU Cabinet offices have quiry a pamphlet, which I hold in my h.md, was issued of one hundred been created in the manner provided for in this bill and afterward the and sixty-nine pages, and almost every word of it taken from there- powers and details provided. It is so here. Create this office, then es ports of the Agricultural Department; fl.nd the House has ordered the ta.blish experimental stations or bureaus and such other machinery nee printing of 60,000 copies of this pamphlet as if it were somethingorigi- essary to carry out its operations and better the condition of our farm nal and new. The prosecution of these investigations has cost the ing classes. 264 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. DECEMBER 15, The farming interest is the· greatest in the United States and is en rant for it in the Constitution. There is no more warrant for this than titled to this recognition, and its interests to the careful consideration for a department of science. of a separate department; and I therefore implore members to cast their Mr. AIKEN. . Let me ask you a question. vote for this measure in behalf of the farming "interests. Mr. COX, of New York. How can I when I have only one minute ltlr. AIKEN. I yield tbe remainder of my time to the gentleman and a half? [Laughter.] from Georgia [Mr. HARDEMAN]. Ur. aiKEN. What warrant in the Constitution was there for the Mr. HARDEMAN. 1\Ir. Speaker, the object of this bill is simply to establishment of any one of these cabinet positions? dignify labor. Our purpose in supporting this measure is to make the Mr. COX, of New York. A good deal as to some of them. The l labor of the country feel that, while the education of the country has Navy Department no doubt could take care of the ram business. t ignored it, the Legislature of the country will come to its rescue. From (Laughter]. · \ the petitions which have been sent here by the laboring people of thP The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time is exhausted. The country, I believe it is their wish that the General Government should question recurs on the motion of the gentleman from South Ca.rolina so legislate as to dignify labor. By doing .this you will make the agri [Mr. AIKEN] to suspend the rules, discharge the Committee of the cultural regions ofthe country the home of an industrious population. Whole House on the·state ofthe Union from the further consideration ' Labor being thus encouraged, people will not be driven to the cities in of the bill, and pass it. search of employment, and for want of it· increase the number of pau 1\f.r. HATCH, of Missouri, demanded the yeas and nays. ' pers or criminals. The yeas and nays were ordered. \ In the short time allowed me I can only indorse every word that has The question was taken; and it was decided in the affirmative-yeas been said by the gentleman from South Carolina. I know that many 166, nays 69, not voting 88; as follows: men in this House say to the country in their stump speeches that YEA8-166. they are the friends of labor; but their votes as recorded here prove Aiken, Elliott, Lamb, Shively, that ''not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Alexander, Evans, Lanham, Singleton, kingdom of heaven.'' (Laughter and applause.] Anderson, Everhart, Lawrence, Skinner. C. R. 'l'ha SPEAKER 1n·o tempore. The gentleman from Georgia (Ur. Atkinson, Ferrell, LeFevre, Smith, H. Y. ( Ballentine, Finerty, Lewis, Snyder, BLOUNT] has five minutes of his time remaining. Barbour, Follett, Lowry, Spriuger, Mr. BLOUNT. In these few minutes I wish to reply briefly to the Barksdale, Forney, McCoid, Stephenson, gentleman from South Carolina (.Mr. AIKEN In the beginning of his Barr, Funston, McComas, Stevens, J. Bayne, Fyan, McCormick, Stewart, Charles speech he rebuked the gentlemanfrom Indiana [Mr. BROWNE] for not Bisbee, Geddes, McMillin, Strait, knowing that the people of Indiana want the Commissioner of Agricult Blanchard, George, Matson, Struble, ure abolished and a ''secretary of agriculture" appointed in his stead. Boutelle, Glascock, ?.lilliken, Talbott, Breitung, Goff, , Mills, Taylor, J.D. Now, Mr. Spea.ke:r, the