inform the President that Congress was in session, and ready to receive
any communication from him.

At half-past one the President's secretary presented the Message to the
Senate, and a few minutes later handed another in to the House of
Representatives.

The Message, which is President McKinley's first annual message, was
listened to with the closest attention.

After a greeting to Congress, and congratulations on the good work done
in the extra session last summer, the President took up the

CURRENCY QUESTION.--You will remember that he was very anxious to make
some changes in our money system, which he did not consider
satisfactory. He asked Congress to appoint a committee to examine into
the subject, but Congress referred the matter to the Committee on
Finance, and no special committee was appointed.

The President realized from this that the country was not ready or
willing to have changes made in its money system, and therefore, in his
Message, he treats the currency with the utmost care.

He warns Congress that the present money system is unsound and needs
changing. He reminds the lawmakers that the country has undertaken to
pay out a certain amount of gold every year, but that it has not made
any arrangements for receiving gold. The consequence is that the
treasury has every year to buy the gold it needs to pay its debts.

This the President does not approve of.