Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-12-31
GREAT PUBLIC MEETING IN RICH
MOND

MOND.
Alta meeting of the citizens OF Richmond ne'o
At the Capi,ol, on Thursday, the Goth OF Decem'
Der 1883, Chapman Johnson, ESQ., was ca"eo u
the Chair, and Holden Rhodes. appointed oecre'
tary.
The following resolutions were offered oy d.
w. Leigh, Esq and adopted without dissent
ing voice:
R,,oi,ed as the sense of the citizens OF Rich
mani now here assembled, that as the Bank OF the
u. States in the large bonus which II paid Tor us
charter. and in the services it stipulated TO per-
form and in fact performed for the government,
had maid full and valuable consideration Tor all
the privileges, advantages aud benefits, CONFER
rod ON il by the act Of Incorporation, among wh'c"
were the deposItes, in the Bank or ITS branches,
of the moneys of the u. States, as the same shou,a
be collected, from time to time, during the who're
Term for which it was incorporated; aud as I! was
not pretended, that the Bank was, or was iikeiy
10 become, an unsafe depository OF the puoiic
treasure, or that il had failed to perform any OF
the services which it had stipulated to perform
for the government; therefore. the recent act o'
the President. withholding aud Withdrawing the
depo,i,es of the moneys OF the U, States from
the Bank, was palpaole breach OF .he puo.c
talth Sotmhiy piiShleo W '"e '"'''""
charter
Resolped, in regard to the reasons by which It
has been attempted to justify tins extraordinary
measure, to the Congress, aud People OF the Unit
ted States, SO far as the sane consist IN aiiesa-
tons of misc onduct Of the Bank-that II appears
to this meeting, that those allegations OF mlsc"n'
duct, far from being sub,tan,iated BY prnof' nave
been dlspruved. and that it they we're all proved
by incOntrovertible evidence, stu no misconduct
committed bv the Bank could furnish an excuse
for an act Of injustice committed by the govern.
ment towards it-especaily, It such act OF mus
tice involve breach of the public faith, and VI.
oIation of the constitution and the laws OF the U.
States-and 80 far as the withholding withdraw
al of the deposies from the Bank has been 'indi'
Gated on the ground Of the shnr,ness oi the time
which the charter has yet TO endure, and the ex
petiency OF compelling 1t to begin thus early 10
wind up its afairs-considerlng that the ins''tu'
ton was incorporated for the full term OF twenty
years, and TO enjoy all the privileges, advantages
and benefits, conferred by ITS charter, tor the
whole term and that two years after the expiration
o the charter were It to wind up It's affairs,
this meeting cannot but view this reason Tor the
measure in uuesr on, as amounting in principle and
in effect, to the assertion OF claim on the part 81
the President, to shorten the term Of the corporate
existence of the Bank, BY an exercise OF the exc
cut,ve power, in defiance Of the Legislative vii.
and of the contract made with the Institution,
MAINLY EXPRESSED in the act OF Interpretations
RcsoIred, That this meeting, looking 10 the
history of this arbitrary and dangerous measure,
as il has been disclosed TO the pubic hy The Pres
ident of the United States himself Is compelled
to regard hin, as the real author OF 1t. and his
Secretary Of the Treasury as only the in,tru
ment by which he mas exercised his VIII anu pow
er.
Resoived, That the provision ct the charter Of
the Bank, that the depos,tes ut the money OF
the United States in places where the sdih ba"k
and branches thereof should be established.
should be made in the said Bank and branches
thereof, unless the Secretary OF the Treasury
should at any tine otherwise order and direct, I'D
which case the Secretary of the Treasury should
Immediately lay before Congress, II 10 session. 1t
not, immediately after the CONNIE ncement OF the
next session, the reasons of such order or dire'-
n,"-was plainly intended to give the Score
tary power to take away the depostes from The
| Bank, not at his own mere pleasure or caPr'cr,
nor in compliance with the opinion or IN 0brdi
ence to the orders Of the President, but only tor
good cause; and for good cause 10 be rep"r
! ted to, and judged Of, by the Congress OF the Y.
States.
Rcsoived. That the Legislature having IN the
establishment OF the Treasury Department, taken
especial care that it should not be an Executive
Department, with obvious design to retain to II.
self the absolute control over the public purse,
a. BY the constitution it was bound to do; the
Secretary of the Treasury. in the exercise OF any
discretionary power copfided to him BY law, is in
no wise bound to respect the wishes or the orders
Of the President, contraryto his own Judgment
OF what is right or proper, but IS bound to res.
pect the will Of the Legislature declared by law;
and that the President, in dismissing Secretary
of the Treasury from his office. for refusing to
exercise the discretionary power vested IN bin
by law to take away the deposites from the Bank
in compliance with the will Of the President, con-
trary 10 his own judgment, and in appointing
succ essur known to concur in the views OF the
President, nanifestIy Tor the purpose OF conform
ing the action of the department With his will,
has perverted and abused his constitutional pow:
err Of appointment aud dismission of officers. and
has assumed to himself an illegal, uncUnsitutlon-
al, and most dangerous perogalrse.
Resolved That considering that the President
had submitted the question as to the propriety OF
taking away the Deposites from the Bank. 10