gentleman from South Carolina. proves his ow:n Drewer, F. B. Green, Money, Taylor,J.M. ignorance by the reference he has made to the petitions on this subject Brewer,J.H. Greenleaf, Muldrow, Thompson, coming here through our petition-box. As a matter of fact, it 'is well Brown,W.W. Guenther, Murray, Throckmorton, Budd, Halsell, Nt*lce, 'rill man, known that tho~e petitions were printed in the city of Washington under Burleigh, Hanback, Nelson, Tully, the direction of the Commissioner of Agriculture, and sent through the Burnes, Hardeman, Nutting, Van Eaton, mails all over the country, to be brought back here with signatures, for Cabell, Harmer, O'Ferrall, Wakefield, Caldwell, Hart, · O'Neill,J.J. · Wallace, the purpose of influencing Congre...c;s. Campbell, J. E. Hatch, H. H. Patton, Ward, \ Mr. AIKEN rose. Candler, Hatch,W.H. Payne, Warner, Richard :M.r. BLOUNT. I do not consent to interruption. I state a matter Cannon, Hemphill, Payson, Weaver, Carleton, Henderson, D. B. Pierce, Wellborn, \ of fact. · Cassidy, Henley, Peel, Wt>mple, :M:r. AIKEN. You can not prove it. Chace, Hepburn, Perkins, White, J.D. Mr. BLOUNT. I can prove it. ~ have been through my district Chalmers, Hewitt, G. W. Peters, White, Milo Clements, Hill, Pettibone, Whiting, for years and have never yet had any farmer ask me to support any Converse, Hitt, Post, Willdns, measure of this sort. But from the time this proposition bas been Cosgrove, Holmes, Price, Williams, broached the Commissioner of Agriculture-the present Commissioner Crisp, Hooper, Pusey, Wilson, .James Culberson, D. B. Horr, - Ray, G. W. Wilson,W.L. as well as other Commissioners-has been about this body and the Sen Cullen, Houseman, Ray, Ossian Winans, E. B. ate Chamber asking that this thing be done. Cutcheon, Howey, Reese, Winans, John Davidson, Jeffords, Riggs, Wood, My friend from South Carolina grows eloquent on the subject of Davis,L.H. Jones, B. W. Robertson, "\>Voodward, pleuro-pneumonia. We bad at the last session a long discussion on Dibrell, Jones,J.H. Rockwell, Worthington, that subject, and if we had had a "secretary of agric:tlture," receiv Dingley, Jones,J. T. Rogers, W.F. Yaple, Dockery, Jordan, Rowell, York. ing the salary of a Department officer without any duties additional to Dowd, Lacey, Seney, those now performed by the Commissioner (for this bill does not pro Dunn, Laird, Shelley, pose to impose on this officer any new duties), we would have had that debate going on still. So in reference to the hog cholera and othe1 NAY8-69. Adams, G. E. Da.vis,G.R. Jones,J.K. Reagan, subjects of that kind which have been under investigation in the in Bagley, Da.vis,R.T. Kean, Rice, terest of agt.icultu1·e. This bill, I repeat, does not confer on this pro Bennett, Deuster, Long, Rogers, J. H. posed secretary of agriculture any greater power than has been exer Blount, Dibble, Lovering, .. Scales, Boyle, Dunham, Lyman, Seymour, cised by- the Commissioner; it does nothing but create this new officer Bratton, Eldredge, Millard, Smalls, with an enlarged salary as the representative of the agricultural in Breckinridge, Ermentrout, Miller, J. F. Stewart,J. W. terests of the country. Browne, T. M. Fbran, Morrison, Thomas, \ Buchanan, Hammond, Morse, Turner, H. G. Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. The gentleman will concede that this Buckner, Hancock, Murphy, Turner, Oscar bill does two thing3-it changes the name of the Commissioner of Cobb, Herbert, Mutchler, Van Alstyne, Agriculture to that of "Secretary of Agriculture," and increases his Collins, Hewitt, A. S. NicholJ.s, Warner,A.J. Cook, Hiscock, Oates, Willis, salary. Cox,S.S. Hoblitzell, Potter, Wise, G. D. Mr. BLOUNT. Certainly it does. And when the rauk and salary Cox,W.R. Holman, Pryor, Wolford, of this officer has been thus increased, we are to have no more pleuro Culbertson, W. W. Hunt, R:mdall, Curtin, James, Rankin, pneumonia and no more hog cholera! That is .the whole argument pre Dargan, Johnson, Ranney, sented here. The bill provides nothing in the way of a reorganization ofthe present bureau-nothing in the way ofimposing additional duties. ·NOT VOTING-88. I