Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-17


ry question"
THE BANK CoMMrrrEE.-The Philadelphia In
quircr thus refers to the progress made by the Bank
Committee.
"THE BANK INvEsTIGATIoN.-We annex some re-
marks from morning paper, to which we invite
| the attention of our readers. They touch upon
subject IN which the people of this community feel
the deepest interest," and come, it alleged in the
article truly we believe, from disncr sisted source
| a source "under obligations to the Bank
Rumour, with her many tongues, has for some
days past, been busy concerning the affairs of the
Bank and the progress of the investigation, and
we much mistake if many gross and malicious
| talsehoods have not been propagated by designing
persons in relation to the conduct of the institu
tion-Some that we have heard knoto to be
grossly false. The truth is, that nothing has trans
pred of the investigation discreditabe to the Bank
| All that has been made known concerning the
animation, has been promulged by persons examin-
ed, the members being bound by oath to keep the
details of the investigation secret, and having
instance violated such oath. The rumours, there
FORE that in circulation, must have been dcri-
we'd from the witnesses. These witnesses we have
understood, are under obligations of oath, and
are consequently free to speak upon the subject as
they choose. 1t is certain, from what has already
TRANSFERRED, that the public indignant at the sur
posed inquisitoral nature of the nvestigation-are
indignant that the testimony of dismissed officers of
the Bank, the insnuatons of ''discarded discount
heard; and yet they anxious to discover what
| extent this investigation has been carried to know
whether or not, as is rumoured, class of cti-
zens have been particularly singled out, and
held up as liable to corruption-whethcr not
any private accounts have been scrutinzed,
NC, in order to ascertain how far a Sc
cret investigation may be carried in
| free country. We believe that the Committee
will act fairly by the institution. We have the ut
most confidence in Judge Cha Jton and Mr.. Cam
| breleng, who understood 10 be the prominent
Eopponents of the Bank attached to the Committee
therefore believe that what has been said of the
| ungerouS mode of investigation to be unfounded,
but false rumorS have evidently had influence
upon the value of stock, have thought it neces-
sary to state upon the subject what here stated,
| to the public that the Committee have au-
thorzed none of the rumors in circulation, and al
to state impression that all of them derogato-
ry to the bank at least distorted. Indeed, SO
far as the facts have reached us, and have con-
versed confidently with one prominet and important
witness, the investigation, instead of duplicating
the bank, will exornerate it from all charges of cor
| ruption, and prove to Judge Clayton and others
| that its conduct has been aspersed"
| The following is the article referred to above:
"Ihe proceedings of the committee of Congress
| session at Philadelphia, the bank of the Uni
ted States, being secret, we know nothing of them
but by common report-on which authority it is
said that they have not made any material discovc-
res.-Wh is deemed the most important if we
are correctly informed, appears to us too ins gnih
cant-if not indeed an UNIV arrantabe impeac h.
mcnt of the freedom of the press and the proper
| function of thanking. The rumour is, that lncr-
chant borrowed OF the bank his unques-
| tonable security, several thousand dollars to lend
to the editor of New York paper; the loan being
entered on the loan books of the bank, and more
paid off by the borrower not long after it
taken. There was dealing of any kind, we
understand, between the editor u the agent OF the
bank. But as the borrower got the money from
the bank and the newspaper advocates its re-char-
ter, it is suspected and charged that the bank
rupted the editor.-Ths is false conclusion from
flimsy premses.--Editors of newspapers, like
other men, may borrow without being corrupted by
the LOOM 1t is, like their denial of fitness for office,
| an untenab!e detraction, to charge them with pc
| culiar liability to improper influence. But if this
| story be truly reported, the bank had nothing to
do with the editor. Their dealing with the
merchant borrower-and surely,no bank is answer
able for the use its borrowers make OF their loans.
The newspaper here alluded to, is supposed to
be the Courier & Enquirer, charged with corrupt
sed, and then become Tie advocate of the Bank
1t was rumored in some Northern paper that the
Committee had discovered that a loan of $50, 600
had been made the Courier g. Enquirer at one
dash!-an improbable story, probably having no
| other foundation than the transaction detailed
above. We are surprised however to learn that
the Courier & Enquirer is the borrow. ELe
zen hundred new subscribers in February anc
March alone, and yet hard run, Lieutenant Al
| Ten Dollars too!