The Helena Independent

SILVER BILL REPORTED.

Now on the House Calendar Just as it Came From the Senate.

The Report Accompanying the Bill Presented by Congressman Bland.

Next Wednesday a Resolution for Immediate Consideration Will Be Offered in the House.

WASHINGTON, July 9.—The house committee on coinage, weights and measures met promptly at 8:30 this morning, with the full voting membership present. Without dilatory motions on the part of the anti-silver men a motion to report the bill to the house was at once brought to a vote, and the bill just as it passed the senate ordered reported favorably by the following vote:

Yeas, Bland, J. R. Williams, Kilgore, Robertson, Pierce, Epps, McKeighan and Bartine.

Nays, Tracey, M. F. Williams, Abner Taylor, Stone and John Stone.

When the silver men were thus assured of getting the bill on the calendar they gave some thought to the question of the best means to secure action on it. In pursuance of this Bartine moved that Bland request the committee on rules to report a cloture rule for the consideration of and vote upon the bill. This caused considerable discussion. It was found the cloture was objectionable to some members, and Bartine withdrew the motion. Bland, therefore, subsequently reported the bill to the house without request for a special order for a vote on it. In the house Bland presented the report to accompany the silver bill, in which the committee says: "Whatever may be the effect of the bill as it relates to treasury notes issued under the act of July 14, 1890, which act is repealed by this bill, there is no diverse opinion that the notes are redeemable in coin derived from the coinage of the bullion purchased under the repealed act. The bill reported compels this coinage. The notes being therefore redeemable in coin, there is necessity for good coin. "The bill," says the report, "prescribes as a sole requirement upon the owner of silver bullion that he shall deposit it with officers of the mints. These officers are to coin the silver into the standard dollar authorized by the act of Feb. 28, 1878. If this bill should pass silver bullion would be paid for at the mints on deposit of the same, in money appropriated by congress, and kept there by the secretary of the treasury, as now provided for gold. The capacity of the mints is limited practically by appropriations. The mints at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco and Carson City, run to their full capacity with two changes of workmen or shifts per day, can coin largely in excess of all bullion silver produced from the mines from year to year."

During the afternoon the committee on rules adopted the following resolution, which will be reported to the house next Wednesday:

"That immediately upon the adoption of this resolution the house proceed to the consideration of senate bill 51 (the free coinage bill) and if said bill shall not be disposed of on said day, the consideration thereof shall be continued during the next legislative day."

Should this rule for the consideration of the bill be voted down the advocates of the measure will surrender. Should it be adopted they will expect their opponents to move that the whole question be postponed until September. If the motion to postpone be defeated the anti-silver men will resort to filibustering, and then the good offices of the committee on rules will again be invoked to bring in a cloture rule. All the democrats of the committee are adverse to bringing in such a rule, and will only do so when they are absolutely compelled by force of circumstances, such as a request from a majority of the total democratic membership of the house. The republicans are still reticent, and their position on the question is an unknown quantity. If they see a chance of defeating the bill they will do it. But they will not agree in advance to help either faction of the democrats. A careful poll of the house, made to-day by Williams (Mass.), convinces him that if the bill comes to a direct vote on its merits it will be defeated by a majority of from four to eight, but the arrival of absentees may change the estimate. Opponents of the bill believe, however, that there will be a much larger majority against its consideration. Kilgore, a member of the coinage committee, voted in the committee against the demand for the previous question on the motion to report the bill as it came from the senate. He did so, he says, because he believes the bill defective in at least three particulars, and ought to be amended. The most important defect is that it repeals the law making about $100,000,000 in treasury notes redeemable in coin and legal as well.