tions of bonds of the United
States described in the act of Congress approved July fourteenth,
eighteen hundred and seventy, entitled 'An act to authorize the
refunding of the national debt,' with like qualities, privileges,
and exemptions, to the extent necessary to carry this act into full
effect, and to use the proceeds thereof for the purposes aforesaid.
And all provisions of law inconsistent with the provisions of this
act are hereby repealed."

I said:

"Mr. president, I do not intend to reopen the debate on financial
topics of last session. That debate was carried to such great
length that it was not only exhaustive, but it was exhausting, not
only mentally but physically. The Senate is composed of the same
persons who shared in that debate, and it is utterly idle for us,
in this short session, to reopen it and to invite the discussion
of the various topics presented in that debate. The Senate is now
within less than three months, a little more than two months, of
its adjournment, and there is a general feeling throughout the
country, shared by all classes of people, that this Congress ought
to give some definite notice to the people of this country as to
their purpose in the important topics embraced in this bill; and
I say to Senators on all sides of the House that this bill contains
enough to accomplish the important object declared by the title of
the bill, and this without reviving all the troublesome and difficult
questions which were discussed at the last session. It contains
a few simple propositions which may be separated from the mass of
financial topics discussed at the last session. Its purpose is
declared upon the title of the bill, 'An act to provide for the
resumption of specie payments.' Every word, every line, and every
provision, of this bill is in harmony with that title. It will
tend to promote the resumption of specie payments. It may fall
short in many particulars of the desire of some Senators; and it
does go further in that direction than some Senators were willing
to support at the last session. It is a bill which demands reasonable
concession from every Member of the Senate. If we undertake now
to seek to carry out the individual views of any Senator, we cannot
accomplish the passage of any bill to promote this object, and
therefore this bill has demanded of everyone who has consented to
it thus far a surrender of some portions of his opinions as to
measures and means to ac