trust we are not going to enact the farce of passing this bill. Adams, J. J. English, McAdoo, Skinner, T. G. Arnot, Fiedler, Maybury, Slocum If we are to have a department of agriculture, let the measure be Beach, Findlay, Miller,S.H. Smith,A.H. carefully considered; let the duties of the head of the department be Belford, Garrison, ]>fitchell, Spooner, defined; and let the matter be submitted here in fair debate, so that we Belmont, Gibson, Morgan, Spriggs, Bingham, Graves, Morrill, Steele, may know what we are undertaking to do. Blackburn, Hardy, Moulton, Stockslager, I yield the residue of my time tothegentlemanfromNew York [Mr. Bland, Haynes, :Muller, Stone, Cox]. Bowen, Henderson, T. J. Ochiltree, Storm, Brainerd, Holton, O'Hara, Sumner, C. A. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has Broadhead, Hopkins, O'Neill, Charles Sumner, D. H. one minute and thirty seconds. Brumm, • Houk, Pajge, Taylor,E.B. Mr. COX, of New York. I can not do justice to this thing in one Campbell, Felix Hurd, Parker, Townshend, Cnmpbell,J.M. Hutchins, Phelps, Tucker, minute and a half. [Laughter.] I suppose gentlemen on the othe1· side Clardy, Keifer, Poland, Valentine, of the Honse desire to make a new cabinet plaee in order that it may be Clay, . Kelley, Reed, Vance, .filled ¥e Connolly, Kellogg, Robinson, J. S. Wadsworth, by the incoming administration. It will gi Governor Cleveland Covington, Ketcham, Robinson, W. E. Wait, some trouble. Here is a department that bas ·the regulation of cows Dorsheimer, King, Rosecrans, Washburn, and rams and so on. [Laughter and applause.] How can he fill it? Eaton, Kleiner, Russell, Weller, Will be say he will give it to a New Englander because maple sugar is Ellis, Libbey, Ryan, Wjse,J.S. a larger thing than the oow8lip industry in the Southwest? [Laughter.] ' Ellwood, Lore, Shaw, Young. Now I am Qpposed to any such bill here unless it can show some war- So the bill was passed (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof). 1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 265 During the roll-call the following additional pairs were announced moval of the charge of desertion standing against him on the records of at the Clerk's desk: · the Navy Department-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. MITCHELL with Mr. WAIT, for the remainder of the day. By Mr. DIBBLE: Papers relating to the claim of Sarah Watts-to Mr. SKINNER, of North Carolina., and Mr. 0CHILTREE, on all politi- the Committee on War Claims. cal questions, for t,he balance of this day. By Mr. EVERHART: Petition ofcitizensofDelawareConnty, Penn Mr. STOCKSLAGER and Mr. BRAINERD, fortheremainderoftheda.y. sylvania, favoring the pas...o;;age of the bankruptcy bill-to the Commit Mr. KEIFER and Mr. REED, on this question. tee on t.he ·.rnrliciarv. ) Mr. RYAN and Mr. TUCKER, on this bill. Mr. RYAN would vote for By Mr. FOLLETT: Petition of Richard Nevins, John F. Trentlen, I the bill and Mr. TUCKER against it. e and others, employes of the Honse of Representatives, in reference to The vote was then announced as above recorded. their compensation-to the Committee on Accounts. CONTINGENT FUND POST-OFFICE DEPARTIIENT. By :Mr. FORAN: Petition of leading merchants and manufacturers of Cleveland, Ohio, praying for the enactment of a national bankrupt The SPEAKER pro tempore, by unanimous consent, laid before the law-to the Committee on the Judiciary. · Hoose a. letter from the Postmaster-General, transmitting a statement Also, petition of 160 merchants and citizens of Cleveland, protest of' expenditures of the contingent fund of the Post-Office Department ing against the ratification of the Spanish treaty-to the Committee for the fiscal year ending J nne 30, 1884; which was referred to the Com on Ways and Means. mittee on Expenditures in the Post-Office Department, and ordered to By Mr. GLASCOCK: Petition on behalf of certain Indians belong I be printed. ing to .Mission San Jose, county of Alameda, California-to the Com \ CHANGES IN SHORE LINE AT CALUMET, ILL. mittee on Indian Affairs. \ _The SPEAKER pro tempore, by unanimous consent, also laid before By Mr. GREEN: