Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-11-30

brt though he tooh .i'SsS 'N"'0 thc
put: he was not for any rash mca-
he only wished to administer some
SUI SUI st;muMs.-Anda as to this law, which
illI bsen so much talked OF, ii did not
ha .hnr;se the sheriff TO go at once into
a'Da ,anlts of the Bank, as some had sup
unssed but il allowed judgment TO be Civ
poafter 10 DAYS notice. And was this
en- en-, provision OIL our statute book Was
ni.not applicable to Attornies, to SheriffS,
y, Coroners, to Securities was there
INV principle on which it applied TO them
..i;ich did not equally justify It's applica-
ton to the Banks
MIR. T. concluded with saying, that he
..ssopposed TO the substitute, because 1T
vas va" nuratory-t!,at he thought the banks
'',sre ready to pay (; and that he was, for
"ompelIng them tn do it at a short dayN
M. blackburn, did not deem any apology ne
,s,sary for addressing bimselfto the rcpresen..
lives OF the sovereignty OF the people-aitho'
so conld not expect to clothe the subject in
aaorers or with the golden fleece, which had
,'tcly been exhibited his two mites
''a;oht weigh down the contributions OF the
rcI He confessed, that he had an imperfect
rnn.o,,aintance with the business of banking, not
bcnr either director, d cashier, or even
stockholder In any bank.
Radlv as ie liked tire original bill, he disliked
the substitute much worse-but, OF two evils,
who iying from the Jaws of the lion, rested his
hand on serpent on the wall. and was bit-Let
whichever measure be adopted, he should not
IN an; event feel satisfied. -
III ne na preferred the original bill, because it
,,ade certain what the amendment would rem
der uncertain that at some particular day, the
circulating medium would be brought back to
;fs proper stamp. He was not satisfied to post
none if to the 10Th Of July, because he would
moi grant one day beyond the 18th of December
next.-He also preferred the original bill, be-
cause it assigned a definite period earlier than
the 10th of July for the payment of small notes.
The substitute assigns no day--itis not willing
Ia hold QUE ANY promises TO the longing eyes-it
CLOSES the deor ofhOpe--andit puts us at the
mercy of set of men, with whose fidelity he
was unacquainted.-Ifh he understood the two
gentlemen, who advocate this measure, instead
efmaking certain what was uncertain, it in
wolves us in doubt and confusion. Did you ev-
or hear of the ink-fish When pursued, il emits
certain substance, which discoourS the wa
Ter, and euables it to escape its enemy. We
had supposed, that every thing would he rem
dered clear, and that the whole horizon would
be distinctly marked out; but the gentleman
comes, and ali IS paipable darkness, Yielding
usnot ray of light to grope blythe gentle
man from Henric0 takesit for granted, that the
banks are not now ready TO pay specie, and the
first rsasoD he gives for preferring the subst;-
tutc is, that not being able to pay specie, all the
specie would be drained from ourvauits, ifthey
were opened Put, the gentleman from Lou
doun showed us ina luminous manner, that this
position is not sound-but, (said Mr.. b. have
exercised my ewniudment, and from the docu-
nlents your table, am satisfied, that no sue
cessinl run can or will be made OH the banks
Yet, IL there wasnot siugle sous of gold or sill
yer IN their vaults they would be solvent-nay,
rich. (Nlr. Il. here entered into a long numeri-
calstatement to prove that the banks had am
pie resources at their command from which,
he was satisfied, that they were not onlysaf but
rich-and thatno run would be made upon them
but, if there were run, where are their
notes? Many of them are ia this town, butewned
by men who are interested in these institutions,
or dependent uponthem.-As to the others,
many of them are scattered over Kentucky, &
inPhiladelphia, where they bear premium; in
New York, where they are held as the best pa
per; IL the Southern States, where they are still
esteemed good-HOw are all these to be collect
ed and run against the banks? Ifyou wished to
strike dead the emission of notes, how long
would IT be before these ceased to circulate -
Search out the sources ofthe Nile, or of the Jo-
hba, running no one knows where-command
that not drop moreis to issue from their foun-
tains-yet, their waters would continue to flow
at their mouths for considerable time.
Mr.. Is. commended, that the gentleman from
Henrico had given curious reason for the sub
stitute-that every thing would be kept uncer-
tain-and that the happy day would arrive, when
Inc petitioner with his hat under his arms would
say :" May 1t please your honour will you
change this note for me'-and the Cashier will
astonish him, by askinghim, if he will have spe-
cle or other notes THAT the man will receive
the specie but, finding il too heavy to carry
home, will retumit to the bank--What Sir! not
one dray OF Wagon to be had in this City p
But gentleman has told US, there wouldbe
race, to see who would first get to the banks
race indeed, if the holders of your notes are
10 race IT from Kentucky to Tennessee. But
thepeople here would steal march on the peO-
pie OF the back country-Whati no printers p
those teli-tales who pry into the very dark
no mail-stages, waiting intelligence, while we
are asleep, attherate off miles an hour.
But, If the banks we're to disgorge their spe-
Gle, 1t would be nothing-for, they would not be
insolvent-And why would it he ungencrOus to
compel themto do il, as Mr.. Hay asserted?-
why, they loaned us money during the distress
ses of the war. Mr.. Il. said, it was currento-
pinlon, that a bank had no heart no feeling, of
course, no patriOtsm-that these banks took
advantage Ofour necessities, and charged us z
OrS dP cent for the lOan-Thnk Won that the
lank-sided miser would domore3 The Legisa-
tnre had then topay illegal interest-It was
ike SHINING in the temple.-And still they
call il gratitude Mr.. Il. contended, that du-
ring these necessities, our State should have
struck paperlike Treasury notes-and if these
had been signed by the Executive, would they
not have been as good as those signed in one
OF your corporations by two gentlemen, who
might perchance be in the lobby Orwere these
gentlemen so gifted, like Midas, that what
ever they touched turned into gold2 Ii they
mad indeed this power, he would beg them to
make more gold, and fill our vaults at once
he certainly did not wish to incur the charge Of
ingratitude, because good book saws il Is a
great sin.-The gentleman also said, ii would
beimpoiitic. Now, as 20 policy he had often
found it only another name for downright viii
lainy. When honesty and policy are opposed.
honesty is neyera knave--whle policyis always
turning and wavering. What was Justice, when