Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-03
'a'l act. 20 vioatc the constitutional rights of the
people oil Iiis Com inonwealth.
EDWARD WHITMAN,
Foreman.
a Copy-Test,
J. WILSON, Jr. C. II. C.

| Foreman
a Copy-Test,
| J. WILSON, Jr. c. II. C.
| COMMENTS.
This whole preseui,uet is funded upoa atlecer-
| ton. These nnchartered Institutions these LiaHtei
partnerships US they styled, far from benis.
consistent Tcith The iGyg them IL, force" were i
reety contrary the genius OF cur cole. NJ they
were not in direct rfoton of the letter, they we're
IA direct e,GS0'i oil the SPIRIT. OF our laws,
| rs the law Of - So, II UHiaygiLd " for any
person to offer in payment briD0fc Bank bill or
| note for mOuey, pdyabtc 10 5cGrci'"-Nhat was
tis object of this Jaw but to arrest the circulation
ot a;' bank notes, passing from hand 20 hand, cl
might be issued hy brlrdfe or unincorpaatcd per-
sons In conformity with This obvious in,crpretati-
! on, law passed by the Legislature H. 1896, 20
punish the circulation of bank notes, which is
sued by the Bank OF Potomac (st that time au un-
chartered associa;on,) alb ougt ths Bank had teen
established, beyond cur jurisdiction M The District of
( Colun,bia.
ifthen, any form Of bank notes to he issued nv
i3sde persons, which though not p4yGbLeto bearer,
is calculated to pass from hand 10 hand-wheh an
swers sfi fact al, the PURPOSES OF note bduoje to
6edrei, though it va only in tn, form nj the note
will any pretend to say, that II Is not direct
etaston of the spirit of the law \ bank note usu-
ally runs sc The President Directors g Co. of the
Bank OF - promise to pay TO - order on
demand sc. then signed by the President, and
eountersigned by the Cashier. Now does it alter
use the same description Of paper anil engraving
and n iet the note run thus - To the Cashier of
The Virgins Saline Bank pay j. Adams, order,
on demand i've dollars ont - 80 Joint funds oil the
| President, Directors g c.
Ciaiksburg, Marsh I'd, 1915.
b. Wilson, Pres't.
.lccepte,, J. Webster, C-sr''
| The SAIL j. Adams endorsing the note, bv wav
of assignment Ire note thus circua,es from hand
20 hanL, freely, rapidly, as if it had hsen one
Tins .fs
, the eGect.--if this he not an eu,gi0u of the law
| what is! And lift ever necessary TO accom-
piish the object of The Legislature when was it more
so than at momc1t, when Qua circulating medium
! md become deprecated by excess, and private Gu
| pHjty was every minute adding TO the mischief?
but, fthese associations c so Consistent .Vh
the tdzsS ot the land, why somany attempts to L.
| gdiise them Why many petitions TO the last
| Assembly far acts ot incorporation Why did this
| Virginia Saline Bank, beneath the eyes Of the
Grand Jury OF Harrison, make 40 many erc,.ses to
the last Assembly for =" cS1ineRciRg its business
| without the leave OF the Legislature, and throw
| It's If upon the 66erabty of its own state for
sue;a ohslter as might end6Ie it to continue its
persiions --And yet, in spite OF the law of the
land, in the very teeth Of this petition are the
Grand Jury OF Harrison courageous enough tn as
sert that nothing is done but what there was right
to do that these unlicensed institutions were but
| lawful partnerships 2.They have had the courage
t%o TO denou &c iii terms of the rerrubaiion
an act, which vas intended to preserve the dignity
OF the State, and TO purify the circulating mediua
ana what wasof more consequence, the morais oil
| the, community.
The superstructure withdrawn, he whole pre-
sentiment falls to the ground. The Sc unlawful part
nei SHIPS turn out to be associations dI ect eOasi0n
OF the spirit Of our laws. These contracts which it
would have been saorI.ege TO impair, are proven
TO he contracts, wnieh we're entered into with in
! tent TO evade OAR laws--COntr&c.s, which are n-
teeted by usuTy OF gaming Vitiated by cur laws
has nio
these banking contracts Of effect; yet still coli
ctous 10 spare even those, who had sinned against
the light of the law, they have given them time till
| the 18th OF Nov. TO wind up their busless with
| Inipunity and in peace--Any act done after that
time, is punishable blythe law and, still law, thus
publicly promulgated, thus generally known, a law
which was merely remedial, toadd new sanctions to
| system which was universally known, is denoun-
| ced as an e.r b0st flcf0 law
Further argument is unnecesssry--but il NAV be
! proper to remark, that in the Judicial Process
which IS pointed out By this law, the Legislature has
! pursued the acts against Usury and Gaming and
that the conhscstion Of the property was deemed
necessary fine to arrest The temptation TO tram
| pie upon the laws OF the land.
| The advocates OF the new banks ought, indeed,
70 ue the last persons IL denounce the act before US
What the bill brought in by tie iri nhs OF the
| 10 new banks in the last Assembly! Il solemuly
| declared g that any company nav in being" as
wei as ''any company hereafter To be organized
AID sOrIOed shall, in the ease OF those in being
| from and after the 10Th day OF June next" &e
" whose BUSINESSES dealing in bullion or paper, rs
| back, ne and the same hereby dissolved, and
| declaredt 10 be uniaygfiP what grace then
! esn they complain of their own situation Why
| denounce the severity Of the existing law, when in
the law which was proposed by the friends OF the
| Is banks, every who was concerned in the
circulation OF Illicit notes to he " guilty of high
mis'iemesDor land every person, who by am
| 'I'eDis, continuance or cOntriVaaces, yriateUer.
shall attempt to elIte the provisions of the act
were subject to " undergo confinement in The jaii
or PeRtentiary honse othiS Commonwealth --.9ve,
| the very men 50 who constituted any company n01y
IA oeng," but who had not the good fortune like the
| Is banks, to receive charter from The Lcgisla-
ture.-Giant these IS banks the favors which they
sought an d they were willing enough, it seems, to
leave their other brethren, in iG7gfm parhlerSiib
too, to the frowns Of the law!
But enough Of this unpleasant subject--For the
present.
CT The Spirit al Uork.