Petition of certain citizens of Brunswick County, the Honse a. letter from the Secretary of W a.r, transmitting the report of North Carolina, for an appropriation for the improvement of Lock Maj. W. H. H. Benyaurd, CorpsofEngineers, relativetochangeinshore wood's Folly River-to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. line of Calumet, ill.; which was referred to the Committee on Rivers By Mr. D. B. HENDERSON: Petition and letters.ftom citizens of J and Harbors, and ordered to be printed. Dubuque County, Iowa., asking that a pension be granted to Elizabeth J. B. HALE. Crawford-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By .Mr. HOPKINS: Petition of 75 citizens of Massachusetts, mainly On motion of Mr. PETTIBONE, by unanimous consent, leave was bank presidents and insurance companies; also of 200 citizens of the granted for the withdrawal from the files of the Honse of the papers in. same State, reqn~tingthe passage of the resolution ofHon. JAMES H. the case of J. B. Hale. HoPKINS relative to the transportation of cattle-to the Committee on A. L. ROGERS. Commerce. On motion of Mr. PETTIBONE, by unanimous consent, leave was Also, petition relating to the claim of V. H. Reno, and to have same also granted for the withdrawal from the files of the Honse of the papers referred to the Court of Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. in the case of A. L. RogerS. By Mr. JEFFORDS: Petition of George Hay, ofWilliam L. Rogers, FRANK G. STEVENS. of William L. Carnell, of Thomas D. Harkins, of H. G. Richardson, On motion of Mr. BREWER, of New York, by unanimous consent, of F. Hodges, to have their claims referred to the Court of Claims- leave was granted for the withdrawal from the files of the Honse of the severally to the same committee. . bill for the relief of Frank G. Stevens; no adverse report having been By :Mr. KLEINER: Papers relating to the bill for the relief of John J made thereon. H. Derter-to the same committee. SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE. By Mr. LAIRD: Papers relating to the bill for the relief of Captain Shaw-to the Committee on l\filitary Affairs. The SPEAKER pro tempore-laid before the Honse the following com- By 1\Ir. LONG: Petition of Henry Bryant Post, No. 98, Grand Army munication. - of the Republic, Department of Massachusetts, for publication in Offi The Clerk read as follows: cial Records of the War of the Rebellion of photographic illustrations SPEAKER'S RooM, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, December 15,1884.. to the same committee. Hon. WILLIAM M . SPRINGER is hereby appointed Speaker pro tempore for to By Mr. LOVERING: Petition of John A. Andrew Post, No. 15, morrow, Tuesday, !>&ember 16. Grand Army of the R-epublic, Department of Ma.'!Sachnsetts, for pub J. G. CARLISLE, lication in Official Records of theWar of the R-ebellion of photographic Bpooker House of Representatives. illustrations-to the same committee. And then, onmotionofMr. MORRISON (at5o'clockand10minnte8 By Jflr. LYMAN: Petitionof?tloses Ellis Post, No.117, Grand Army p.m.), the Honse adjourned. of the Republic, Department of Massachusetts, for publication in Offi cial Records of theWar of the Rebellion of photographic illustrations PETITIONS, ETC. to the same committee. The following petitions and papers were laid on the Clerk's desk, By J')Ir. McMILLIN: A bill to continue the improvement of the under the rnle, and referred aa follows: Caney Fork River, Tennessee-to the Committee on Rivers and Har By Mr. BALLENTINE: Papers relating to the claim of William bors. Aymett; also papers relating to the claim of Elisha M. Shaddon-sev By Mr. J')fiLLIKEN: Petition of Matthew A. Cnllnan,for a pension ,I erally to the Committee on War Claims. