OCR Text |
Show FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. I Washington, 7. Edmunda subjoin sub-join ted a resolution instructing the committee on appropriates to in quire whether there exists adequate I provisions for prompt examination of ! reports and action in pension cases in ! the pension bureau, and surgeon general's ofttco, and that said committee commit-tee report thereon by bill or otherwise as soon as may be. After some discussion dis-cussion Windom moved afi amendment amend-ment eo as to include the adjutant general's otlice which was accepted by E-imunds and the resolution was adopted. Davis of Illinois called up the sen-ale sen-ale hill to remit the taxes on insol' vent banks, the pending question being on the amendment providing that no Bavings bank having no cap- Ual Btock shall ou account of mercantile mer-cantile or business deposits on which no interest has been allowed, be denied de-nied the exemptions allowed to savings banks having no capital stock', and it was agreed lo, yeas 2S, nays 27, Tho bill was then read the third time. and passed. Hamlin called up the house bill to further suspend the operations of section 5,574 of the revised statutes in relation to guano islands, which was briefly discussed aud laid aaide. Consideration wa3 then resumed of unfinished business, the silver bill, and Blaine spoke thereon. Johnston said it could not have escaped Llie attention ot anyone that a portion of the public press, especially espe-cially at the north had indicated that the south stood ready at auy time to repudiate tho public debt of the United States. He (Johnston) wished to say for himself and ou behalf of bis southern colleagues, on this floor. that no people had the national honor more at heart than the people of tho south. They had passed through mt terrible euflering, aud did uot propose to undergo the journey again. U they had no better motive .'or upholding up-holding the national honor luaa that of Belf interest, they would not do auythiug to bring discredit upon the government. The people of the south knew their condition was indissolubly mixed up with those of the ncrtb and they must uphold the honor and credit of the government. All wero in the sme ship and the southern wreck that vessel. 8o fup aa they were corcerued, they proposed she should have a prosperous voyage. He argued that silver was one of the products of the country and it was the duty of congress to Bee that it was not injured. There was a great popular demand for the remon-etizatioa remon-etizatioa of silver. The people of the couutry believed it was demonetized by fraud. They believed the act which demonetized it was smuggled through and should be repealed. It was not the part of statesmanship to be blind to popular demand. He denied that the remonetization of silver sil-ver would drive gold out of the country. He then spoke of the value of silver to the colored people of the south, and said they knew nothing about the value of gold and did uot1 appreciate paper Remonelize silver and much of it would be abiorbed by them. Philanthropists xnd abolition-. ists, who had freed the negro, ought to consider what they should do for his practical benefit. Give the colored people of the south tlie money tney' want aud it would make them tetter! citizens. They would have something to work for and it would encourage industry. I Hill then look the floor, but before proceeding with his remarks, yielded to Morgau, upon whose motion the senate weut into executive session aud eoou alter ailjourned. |