of the House, of which Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia,
was chairman. I was accompanied by H. R. Linderman, Director of
the Mint. The notes of the conference were ordered by the House
of Representatives to be printed, and the committee was convinced
of the correctness of the statements in regard to the amount of
actual coin and bullion on hand, and where it was situated, which
had been previously doubted.

On the 19th of March, I had an interview with the Senate committee
on finance, of which Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, was chairman. I was
examined at great length and detail as to the preparations for
resumption, and the actual state of the treasury at that time.
The principal topic discussed was whether the four per cent. bonds
could be sold, Mr. Bayard being evidently in favor of the substitution
of the four and a half per cents. for the four per cent. bonds I
had placed on the market. The question of how to obtain gold coin
and bullion was fully considered in this interview, and here I was
able to convince the committee that a purchase of domestic gold
coin and bullion would meet all the requirements of the treasury,
and that no necessity existed for the purchase of gold abroad.
This interview, which covers over twenty printed pages, I believe
entirely satisfied the committee of the expediency of the steps
taken by me and their probable success. After this interview I
had the assistance of the committee of finance, without regard to
party, in the measures adopted by me. Mr. Bayard and Mr. Kernan
gave me their hearty support, and Mr. Voorhees made no unfriendly
opposition. The report of this interview was subsequently published,
and had a good effect upon the popular mind.

By far the most important interview was one with the committee on
banking and currency, of the House of Representatives, of which A.
H. Buckner, of Missouri, was chairman. A large majority of this
committee had reported a bill to repeal the resumption act, and
the members of the committee of each party were among the most
pronounced greenbackers in the House of Representatives. Perhaps
the most aggressive was Thomas Ewing, a friend, and by marriage a
relative of mine, a Member of ability and influence, and thoroughly
sincere in his convictions against the policy of resumption. I
was summoned before this committee to answer a series of interrogatories
furnished me a few days previously, calling for statements as to
the actual amount of g