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. BAYNE: Papers relative to the improvement of the Ohio By Mr. MITCHELL: Petition for a. breakwater at Duck Island-to River by means of locks and dams-to the Committee on Rivers and the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. Harbors. By Mr. MULDROW: Papers relating to the claim of H. M. Roberts By 1\'Ir. BLACKBURN: Memorial and papers of Lizzie D. Clark, pray to the Committee on War Claims. ing for relief for loss of steamer Belle while in the service of the United By Mr. MURPHY: Memorial of the hardware trade, in favor of the States tinder contract-to the Committee on the Judiciary. Hennepin Canal-to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. By J')Ir. BLANCHARD: Petition of members of the bar of Sru·eve By Mr. O'FERRALL: Papers relating to the claim of George W. port and Monroe, La., for increase of pay of Federal j ndges-to the same Taylor-to the Committee on War Claims. . committee. By J')Ir. CHARLES O'NEILL: Statement and letters upon bill to By .Mr. BRUUM: Petition of Clarence W. De Knight, praying for an grant an honorable discharge fTom the Army to John Connell-to the appropriation for services rendered as page of the Honse of Representa Committee on Military Affairs. tives-to the Committee on Accounts. By Mr. J. J. O'.N.ElLL: Petition of Ferdinand Hercher, forincrease By l\Ir. CHALl\IERS: Papers relating to the claim of Ca.lvin Che- of pension-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. airo--to the Committee on War Claims. · By Mr. POST: Petition of Anson G. Carpenter, for a pension-to the By Ur. COLLINS: Petition of the National Druggists' Association same committee. ) of the United States, for the removal of all taxes on alcohol to be used By l\'Ir. RANDALL: Petition oftheWomen's National Indian Asso in the arts and in the preparation of medicines-to the Committee on ciation, to abolish the reservation system and grant lands to Indians in Ways and Means. severalty-to the Committee on Appropriations. By Mr. S. S. COX: Petition of the SocietyoftheSonsoftheRevoln By l\Ir. ROSECRA.L~S: Petition of Daniel W. Burke and other officers tion, that Congress make the necessary appropriation to complete the of the Army, in favor of a bill to facilitate promotions throughout the construction of the pedestal for the statue of Liberty Enlightening Army-to the Committee on Military Affairs. the World-to the Committee on the Library. Also, petition of E. A. Koerper and others, assistant surgeons United By Mr. R. T. DAVIS: Petition of Post No. 141, Grand Army of the States Army, relative to the construction placed by the War Depart Republic, Department of Texas, for publication in Official Records of the ment on a clause of the last Army appropriation bill-to the same com War of the Rebellion of photographic illustrations-to the Committee mittee. on Military Affairs. · Also, petition for the passage of a joint resolution for the relief of Also, memorial of the New Bedford Board of Trade, relative to the sil Lieut. GeorgeS. Grimes and other officers of the United States Signal ver-coinage act of 1878-to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Service-to the Committee on Claims. Measures. By Mr. STOCKSLAGER: Papers relating to the bill for the relief of By Mr. DEUSTER: Petition of Andrew Barton, praying for the t·e- Louisa. Heth-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 266 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. DECEMBER 16, By Mr. J. M. TAYLOR: Papers relating to the claim of Isaia~ THE JOUBN .A. L. Sweat-to the Committee on War Claims. The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. By Mr. TOWNSHEND : Papers relating·to the bill for the relief of Hiram W. Hubbard-to the Committee on Claims.- - PETITIONS AND !1El\IORIALS. Also, papet-s relating to bill for the relief of Marcus D. Davis-:to Mr: BAYARD. I present the petition of George W. Bush & Sons the Committee on Invalid Peusions. and several hundred other citizens of Wilmington, Del., praying for the Also, pet,ition of Thomas Harrington, for relief-to the Committee redemption of the trade-dollar at the par value of 100 cents. I move on Claims. that the petition be referred to the Committee on Finance. ( By Mr. VAN ALSTYNE: Petition of Edward P. Quinn, for an in The motion was ag:wed to. \ crease of pension-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Mr. ALDRICH presented a memorial of the Cigar-Makers' Union, By 1\fr. WADSWORTH: Petition of Sally C. Mulligan, for payment No. 94, of