Material Interests
to “trade dollars” for use chiefly in Asiatic commerce and not legal tender in the United States. This was the first step in the protracted controversy over the “silver question” which did not, however, become acue until a number of years later, but then convulsed the nation in two campaigns.
The Forty-third Congress, in Grant's second term, continued the good work. It abolished all duties on tea and coffee, and made great reductions of import duties. It provided for the sale of public lands containing coal to encourage mining; passed stringent laws for the protection of animals from cruelty while being transported on railroads or otherwise; required national banks to restore their capital when impaired; and encouraged the growth of timber on the treeless western plains. It authorized the establishment of public marine schools for instruction in navigation and seamanship to encourage the American shipping industry. Then, near the end of its term, the Senate in December, 1874 and the House in January, 1875 enacted a bill, which President Grant signed on January 14th, providing, as herein before stated, for the resumption of specie payments on January 1, 1879. In both Senate and House, every Republican voted for this feature and every Democrat voted against it. One of the last important acts of this Republican Congress was the appropriation of $5,200,000 for the Construction of jetties for the improvement of navigation at the mouth of the Mississippi River, an act of immense value to the commerce of the central part of the United States and of national importance.
Despite this record of usefulness, a serious financial panic accompanied with widespread business depres-
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