A story of how a US Representative pleaded with his colleagues to allow him to correct his error...I've written before how the bill for the 1925 California Statehood Jubilee Half Dollar transitioned from a standalone bill into an amendment to the Battle of Bennington / Vermont Independence Sesquicentennial and was ultimately tagged with an amendment for the 1925 Fort Vancouver Centennial Half Dollar- you can review it here:
1925 California Statehood Diamond Jubilee - Origin Story. This time out, I'm sharing an exchange in the House of Representatives that I find somewhat humorous - Albert Johnson (R-WA) pleads with his colleagues to give him the chance to correct a mistake he made earlier in the day regarding his amendment for the Fort Vancouver half dollar.
Our cast:
- Albert Johnson (R-WA), House Sponsor of Ft. Vancouver Centennial half dollar amendment
- John Edward Raker (D-CA) - House Sponsor of California Statehood half dollar amendment
- Frederick H. Gillett (R-MA), Speaker of the House of Representatives
- James Thomas Begg (R-OH)
- Finia James Garrett (D-TN)
- Thomas Lindsay Blanton (D-TX)
We join the US Congress / House of Representatives already in session...Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. Mr. Speaker, inasmuch as the House a few minutes ago added Vancouver, Wash., to the amendment offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. RAKER], providing for the coinage of 50-cent pieces in commemoration of the admission of the State of California into the Union, which amendment was to the Bennington coinage bill, I ask unanimous consent to return to that bill and reconsider it, for the purpose of changing the amendment adopted, so it will read in the same form as the one applying to the coins for California. The amendment proposes to apply also to coins for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the settlement of Vancouver. I ask unanimous consent also to change section 2 in the original bill to section 4 as follows--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A motion has been made to reconsider the vote by which tbe bill was passed, and that motion was laid on the table, and I do not think the request of the gentleman from Washington is in order.
Mr. BEGG. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman can present a unanimous consent request to vacate the proceedings.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington asks unanimous consent to vacate the proceedings whereby the motion to reconsider the [Bennington] bill was laid on the table.
Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, for what purpose?
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. The point is that, believing a point of order would be made against the first amendment to the Bennington bill, I did not stand by with an amendment in form for coins for the Vancouver centennial.
Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. The gentleman has one amendment in; does the gentleman want another?
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. Yes; that is just the point. In getting that first amendment in I attached the words "Vancouver, Wash.," to the California amendment, so it does not convey the meaning it is intended to mean.
Mr. BLANTON. You can get that fixed in conference.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. It will save labor to make the amendment satisfactory and in correct order now. I simply provide for another identical paragraph, except the event and the place.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection?
Mr. BLANTON. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California [Mr. RAKER] made a motion to reconsider ancl lay on the table, and he is not here.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. I am asking unanimous consent now to vacate that action.
l\lr. BEGG. The gentleman from California [Mr. RAKER] is here now.
l\lr. RAKER. Does the gentleman want to strike out my provision?
Mr. GARRETT of Tennessee. I understand the gentleman wants to dissever Vancouver from California.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. In addition to my desire, the bill is further not in good form because the Raker amendment is section 2, and, in addition to that, the original bill has a section 2, which was not changed when the amendment was adopted.
Mr. RAKER. That does not make any difference. The Clerk can correct that.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. That could be corrected in the Senate, but we can correct it here now.
Mr. RAKER. Let it go to conference.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. It will only take a minute to add a paragraph following the Raker amendment.
Mr. RAKER. I am willing. I have no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is, shall the vote by which the bill was passed be reconsidered?
The motion was agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the third reading will be vacated and the bill will be open for amendment.
There was no objection.
Mr. JOHNSON of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the Vancouver amendment which was adopted and in lieu thereof I offer an amendment which I send to the Clerk's desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington asks unanimous consent that the vote by which his amendment was agreed to be reconsidered and offers an amendment which he sends to the Clerk's desk in lieu thereof. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none.
The Clerk will report the amendment of the gentleman from Washington.[/i]
The Clerk read the amendments by Representative Johnson which included Section re-numbering for the California Statehood Diamond Jubilee half dollar AND complete/appropriate language for the Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar.
After a bit of "Parliamentary Procedure" back and forth, the amended bill was passed and sent on to the Senate which concurred in the amendments and passed the bill. The bill was then sent to the President who signed it into law. As a result, the US Mint issued the 1925 California Diamond Jubilee Half Dollar, the 1925 Fort Vancouver Centennial Half Dollar and the 1927 Battle of Bennington / Vermont Independence Sesquicentennial Half Dollar.
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the half dollars mentioned above, see:
Commems Collection. 
Posted 05/28/2025 2:12 pm