Pawtucket, R. I., remonstrating against the ratification of of pension-money due her-to the same committee. the Spanish treaty; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign By Mr. GEORGE D. WISE: Petition of Col. William H. Ward, for Relations. ~ removal of political disabilities-to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. SHEFFIELD. I p1·esent the petition of Capt. William P. Martin, milit..'lry storekeeper, United States Army. The petition rep The following p€titions for the passage of the Mexican war pension resents that the petitioner has been in the military service of the coun bill, with Senate amendments, were presented and severally referred to try for ovet· forty-five years; that he lost a leg at the battle of Churu the Committee on Pensions: busco; and that he has not been absent from duty six months during l By Mr. ANDERSO~: OfcitizensofEverest; of63 citizensofSalem; the period of his entire service in the Army. He is now 63 years and 1 and of 62 citizens of Abilene, Kans. - 10 months old, and prays that he may be p'laced on the retired list I By Mr. F. B. BREWER: Of citizens of Cattaraugus and of Chautau- with the full pay and allowances of his present rank, or with the re qua,N. Y. _ tired pay of major. The prayer of the petition is united in by Brig By Mr. BURLEIGH: Of soldiers of Washington County, New York. adier-Generai Terry, :Major-General Schofield, and by Major-General By Mr. CLARDY: Of John Rapp and 23 others, of :Manchester, Mo. Hancock, Lieutenant-General Sheridan, and General Sherman, late By :h-fi· . .COBB: Of numerous soldiers of Indiana. General of the Army. I move that the petition be referred to the Com By Mr. CURTIN: Of citizens of Lewistown and of Paintersville, Pa. mittee on Military Affairs. By Mr. CULLEN: Of24 citizens of Kendall County, Illinois. The motion was agreed to. By Mr. R. T. DAVIS: OfcitizensofWestHarwichandofSouthChat Mr. SHEFFIELD presented a memorial of cigar-makers of Paw ham, Mass. tucket, R. I., remonstrating against the ratification of the Spanish By Mr. DUNHAM: Of citizens of Barrington, Ill. treaty; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. · By 1\fr. FUNSTON: OfT. Blakeslie and 242 others, of Neodesha; lolr. SHERMAN 'presented a memorial of cigar-makers of Elyria, of Cicero Rhodes and 68 others; of Riley Livingston and 62 others; of Ohio, remonstrating against the ratification of the Spanish treaty; T. L. Elliot and 126 others, of Colony; of A. M. Ledman and 63 others, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. of Elk City; of James 1\I. Picket and 114 others, of Galena; and of John He also "presented a petition of a large number of ex-soldiers of the Huff and 6 others, of Urestline, Kans. late Union Army, residents of Washington city, praying Congress to ~y Mr. LACEY:: Of J. H. Hamlin and 99 others, citizens of Eaton purchase Miss C. L. Ransom's full-length life-size pQrlrait of the late Ra'Pids, Mich. Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas; which was referred to the Committee By Ur. LOVERL~G: Of Frederick Kelliher and 107 ex-soldiers, of on the Library. Chelsea, Mass. 1 Mr. WILSON presented the petition of A. J. Purviance, of Keokuk, By Ur. LOWRY: Of 51 citizens of Lagrange County; of 64 citizens Iowa, praying· that relief be granted him by an allowance of money in of WhitJy County; and of 37 citizens of Lagrange County, Indiana. compensation for extra services rendered by him as postmaster at By l'tlr. MATSON: Of Jacob W. Phillips and 100 others, citizens of Mount Zion, Iowa; which was referred to the Committee on Post Putna.m County; of John S. Walton and 100 others,· of Coatesville, Offices and Post-Roads. Ind.; and of R. B. Abels and 100 others, of Greencastle, Iowa. He also presen~d a memorial of the Cigar-Maker!'' Union of Des By Mr. MILLIKEN: Of Samuel Vose and others. - Moines, Iowa, and a memorial of the Cigar-Makers' Union of Musca By Mr. .M.URPHY: Of 22 citizens of Low Moor, Iowa. tine, Iowa, remonstrating against the ratification ~f the reciproeity By Mr. J. J. O'NEILL: Of Mexican veterans living at Florisant, Mo. treaty between the United States