The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution,
Mr. DOLPH. I should like to ask the Senator from Maryland I think about a month a question and to make a proposition. ago the Senate ordered the usual number of this publication printed. It was then suggested that it would be more valuable with an index, and it was ordered to bo printed with an index. The gentleman who has, I understand, prepared the document, and who is expected to prepare the index, has been so much en gaged over other important and pressing matters, the tariff bill and matters connected with it, that he has been unable to pre- pare the index. I have received a great many requests for the document, and I ask the Senator from Maryland whether it would not be well to modify the resolution which ordered the usual number printed, so that the usual number may be printed without the index, and we may have some copies for immediate distribution before the index is prepared. I suggest that it would relieve the situation somewhat, as I think the Senate would get 100 copies, which might be sent out to those who re- quest them.
Mr. GORMAN. is true, as stated by the Senator from Oregon, that the resolution ordering the printing of tho usual number, 1,900 copies, du require an index, and that index, has not yet been prepared, and I do not think it will be propaged for the next two weeks. I understand it wil require about two
૬. weeks longer to complete it
Mr. DOLPH. All the type is set up, and, the dogument is ready to be struck off, but it is held up until the index is fur-
nished.
Mr. GORMAN. The document itself is in typesand could be furnished at once. Does the Senator from Oregon make the motion, or doss he desire me to do it?
Mr. DOLPH. If no one objects to the request, let it be done by unauimmis consent.
Mr. GORMAN. I ask that the usual number be printed with out the index.
The VICE-PRESIDENT. In the absence of objection it will be so ordered.
Mr. GORMAN. I now move to amend the pending resolution so that the 5,000 copies of the document ordered by it shall be indexed.
:.
The VICE-PRESIDENT. The resolution will be so amended, if there be no objection.
Mr. COCKRELL. In the pending resolution I move to insert "6,000" instead of 5,000," and to give the Senate, according to the usual rule, 2,000 copies and the House 4,000. The resold tion proposes only 1,500 copies for the Senate and 3,500 copies for the House.
I think we ought to stick to the old rule, and I hope that chango will be made.
Mr. GORMAN. I have no earthly objection to that aigen
ment.
ar
The VICE-PRESIDENT. Is there objection to the ameid- ment proposed by the Senator from Missouri? The Chair none, and it is agreed to.
Mr. SHERMAN. I ask that the resolution be read as ainended.
The concurrent resolution as amended was read, as follows: Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring at there be printed 6,000 additional copies of the fourth edition of the document en- titled "Coluage laws of the United States, 1792 to 1804," prepared nuder the direction of the Committee on Finance, United States Senstwith the Ap pendix and au index to the same. of which number 2,000 copies shall be for the use of the Senate and 4.000 coples for the use of the House of Representa tivos.
Mr. SHERMAN. I supposed the Senator from Maryland had joined in the resolution the loan laws and the currency laws. They ought to be printed either together of separately, I do not care which.
Mr. COCKRELL. That is the very point I wanted to call the We should have one publication con- attention of the Senate to. taining all the laws in regard to loaus and currency, all the laws in regard to the United States bank, and national banks, and all the laws in regard to coinage, and they ought all to be in one volume. I brought that matter up when the first resolution was introduced, and I understood the chairman of the Committee on Finance to say that they were preparing that kind of a docu- ment. It ought to be prepared, and all these laws ought to be together.
We have one volume, which has been printed twice, entitled "Loan, Currency, and Coliuage Laws." It contains most of the laws in regard to the loans and currency and most of the laws in regard to the United States Bank and the national banks, and also in regard to coinage, but it is not complots. Some few of the laws are left out. I know I have a copy of it, and I have obtained the oid laws which were omitted, and inserted them in it. It is a very valuable document, but it is not well arranged. We ought to have one volume containing all these laws.
It
|
AFKIL
would not make a large volume, it would be a volume of ordinary size. Some committee-the Coinmittee on Finance is the proper committee-It seems to me, ought to take charge of the work and have it done.
Mr. SHERMAN. I think the proper authority to codify these laws would be the Treasury Department, because all the laws are there being administered upon daily. If it would be agree- able to the Senator from Maryland, I hope he will ask the Sec- retary of the Treasury to make such a coliñcation. It could be vory readily done. All the laws have been codified except for the last ten or twelve spears, and those are but few in number, comparatively. Thon they could all be put in a volume and it would be of immense value. I think the circulation of such a book among the people of the United States would be a better distribution of public documents than hundreds of those that are now being distributed, because the whole public mind is now directed to our coinage and currency, and every intelligent man would be happy to have an opportunity to get one of these books. Probably it would be the most instructive document that could be furnished to the people at this time and would be the most gratefully received.
Mr. GORMAN. I quito agree with the Senator from Missouri and the Sonator from Ohio, but the Senate will remember that the distinguished Senator from Indiana, the chairman of the Committee on Finance, presented this codification of the laws relating to the coinage. I will say to the Senate that I under stood the remainder of the jaws referred to by the Senator from Ohio and the Senator from Missouri were being prepared under the direction of the Committee on Finance. So when a rosolu- tion was referred for the printlag of the usual number of this document the Committee on Printing reported in favor of it.
The only difficulty now is that the index has not yet been pre- pared by the compiler, and the Senator from Oregon and other Senators have urged me to have the original order providing for the index rescinded, so that 1,900 copies may be printed without the index. I should be very glad to have the remainder of the laws compiled, but I do not want to interfere with the matter under the charge of the Committee on Pigance, of which the distinguished Senator from Ohio (Mr. SĦORMAN) is a member.
Mr. SUERMANI understand the gentleman who hascharge of that subject matter has been constantly at work, and is now employed in dealing with the tariff question and making in- dexes for the tariff bill and other documents necessary in the dicussion that measure, so that he probably will not be able for a couple of weeks, at least, to undertake the work.
Mr. GORMAN. I have no complaint to make of that. If the Senator from Ohio desires the resolution to lie over and wait for the compilation of the laws relating to the currency, I have no objection; but there is a very grost demand now for the par titular publicat on referred to in the resolution.
Mr. COCKRELL. I suggest, as this matter is already in type, that we print it.
MF. GORMAN. The matter will be stereotyped.
Mr. COCKREEL. Yes, it will bo stereotyped.
Mr. SHERMAN The great trouble in separating these laws is that the same law often contains provisions about coinage and about currency; for instance, the resumption act has certain provisions which have been omitted in the volume already pub. listed.
Mr. COCKRELL. Each law should be printed in full. That is one of the criticisms I made of the volume already in exist- ence, that section after section has been taken out, which leaves the whole thing indefinite and uncertain, and we have to turn to another volume to ascertain what is the law. Wherever there is contained in one lay provisions which embrace cur rency and coinage, the law fould be published in full in each place. That will not take any considerable additional space, but only a few addition pages. Each law should be perfect in whatever place it is pethted, and discretion should not be exer- cised in editing the things.
I shall introdus & resolution, as soon as I can have it pre- pared, providi that the publication shall be made under the direction of fie Secretary of the Treasury, but I hope that the laws covered by this resolution will be printed. I suggest to the Senator from Oregon that we had better have all these laws printed with an index. If we sond one applicant a copy of this volume without an index, and he should see another man have a copy with an index, ho will write immediately and ask for a second copy. That is my experience.
Mr. GORMAN. The Senator from Oregon, as I understand, only requests that 1,900 coples may be printed without the in- dex, and that the 6,000 copies provided for in the resolution shall have an index.
Mr. DOLPH. I shall not discuss that proposition if the Sena tor from Missouri objects to it. The only object I had was to
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