Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1893 — THE EXTRA SESSION. [ARTICLE]

THE EXTRA SESSION.

At exactly 12 o’clock, Tuesday, the joint committee met on the Senate' side. The journals of the two House were read as leisurely as possible. The President was promptly notified that the two Houses were organized and ready to hear any communication lie had to make. When the House met the message was communicated to Congress and read by the Clerk of the Bosie as presented elsewhere in this paper. Senator Vest. Wednesday, introduced a bill to make the silver dollar qontain 464 4-10 grains pure silver or 516 grains standard siWer. Senator Hill, of New York, Wednesday, introduced a bill “to repeal certain sections of the act of July 14,1890, to pur--hase silver bnll!on, : ’ etc. The bill provides that the rejrcal of the purchasing clause is not to be construed as an abandonment of bimetahsm. The silver men are pleased with the position of Senator Hill. Both housesheld brief sessions. Wednesday, and adjourned. Tire day was devoted to caucus meetings and preliminary work of various kinds. There was little done in Congress last week. The Senate adjourned Thursday until Monday. The free coinage men of the House held a caucus. Wednesday afternoon, and adopted the following resolutions: : Resolved, That we will support, a bill repealing the purchasing clause of the Sherman act, and concurrently providing for free and untram melcd coinage of silver, with full legal tender quality, on such a ratio as will provide and maintain the parity between gold and silver. Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed by the chairman of this conference to draft and introduce such a bill, and taue proper steps to secure the free and full discussion and consideration thereof, and a vote of the House upon the bill and proper amendments. It is claimed that this committee will recommend a ratio of eighteen or even twenty to one,and are ready to abandon the present ratio of sixteen to one In order to secure free coinage; In the House, Friday, Mr. Wilson, of West Virginia, introduced the bill for the repeal of the purchase clause of the Sherman law. Representative Bland offered an agreement regulating course of debate. The substitute bill of the free coinage caucus was also presented by Mr. Bland. The debate was opened by Mr. Raynor, (Dem.) of Maryland, in support of the Wilson bill. He opposed the free coinage of silver at any ratio. He held that it is impossible to effect an International arrangement so long as the purchasing clause of the Sherman law remains on the books. Mr. Brown (Indiana) followed ‘Mr. Raynor in a speech favoring unconditional repeal, although ha was favorable to free coinage. Mr. Bland followed Mr. Brown in a vehement speech for silver. He regretted that former friends of the cause had seen fit to withdraw their support. He reviewed the financial legislatien of recent years at length. He closed by demanding free coinage and said if it was not granted that the Western Democrats would desert the party. The Democratic party cannot be held together on a gold basis for our currency. Mr. Bland was followed by Mr. Pence, of Colorado, (Populist) and Mr. Wheeler, of Alabama, closed the debate for the day. In the House. Saturday, the silver debate was continued. Mr. Wheeler, (Alabama) gave his hearty approval to the' views of the President, but believed that the present business troubles were caused by threats to change the tariff laws more than by the Sherman bill. Mr. Harter (Ohio), favored the repeal of the Sher map law.