Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-04-04
kICllMOND, APRIL q, 1870.
To tie Editors Of tie Enquirer.
No. .


No. 2
GENTLEMEN-Oi the second descrip
ton Of BankS-namely-the S,iC created,
the Bank OF Potomac, believe, was the
hrsi. This was esiabli hcs by an associ-
alton OF honorable men Tor the patriotic
purpose vt preserving an equilibrium be
t"een both scales OF the District. Its
capital OF hall a million was paid in cash
IL has been conducted with skill pru-
donCe aud caution, aud like ou Bank o.
Alexandria. with OH Virginia honesty and
nigh minded honor This bank, there
tore, ought, by all moral and legal means,
to be the second in Alexandria, on which,
With q renew ed aud extended charter, TO
ruSralt all additional cash capital of half
a million.
As 10 tie remaining banks i'll this town,
" their birth, pareutage and education"
are moi erdriiy known. But we may col
lect some information from tie last dy-
ing speccli and confession" OF one OF
them as reported by the bank committee.
FoI The present i, is sufficient To remark,
hat three out Of four have their merits.
Bui the general Impression Is, that some
we're formed, like uIany others III the u
States, by The iusirumenidliy OF stock
notes and sham cheques, win a, compare
lively. sE,al: portion OF cash capital. Of
THIS. however, Congress, ss III duly bound,
will take good care, hy close scrutiny, 10
he well informed, before il gives 10 either
" ii local habitaiion aud a name" Certain
IL is that neither can he % nucleus" bank
without a violation of every fundamental
principle IN ethics an in finance. But
pre- emptionGL right ia subscribe heir bona
fide cash capital ought, in justice, 10 be
grant a, ana moro, III D,OdeSty, ought not
10 be expected.
Before leave AteXandris, il is all i'm.
portan to call The public attention to
mos extraordinary most uujma, most OBJ
jecLionabie, and to the great body Of STOCK
holders IN Virginia, most astonishing and
alarming clause, which has heeD suffered,
some hou or otker, to creep into lbe bill"
nom before Congress. This clause gives
a preference 10 one of the three last mrn
toned sci; created banks, mol only over
The Bank Of Potomac, but, strange to tell!
over our old chartered ia * Of Alexandria
itself. How, and BY ichoSe Continuance il
came 10 be inserted. the chairmsn Of the
District committee, we earnestly hope,
will be requested Ia explain. 1T is 100
giarng an act Of par'iallty, Of injustice,
aud OF indecOTum 10 this ancient domiu-
ion, To- be passed over in silence. Lei
MIR. Secretary Crawford's statement of
the Disiricj Banks in January 1910 be ex
amined, and il will there be seen, that
The Farmers Bank, OF all others, has The
smallest professions 10 precedence.
What does that statement tell us 2--it
Tells Va that the capital Of oar good Bank
OF Alexandra, being $500, 900. is paid IN.
That The like capital Of The Bank of Po-
tonac, the second besi, is all paid in. That
the Mechanics has S 36I ,497 of lis capi-
tai paid III, but tina, this Farmers Bank
has only $50, 100 paid in out Of IFS uom
nal capital OF S 5000 and yet this fag
eRa Of all the banks is, by the bill, made
pye~eminCut over ALL There is some
thing so mysterious in this thing, that
trust you. gentlemen, aud all other public
spirited editors throughout the u. S, for
II Is a mailer before Congress, and, there
fore. properly cOgnizable by Use whoie
Ipople Of the Union, will aid nv feeble
voice in calling for explanation. TIE (acis
are before you. A" The GiU' and A." the
Statement may be referred 20. Bat Tor
the trouble OF iransrrIbing ] would copy
beth. YOu, probably, have both, and
az add them, by way of note, II you
THINK IL Necessary. II is no triUiaL incident
OF which, treat. Whatever marks The
| course and character Of legislation in a
free country, is ell important. Here il is
! that feathers show which way tile wind
blows" Here il is that he nug@ mse,ia
! ducunt" II intrigue and fav0iiilsm are
/ To- gain the asceudarcy over truth and
| jus'ice--whcre are we Not in lle Z S.
! surely but in London or in Paris, in 81.
Petersburg or in Coustdniinopic One
| or two conspicuous Ham"s, cuBuingly dot.
| ted here and there IN list Of direCiers-
nasiuriium flowers 10 gsrDisb 4 Iagorss
/ will not give eclai 10 an institution, v hlcii
! has no paramount clam TO tie public a.
vor. They only serve IN awaken public
suspicion-to excite enquiries wby exali.
cd characters engaged IN high official av.
| ocalions, and living at TOO great a dis
lance to attend The board, are appointed
members Of II casnoi be said thai
they are intended to be honorary, az ws
Sc eminent men chosen me mbors Of Oui
antiquarian societies, GU? societies OF arts
aud sciences, our agricultural and pliile-
sophical societIes--iOr this would be Tx
very baihoS Of absurdily and folly. No
IL is all sTtihce--ariifce too clumsy Il
escape detection, 100 ridiculous not TO b.
laughed at, and too pregnant mol 10 70