Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-12-25

Hospitals of the u. States. He was induced |,
to do this by information which he now laid |
before the House. He had on his desk, he
said, letter of instructions from the Secrcta-
~ OF the Treasury addressed Ia the revenue |
officers Oftlle different ports, who are the a
gents oil the government i'll relation To the adj
mnlstratiOn this fund. Mr.. G. proceeded
to state parts Of these instructions, and the
practice under them, TO which he had decid-
ell objections, viz that no man shall be adj
mltted in the U. States Hospital or ASYLUM,
who Is afflicted with incurable disorders THAT
no one, be his disorder what it NAV, shall he
continued on the establishment after this dis
order is pronounced ineurablc--which rule had
been SO rigIdly observed, that unless the pliy-
stefan pr0nOunces that the disease of an appli-
cant IS durable, he is refused admittance ;'that
not more than a certain number OF patients,
lie the number of applicants ever so great.
shall he received into any hospital or ASYLUM.
the number in N. York being limited 10 sixty.
All these, Mr.. G.. considered as departures
from the principle of the act constituting the
fund for the relief of sick and disabled sea-
men. What, he asked, does that act re-
quire? Why, that every American sailor who
enters the ports of the U. States, is To contr,
butte portion Of his hard earnings To the cs-
adjustment of this hospital fund. One would
think, therefore, that the government was
bound to give him the compensation promised
Tor THIS contrhution--that is, tn relieve him
when sick, disabled, or in distress. But. said
MIR. G.. how is he treated when he PRESENTS
himself at the door ola Hospital of the United
States The inquiry is, not what is the mat
ter with him--not whether he is IN A American
seaman and in distress but the enquiry which
ne has To make, is, are there sixty persons
now in the Hospital ? If there be SO many,
he cannot be admitted: In vain the seaman
says, l have contributed all my lifetime To
tins iund, and you refuse 10 keep your sacred
engagement with me, putting aside considers
| tons of justice and humanity, &c Mr.. G..
concluded by saying that much more might he
added on this subject, but he forebore to say
more than was necessary To shew that an in-
| curry into it was advisable
/ The resolution were agreed to without op-
| position.
Mr.. Golden submitted the following resolve
feSolred, That the Committee 10 whom was refer
red the memorial of the Bank of the Uni,c, S,ucs Il.
directed TO inquire and report 10 ilis Honse wbe,he,
the sad bank Us not in the PRACTICE OF linking more
than six per cent,n per annun for or upn lis loan.
| or discounts
Mr.. c. stated the object of The resolution to
be, to inquire and ascertain whether the Bank
OF the United States had not vioated its char
ter. 1t would he recollected, that, BY the ex-
press terms oil the act constituting I'M,
BANK, tins House WAS authorized To insti-
tute committee To make such an inuui-
r.. He had been informed by good authori-
ty, that, from It's establishment Ia the prcscn;
time, the Bank. iGti been in the habit. uf re-
curing, and RECEIVING, a greater interest thar,
six per cent, TO which it is limited by the char
ter. The nI.rfifr ln-which this. was doue
was Ivy miscalculation. of time, giving to the
year only 500 days; instead of 500. This
: might, at first, appear to be an unimportan,
mater; but 1t would he found, 'on calculation
mat, upon the discounts made at that Bank
me diilefence In seventy years would amour,
to sum equal To the whole capital of the
Bank. 1t Was true, that the charter limited
the duration OF the Bank to thirty years but
IL Was equally true, that it looked forward to a
renewal orits charter, and would probably be
able I" accomplish its object.
Mr.. Lille opposed the resolution. If the
gentleman from New York had documents to
prove the fact upon the bank, it would be
most proper TO issue quo warranto, and
summon the institution 10 appear and show
cause why its violated charter should not be
taken from 1t. Bat, if such documents did
not exist. he could not, for one, feel willing to
leave tins place To go an inquisiior to Phila-
delphia, to overhaul the proceedings of that
! bank.
Mr.. Smith, of Maryland, had no objection
against making inquiry into the subject He
usaSes of the mother bank, but, with regard TO
the branches, he believed it would be found
that they had adopted the same rules with re-
Sard 10 the calculation of time, that had been
uniformly adopted by other banks throughout
the country.
Mr.. Tucker, of Va, rose to enquire of the
mover II nc had other proof with respect to
the taking of a greater interest than six Der
cent. except such as grew out of the substi-
tuition OF 36D days for 565, in their calculations
of annual interest
understood that they took the interest of Ga
| days on Il loan for 63 DAYS. But he supposed
al subordinate enquiries would fall under that
or The general character which he had sub
mitted, and he thought the practice to which
| the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Smth) had
alluded, however extensive it might be, afford
ed no excuse to the Bank of the United State 8.
Tor an obvious breach Of the law.
Mr. Tucker rcjoincd that, however correct
| me principle might be, were it introduced for
the purpose OF settling an incbeate practice,
yer, as AN usage had been created by COM
| mon consent throughout the Union, he did not
feel willing TO disturb IT. II might create great
confusion and alarm. lie believed there were
lew, II any, banking institutions that did not
violate the literal construction of their charters
| mol only was this the case, in the two instan-
| ces 10 which the gentleman from New York
mad referred. but also in requiring the interest
IN advance. This was compound interest !:
but no law had forbidden it-aud these usages
mad been adopted, so far as he was acquainted,
ny every bank in the country. The people
had acquiesced in them, and eommunis error
Jdcn kgem. Ii was prescriptive law with
winch II was not perhaps prudent to interfere.
IL the Bank of the United States, in this par
tic ular, were usurers, so'were the S. Banks