Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-21

The Secraiy 10 not aware, that any oihev letter
," the confidential file appsrain 10 the objects OF Tho
present inquiry Hc submits, however, such Of them
40 are addressed I'd Banks, the examn Of the
roan'iitee He takes tho occa sion, aiso, 10 tender
10 the committee, M he did ~ the coma,tiee appnn,-
ri under the resolution Of the 9th OF Fetruar. SIS
he inspection OF amy Of the records or eorres,,on.
dence IN The Department, hat may he deemed nc.
ees:ary TO r'"cida'e a"y Of tho matters connec.ed
with the inquiry,
Having Jisosr.l Of the minor topics Of
brought against the Secretary in Mr.. Edwards.
Address, Il now remains 10 notice the grave charge
which he has preferred Of having man,anagrd .he
natoDs funds A. far this charge ia founded upon
the particular transactions which have forn,e. the
subject OF The heeoinv observations, IL 10 presumed
10 lie snfic'eo'ly rei"teJ. The only remaining
The State Banks IA repositories Of the public moneys
in the WeseTn Country.
The circumstances by which this me aaure avas
rendered necessary, and the views with which il was
adopted under the sanction Of the President of the
United S,Ates, have already been expaine,f in the
Seerajarys report, Of the l4h February, IReo, and
in his letter tn the Select COMMITTEE, Of the 3Sh Of
ques'ed u may he proper, however, to remark,
here, that, thronehbu tho Western Country general
Ind severe dissess had followed the resump,ion of
specie payments o" The part OF the Treasury, every
disposition hail been entertained to make tho de.
mantis OF The government press lightly on aufferinp
people. With this view the Receivers and ColIec
tors had been authorized, generally, to receive in
payments TO the United States all the spec
hank notes in circulation and the Bank Of the Uni.
ted States had literally seconded tho views of IN.
Treasury 10y authorizing the reception Of these rn,Is
from tn. Receivers and Collectors. This experi-
meni, though u gave relief TO the public debtors had
been found injurious 10 the iceifere OF the Bank
and, by proper regard for its safety, that in
SITUATION c"ns',iered itself constrained to decline the
reception oi almost all OF thoae funds which form the
cur'rury OF that pnrihn Of the COUNTY, and Of those
waicl, alone IL could prutieny take, scarceiy any
were IN circulation. What effect this change had
upon the stale Of things may he inferred from few
NOstu 100 sso,. l..-l
were about that lime made the Secretary il rca-
iIon IN the sui ject.
'.The debtors Of II. Uni'ed States" say the Di.
rrc,o,.ofthe Bank of vinceanes, IN their memorial
OF the Oh January, 1879, " in the Western country
labor under distressing and almost erable diff
e''"'s m meci'ng their engage menis; not SO much
from The want of means AZ from the srarcity Of socb
funds as are receivable in payn,en of public lands
Should the Country continue present situation
with rrsect TO iiese funds many an honest ci,;,eu
many an industrious farmer, who has migrated 10
,ss country, and has paid his last eighty dollsrs AZ
hst 'ns,aneuf on his quarter section Of land will lie
compelled, at the end of Ave years. to leave his IA
'or"e SPOT, his cabin, and all the comfortable i'm.
which the labor OF his own hands b,.
acquired, and, with his wife and children, seek n
new home, w'ihou, money to procure it, And wby ,
t'"canse the produce Of his farm, although he NAV
ns' an a""n'nce to spare, will not command such
iu''ds as G;vcrnmrnt demand for the COMPLEXION of
his payments. O,brr rep, csc nations which arc
herewith transmitted, from Senators and ReuYeseu
.a"Scs, whose character is Sufficient guarantee for
me ruin ri their s'aiesmenis, corroiihraie tbese
views The Hon. Mr.. Hrtrck, in n Ieuer of The
llih OF March, 1913, considers the adoption Of some
measures on the subject as desirable, as well with
view 10 relieve the people, as 10 prc serve their a
tons for the presen, administration Of Tho Gsn.r.,
Gnvetnmeni The Hon. Waller TAYLOR ma Ia,,er
al the 3lst March, 1918, encloses letter from res
prr"nir source, stating that twenty per cent. had
been given Nv those who had payments TO make m
The Land Offices, tn Obtain snch money as would he
received that few entries Of land vera made and
,h", many who had come from distance To enter
a mi Nufn
money they had brought, though CONSISTING or liz
n""s OF banks Of established character could no, n.
