Mr. ALLISON. I do not suppose that it is necessary for me to add anything to the remarks made by the chairman of the committee on this question of establishing an assay office, as provided in this bill. I fully up reciate the anxiety of the Gentfrom Oregon [Mr. Hnnnnnsoy] to preserve the appro)riation made by Congress 2 years ago for the establishment of a mint in that State. But upon examination of this subject by the ComWays&Means, and a reference to the petitions that have been presented to us during the present session, we have become satisfied that if we once establish the principle of locating branch mints in every Territory or State where gold is found we will have branch mints all over the country. The exe rience of the country in this regard shows 1: at it is only necessary to have one mint in the Atlantic States and one mint upon the Pacific coast. The 1st mint established by this Government was in the year 1800, at the then capital of the nation, the city of Philadelphia. The act authorizing the Miutat that city was renewed from year to year, until in 1831, I believe, the Mint was finally established in that city. Some years afierward, old havin been discovered in Georgia and NCarolina, there was a pressure from those States upon coness in those years to establish branch mints in those 2 States. Congress yielded to that pressure and established one mint in Georgia and another in NCarolina during the session of 1836 37, and those mints were in operation from the time of their establishment down to the outbreak of the rebellion. Yet the mint in Georgia, during that entire period of time, some 23 years, coined pnly about 6 million dollars; and the mint in NCarolina during the same time coined a less sum. The committee believe that those mints are now no longer necessary, and they propose to authorize the SecyTreasury to dispose of them, and establish assay offices in their stead, if he deems it expedient to do so. A pressure was made upon Congress at that time to establish also a branch mint in the city of New.Orleans, upon commercial grounds, because it took so much time to transfer gold and silver from that city to the great centers of commerce, NewYork and Philadelphia. A branch mint was established there also by the same act authorizing mints in Georgia and NCarolina, but of the whole amount of gold coined at NewOrleans, about 22 million dollars came from California after the discovery of gold in that region. reference to the report of the Superin ten ent of the Mint in Pliiladel hia, it will be seen that notwithstanding we iave abranch mint today at the city of Denver, in the territory of Colorado, during the ear 1866, of the amount of bullion transferre to the various mints and assay offices, but $380,000 went to the Mint in Philadelphia, but $375,000 went to the mint in Denver, and $038,000, or nearly almillion dollars, went to the assay office in the City of NewYork for the purpose of being melted and assayed. It is a act that gold dust has passed by the mints of Denver and SanFrancisco to NewYork. In confirmation of whatI say, I call attention to the following extract from