The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-11-21


ed to be fact, that from the early part o
May to the frtt of October, there is very little
and during part of that period, there is no mo-
ney at all in the treafury, ~ difchargc the audi
tors warrants.
| What is the confquencc of this eyhauaed
treaiury! The fate has workmen in its employ
Tome OF whole wages are continually becoming
due. At this place, for nasnce, it has a pub
lie printer, superintendent aud latourcrs in
the armoury, public guard, and mary others,
| whole talary or wages ii is bound to diicharye
But the ncceiIities of thoie men will not always
permit them 70 wait for the rich Jubilee of the
| lat OF September. Rather than fubie6 them
! ie!ves to certain degree of Inconvenience, ma
ny OF them will choofe rather to fell their claims
| upon the fate to fome pcrion whole refourccs
will permit him TO wait for the replenihipp Of
the trea.ury. Theft claims cannot, however
be expected to be fold at par, nor ut the Legal
dncount. Few pcrions would be willing to buy
thee who did not expect to make fome profit
by the Ejaculation. II is the inevitable effect of
this fate of things therefore, tina, theft claims
will be ddpoicd OF at comfortable difcount,
and that the public creditors would thus witneis
comfortable deduction in Tie amount of their
claims.
The laLar, of the public printer is paid quar-
teriy. IL is fact, that zparrant for the a.
mount of quarters falary, has been fold
a
per month. And thus al individual having
claim upon the itate, which the auditor of pub
lie accounts has acknowledged 70 be ALREADY due,
is fometiInes induced 10 s,ilccunt it At lofs OF
Cd per cent i year.
The workmen of The armour, who are paid
by the piece and whole wages are due eycry
month are fonetimes compelled to make great
er acriHceS. | have been told that they fome-
tunes Tell their claims upon the treafury for
T. Al. Al
One OF theie workmen allured me, that they
fometimes diicount at the rate Of FOR a5 dolls.
for five or fix days before thei,' wages become
due: and if they make fiIch facrifces before,
they will furely make inlar facrifices after they
have become due.
The fame tatement applies to the folders
OF the public guard and indeed il NUT apply
to I'll thofe public agents, who havea demand
upon the treafury, whole demands cannot be
Immediately fatisfied and whole convenience
will not admit them to wait for diftant pay
ment.
What isthe confequence of this pecuniary
facrfce which is impofcd upon its workmen
1t mutt be accompanied by IN ;ncrcafe OF their
wages. When they can find employment in o.
thcr places or under private perfons, they will
fcarcely content to work for the fate for the
fame nominal, but for really lower wages. In
III. employment Of tiiIefc orkmeII, tine COM
petition b.tween the public and private perfon9
will be againit the fate. To obtain their ailif-
ance, the public NUT not only flipulate TO give
as much as private employers, but they mutt
give Is much more as will compcuiate for the
average diicount OF claims which thefe men
may be expected TO fufan. In fome cafes in
deed Uncertainty of an ultimate payment & the
conaancy of the public work may give fome
fuperiority over the private employer; but it will
fill be true, that this fuperiority mutt be di-
miniihed by the diminution OF their actual re-
ceipts.
What is the effect upon the workmcn p
Thoie among them who work by the piece will
be discouraged to certain degree by the diftant
period of payment. When they dhcoyer that
Niie amoure OF thcig tclc pts -. not e if.c4c.,i-
ed with the amount OF their claims, the induce
| nents to eXertion are tccretly but furely dinli-
nifhcd. eve work dull, )" fad one of the work
! men of the Arrnoury to me, We do not go to
it properly, when don't expect to be paid for
| it at the time it becomes due The maxim
is true in this cafe, and it is universally true.
When men are animated blythe profpect of fome
diitant good, the farther it is placed from their
view, the Fighter is its impreiiion upon their
feelings, aud the ieis powerfully are they exci-
| ted to bear up aganit the ieductive temptations
ofapathy Oh pleafure.
! Since this fytem Of finance is thus incompa-
tible not only with the interehs of the pubic,
out allo with the intereits OF the Workmen, does
it not become the duty of the legislature to pro-
vide iome adequate remedy Is it not incum2
bent upon them either TO increaie the public
taxes, or to provide new inducements for an
earlier collection of the revenue, or to authorize
| the executive council to make no contracts
| which fhall not BECOME due till that period,
when the public refources are likely to be re-
ceived: But if neither of thoie plans can be
reduced to practice, there is another method of
diicharging thefe demands, which an enlight-
ened policy might purfue.
The Bank of Virginia is now in operation,
and is ready to lend its money upon proper
fecurties. May the Legislature pats law,
which fhall empower the treafurer to borrow
money from the bank when it is wanting, or
which may empower him to endorfe the war
rants of the auditor This warrant may then be
prefcnted by the holder to the bank for paw
ment and the money may be replaced with
an adequate interet by the treafurer, when he
receives the taxes fthe fate.
1t is by hmilar plan that the treafury of the
U. States is enabled, by law of CoDgreis, to
draw upon the u. S. Bank for occafonal and
neceiiary refources. Is it not the intereR of
the Virginia Legislature to parfue the fame po-
icy?
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