received Ard MIR. Taylor concurs in opinion. tia,
w. opera"n OF the existing system prejudiciai
70 inc purchasers Of pubic lands, as we'll as the Gill
zrns oi The stale. In joint leiier addressed In the
Secre. ~, on the 18Th April, 1918, by fourteen IVES
i,rn NJ 'mners OF Congress, viz. the Hon. Joseph
Baldwin: William Hendricks, J,mes Noble, Waller
a,'or, His hard C.. Anderson, Lryi Barber. Thomas
Sneed, John w Campbell. Samuel Herrick, Peter
AZ concu' IN stating, that" every mail fion The Yves,
"rhgs us Tue complaints and requc sis Of thu peope
on tn subject Of the pecuniary state oTonr cnun.
Try and they conclude, by recommending, "a .
measure oil VITAL Importance, the reception OF such
w ester" paper oi specie-ps,ing banks. ma were in
good credit The Hon. J. Nc Lean, Of Illinois. in
lrte! OF The 9Th Jsne 1919, speaking Of one Of The
dsircrs in that state, makes the ToIIoviog
taton 4" am well assured, from nv own knnw.
ledge, and the letters of respectable gentlemen in
that part oi the country that, f every noe thar will
ne IN payment OF land, and every dollar Of
specie that 70 IN the country, in the hantis of
nose ndebiedi 10 the government for land, II would
he nsn ficieni TO enable more Than oue-,enth man Of
o"r settlers to comply with his engagement. IaI-
mos DAILY receive letteTsfrom the people of Shaw
neeiown Land District, and of that mari of Illinois
included IN the Vinceunes District stating that they
are III situation truly dish essing, and that unless
mere I've some ameoraiion in lie directions 10 the
efesefs mat The time 10 bur very short, until they
expec, to see the little farm and dwelling tho have
provided Tor the support and shelter Of and
tn'Iy, torn from them by The merciless avnricious
'pec"'aor am sorry To be constrained to say, that
that they represent facts
These are letters which have presented Them.
'e's es on basiy reference the files of tho De-
par mem. " swell RENE mbered, however, thar nu-
merons and earnest personal Representations were
inside ny other genemeB in Congress, both as 10 The
iecuniaTy dIsIie sses Of the Western coun,ry and
y necessity OF change in the existing regulations
orp' essn,a''ons like these, could not he received
WIN indherepce IL 10 TO he recoected ALSO that
~ the time when This stale Of things existed the
ieb, due for public lands amounted to about twenty
billions 81 dollars the greatest part OF which had
zee" contracted during I've of sppce nav.
nens Upon mature re election, therefore aud with
he appreciation nf the Prcsdeni, IL was deemed adj
sisah'e To make the arrangements with The Western
sa,ks, which are the subject OF Nil. Edwarts's con-
The details Of these arrangements are en- f,Iy ex.
,'hhed IN the Secreiary's fornrr communcai,ons on
ne snJfc', that IS not thought necessary here to
kIiain them.
As Tar as the interests of the ppople aud of N.
asury, we're onncernrd, il il believed that those
"r'ng ements we're no, merely deiensibie, bn COM
"o"dspe. As Tar as the measure affected the inte.
es,s OF The Bank OF the Unied States, s believed
% he equally deserving of app o,siion III ~ letter
written Ivy The Secretary a. the Presheu, of that u.
'iiiniioo, on The ltth September, 1919, ba thus ex
'm'ned The Isotv,s, which, rs lar as Tho Bank was
influenced his the subject.
!" has heeD my constant enIeavof, for more Than |
WE'VE mouths past,