The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-05
CITE enquirer.
RICHMOND. MARCH 5. 1911.
Extracr of letter from Washington. da
ted March Sd, 1911.


of It's Dires.ors to continue its CORPORATE
1sezvers for certain purposes (for short
period) was referred in the II. Of Z. 80 g
committee of s.-Thc same subject was
likewise moved and referred to a commit
tee Of the Senate. The last have not ye'
met on it--but it seems that there is no
doubt of their reporting against the petiti-
cn.-The Committee of the H. of r. had a
meeting, Yesterday, and there were a.
gainst. and in favor of it--among the for
mer is the chairman (Mr. Por er Of N. Y
who delivered that very luminous speech.
which has been some time since published.
against the constitutiona!ity of the b nix
The petition, therefore, will not fail to be
rejected.-Aftcr all, where are those fright
full consequences that were predicted from
the downfall of the bank; the loss of credit,
and the ruin Of the merchants and of the
State Banks. Not a single bank has been
shaken as vet and as to the merchants a
few of them have perhaps availed them
selves of this very convenient pretext, for
declaring bankruptcy, springing from very
different causes; but the injury to society is
Infinitely less than was predicted by the advo-
Gates of the institution. Letters have been
this day received from Baltimore and Phil
adelphia, declaring that the State Banks
stand on as firm foundations as ever; and
that a very inconsdernble Inconvenience
has been experienced by the mercantile
class. WHY then were these frightful an
ticipations of distress; these terrific specta
Giles of bankruptcy and ruin exhibited to our
view ? The motive is obvious-to strike
panic into the breast of Congress and con
jure them into 4 renovation of the Char
ter-Ou this point it must be confessed.
that the late Loan to the u. S. which ope-
rated as an inducement upon the SoUern-
mem to continue the Bank, subtracted from
The pressure upon individuals. The more
che u. S. had. the less individuals ccud have.
The sum of 8 2,750,OO0. which was loaned
TO the Treasury of the u. S. would have
been otherwise distributed amongst the in
dividuals (by discouLs) and consequently
increased the number of the importunate
petitioners for the renewal of the charte r.
This consequence was not cet tainly toreseen
by the Secretary of the Treasury; nor does
it contribute to reconcile us az all to the
loan but it unquestionably produced its eff
feet on the fate OF the Bank.
1.-THE Committee, appointed on the sub
ject, haze made their Report to the H. of K
an the affair of gen. Wilkinson. The Re-
port and Documents have been ordered to
be printed; and motion was made by Mr..
Pearson (he Chairman) that they should
be transmitted to the President of the u. S.
Mr.. Eppes opposed this m ton with consi-
House should shrink from the responsibility
which hey had courted--why they did not
express their own opinions, and ccme at
least to some sort of ReaolutoD on the facts
feported to them Why they had not the
independence and hrmness to speak for
themselves! Were they to serve in the
mere capacity of Committee or Court of
Enquiry for the President? When he sub
}ect was first moved in the House, 1t had
been urged that they had a right to enquire
into it for their own satisfaction and use
g svhy did they now sh, ink from it For his
own part he moved. that the Report should
be referred TO committee of the whole
house--which motion, however, was los
And, by subsequent decision, the paper,
we're ordered to be transmitted to the Presi-
dent The Committee appointed 70 enquire
INTO The causes of the mortality at Terre au
Boeut, presented likewise their Report, which
W 8 ordered totake the same direction Tie G
is certainly great business in the reasons
assigned by Eppes-and besides let us ask,
IN what an awkward situation does this
course place the President of the u. States !:
The whole Responsibility is adrotiy shifted
TO his shoulders He is to colate the evil
dence-he is to draw the inferences--he is
60 act on them. Suppos the President is
seriously of opinion. that this evidence has
been incorrectly stated; that Gen. w. has
not had fair opportunity of rebutting it be-
fore the Committee; Nay, suppose varie-
Ty OF circumstances which might render
President cODscientiously indisposed TO come
10 any decision at all, either for or against
Gen. w. upon the evidence thus laid be
fore him what then Although HE may,
for these reasons, suppose that the Report
as utterly irrelevant to prove the guilt OF the
Ennocence of Gen. Wilkinson, yet his failing
40 act upon it will be tortured by the Uery
Gberak opponents, either into disrespecs
for the appeal of Congress, his apprehcnsi-
On to meet the responsibility of a decisi IN,
or his determination to take sides with W.
---Withont meaning TO express any opinion
cn the points at issue, it must be confessed
that the personal enemies of Gen. w. have
Shown TO the most ungenerous means OF pre-
ludicing the minds of the members. A
gaiust him Mr.. Daniel Coke, partner in
The house Of Daniel Clarke, took care to
dispense among them the pamphlet, Of
which Clark has been the putative father
but which Coke declared before he commit
tee. had been written by himself Edward
AIiyingston and two other persons, from the
notes and matter furnished by Mr. Clark.
The vindication Of Gen. w. which has been
spoken Of in he public prints, has not yet
appeared entire from the Press. / have
seen the I'd volume, which scans the charge
Of his connection with a. Burr, the Appen-
dix the 18th Vol containing merely some
documents on the causes of the mortality at
Terre au Boeuf,) and pamphlet entitled
- A briefexaminaton of Testimony TO vim
IL xf oil