and Spain; which ~ere referred to By Mr. PATTON: Ofcitizensof Armstrong andofClarionCounties, the Committee on Foreign Relations. Pennsylvania. Mr. SEWELL presented a memorial of cigar-makers of Bridgeton, By Mr. G. A. POST: Of62 citizens of Canton; of64 citizensofThomp N. J., remonstrating against the ratification of the Spanish treaty; son; ofG3 citizens ofSkinner'sEddy; of61 citizensofMontrose; of31 which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. citizens of Scranton; of 113 citi7--ens of Carney; and of 124 citizens of Mr. LAPHAM. I present a memorial of the .American Atlantic and Canton, Pa Pacific Ship-Canal Company, protesting against the ratification of the By Mr. SLOCUM: Of John Carty and others; of Edwin Kelley and proposed treaty between the Republic of Nicaragua and the United others; and of B. A. Raymond and others. States. I ask that its reference to the Commit~ on Foreign Relations. By llir. J. W. STEWART: Of citizens of Stamford, Brandon, and Mr. SHERMAN. That treaty has not b~en made public, and if we - \ High G~te Falls, Vt. are to observe the rules it is proper that such papers should be presented ' •, lly Ur. A. J. WARNER: Of F. P. Bryan and 306 citizens and ex in executive session. Indeed, I think the decision yesterday of the soldiers of :Middleport; of Rufus C. Menzie and 62 citizens and ex-sol President pro tempore was wrong, although I did not take an appeal diers of Little Hocking and Centre Belpre; and of Fred. Grim and 43 from it, in respect to the Spanish treaty. The Nicaragua treaty is not others, of Clarington, Ohio. a public document. By Mr. WEMPLE: Of 60 citizens and ex-soldiers of SaraU?ga County, Mr. LAPHAM. I withdraw the memorial, then. New York. The -PRESIDING OFFICER (.1\fr. INGALLS). The Chair under By Mr. E. B. WINANS: Of.W. L. Robson and 60 others, ofWill stands the memorial to be withdravm. iamston Pos~, Grand Army of the Republic, Ingham County, Michigan. Mr. LAPHAM presented a memorial of cigar-makers of Dunkirk, N. By Mr. JOHN WINANS: Of Dr. J. B. Whiting andothers, of Janes Y., and a memorial of cigar-makers of Oneida, N. Y., remonstrating ville, Wis. against the ratification of the treaty between Spain and the United By Mr. WOODWARD: Of E. C. Brainard and 36 others, citizens of States; which were referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Sank County, Wiscom;in. He also presented a petition of Henry Franke, on behalf of the Pio ' neer Iron Works, of Brooklyn, N. Y., praying for the ratification of the proposed commercial treaty between Spain and the United States; which SENATE. was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. :Mr. HOAR presented a memorial of Colonel and Brevet Major-Gen TuESDAY1 Decembe'r lG, 1884. eral 0. B. Willcox, and other statements favoring the passage of a bill Prayer by Rev. W. H. H. ADA-l\:IS, D. D., of illinois. for the relief of Charles Morris Blake, post chaplain, United States Army, retired; which were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. NAMING .A PRESIDING OFFICER. .Mr. CONGEU presented the memorial of J. A. Donaldson, of Michi Mr. INGALLS called the Senate to order, and the Secretary read gan, favoring certain changes in the pre-emption and timber-culture the following letter: laws; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and or Tn tlt6 Senate : dered to be printed. Pursuant to the rules, I hereby name and designate Hon. JonN·J. INGALLS, a Senator from the State of Kansas, to perform the duties of lhe Ohah· in my ab Mr. CALL. I present a petition which is stated to be signed by 500 sence this day. citiz·ens of Hernando County, Florida. The petition is addressed to the GEO. F. EDMUNDS, Senate and House of Representatives, and is as follows: · President pro tempore. W ASIIINGTON, D. C., 16December,l884. To the honorabl~ the Senate and HottSe of Representatives of the _ United States in Congress assembled: Thereupon Mr. INGALLS took the chair as presiding officer for to- Your petitioners would respectfully repre ent that by act of Congress, approved , day. ~ 17th :May,l856, a grant of land was made to aid in buildingaraih·oad f~om Atnelia (